HBR Innovation Summit 2026 Tests What It Takes to Move an Idea Through an Institution

HBR Innovation Summit 2026 is scheduled for 2026-11-12 at Nov. 12, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM ET; Nov. 13, 10:00 AM-12:30 PM ET. Harvard Business Review convenes executives, researchers, and builders for a two-day online summit on turning innovation into an operating capability.

Innovation is easy to celebrate while it is still a workshop. The harder chapter begins when the idea has to cross budgets, incentives, legacy systems, and the people responsible for keeping the existing business alive.

The published speaker list includes C Vijayakumar of HCLTech, Kate Johnson of Lumen, Raj Subramaniam of FedEx, Michael Peng of IDEO, Ethan Mollick of The Wharton School.

What the program is carrying

• Executive conversations on building innovation capacity
• Research and operating lessons across AI, leadership, and organizational design
• A main conference on November 12
• An HBR Executive subscriber Innovation Forum on November 13

The event belongs on the calendar because it gives a specific part of the technology and innovation economy a place to compare the work before the outcome is obvious. A stage can make the market look settled. A good room exposes what still has to be negotiated: the customer that has not moved, the architecture that has not held, the institution that has not granted permission, or the founder who still needs the right person to understand what is being built.

That distinction matters here. The organizer controls the program, attendance, venue access, and final roster. DevCuration is preserving the public facts without treating an application, waitlist request, invitation, or registration as guaranteed admission.

Who should have it on the radar

This event is relevant to the founders, investors, operators, researchers, and institutional leaders working closest to innovation. The exact mix depends on the organizer’s final approvals and program updates. Anyone considering the event should review the official page before making travel or access plans.

Event details

• Date: 2026-11-12 through 2026-11-13
• Time: Nov. 12, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM ET; Nov. 13, 10:00 AM-12:30 PM ET
• Location: Online
• Organizer: Harvard Business Review
• Access: The main conference is online. The November 13 Innovation Forum is described by HBR as an HBR Executive subscriber program. Registration terms can change.
• Official information: Registration and current organizer details

Dates, access terms, speakers, capacity, and venue details can change. The official organizer page remains the source of truth.