Heads' Summit
Join us at the NAIS Heads’ Summit at Thrive 2026 to reconnect and recharge with heads of school from independent schools around the country. This one-day event on Wednesday, February 25, is for sitting heads of school only. Join us to share learning, gain expert insights, and build an affirming community to support you in your unique position. This an add-on event only. Full conference registration is required to be able to purchase this add-on event.
All programming takes place in the Seattle Convention Center Summit Building.
2026 Heads' Summit Program
This schedule will be updated and is subject to change. All times listed are Pacific Time. A final schedule will be distributed to registrants closer to the event.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25 | |
| 7:00 AM | Conference Registration Opens |
| 8:00–9:00 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:00–9:30 AM | Opening Remarks
|
| 9:30–10:15 AM | Keynote with Paula Chu |
| 10:15–10:30 AM | Break |
| 10:30 AM–12:30 PM | Breakout Sessions
|
| 12:30–1:30 PM | Lunch |
| 1:30–2:45 PM | Summit Session Keynote with Heather McGowan |
| 2:45–3:00 PM | Heads' Summit Closing |
2026 Pricing
Register for the Heads' Summit through the Thrive 2026 registration platform. This an add-on event only. Conference registration is required to purchase this add-on event.
NAIS THRIVE HEADS' SUMMIT | |||
| SUPER Early Bird (October 1-15) | Early Bird (October 16- January 16) | Standard (After January 16) | |
| Heads' Summit: NAIS Member Pricing | $280 | $280 | $330 |
| Heads’ Summit: Nonmember Pricing* | $380 | $380 | $430 |
*Nonmembers: If you are actively applying for NAIS membership, you are eligible to receive the NAIS discounted price. Contact us to learn more.
Summit Keynote Speakers
Heather McGowan
One of Forbes’ Top Futurists, Heather E. McGowan brings fresh energy and actionable insights to the future of work. A sought-after strategist, keynote speaker, and best-selling author, she equips organizations to navigate relentless change by activating their most critical resource: their people.
Through data-driven insights and powerful visual frameworks, McGowan helps leaders and teams transform their distinctly human capabilities—adaptability, empathy, and curiosity—into strategic advantages. Her audiences range from startups to publicly traded Fortune 500 companies, including Google, JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, and Kaiser Permanente.
Often quoted in The New York Times, with Thomas Friedman calling her an “oasis” for her insights, her best-selling books include The Adaptation Advantage and The Empathy Advantage, which Forbes named a Top 10 Business Book of 2023. By teaching people to ask better questions, McGowan enables them to adapt at the speed of possibility to solve tomorrow’s problems.
Paula Chu
Paula Chu, Ph.D., served for nearly a decade as associate dean of students at Trinity College before switching to the independent school world in 1990.
She worked first as academic dean and then as director of eounseling at the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, CT, and then shifted to a private practice in psychotherapy and counseling in 2006. In 2001, she joined the faculty of the longstanding Stanley King Institute, which she now directs.
She lives on the campus of The Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, NY, where her wife serves as head of school.