Last year we hosted the second annual Progress Conference. The 2025 conference was bigger than 2024: more days and more people, bringing together over 350 builders, academics, policy makers, investors, and writers who care about progress. Many attendees said it was yet again one of the best (or the best!) conference they had ever attended. We shared more about our reflections here, including a list of writeups from attendees and Big Thinks special issue The Engine of Progress, featuring original reporting, essays, and interviews from conference speakers, attendees, and RPI fellows.
Progress Conference 2026
Hosted by: the Roots of Progress Institute, together with Abundance Institute, Foresight Institute, Foundation for American Innovation, Human Progress, the Institute for Progress, the Institute for Humane Studies, and Works in Progress.
When: October 8–11, 2026
Where: Berkeley, CA—back for a third year at the Lighthaven campus which received rave reviews the last two years.
Speakers: We’ll announce an initial slate of speakers by April. Last year’s speakers included Sam Altman, Tyler Cowen, Jennifer Pahlka, and many others. You can see all 2025 speakers on this page (scroll down) and watch recorded talks here.
Program: The main two-day conference will happen all day Friday and Saturday, same as 2025. Attend speaker talks on topics from robotics to education to construction, workshop new projects, sign up to run an unconference session, and more. Thursday and Sunday will be optional add-on days, with factory tours, interest group events, and other activities.
Our mission is to establish a new philosophy of progress for the 21st century, and to build a culture of progress. Bringing the members of the progress movement together is a core part of our strategy: the large annual conference is a first step; we’re also organizing more in person and virtual events.