Friday, June 12
Not Your Average Company Picnic
An Adirondack leadership retreat
JUNE 12-14, OLD FORGE, NY
An open air, three-day leadership retreat that brings people together across industries, roles and regions to talk honestly about what leadership actually looks like right now.
SaTurday, June 13
Disrupt north country 2.0 conference
Sunday, June 14
Send-off breakfast
& awards
“WE GIVE THE MIC TO INNOVATORS, WORKPLACE REBELS, AND
TRUTH TELLERS WHO AREN’T AFRAID TO QUESTION THE STATUS QUO.”
NO SUIT, NO TIE, NO PROBLEM
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BOLD LEADERSHIP, REGIONAL IMPACT, AND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT PUSH US FORWARD
→ Quick and Fiery 5-Minute Speeches
→ Locally Focused Panel
→ Round Table Talks
→ Wellness Workshop
→ Live Podcast Recording
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REWRITE THE CORPORATE PLAYBOOK AND SAY YES TO FUN
→ Live Music by Part-Time Genius
→ Boat Cruises by Rivett’s Marina
→ Scenic Chair Lifts Along McCauley Mountain
→ Sunrise Yoga
→ Late Night Bonfires and Rooftop Hangs
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ORGANIC, CASUAL AND UNFORCED CONNECTIONS
→ Table Talks
→ Networking Mixers
→ Endless Opportunities to Meet New Faces
Summit Schedule
A day by day breakdown of all the retreat has to offer. Want to make the most of your retreat? Adirondack adventures, early access, and exclusive after-parties are only available for Weekend Pass holders.
Friday, June 12 | 4:30-10 p.m.
Not Your Average Company Picnic
at OUTER SPACE
Let loose and unwind- the Not Your Average Company Picnic is perfect for locals who want a slice of DisrUpstate or for the leader who isn’t able to commit to the whole weekend.
Food, cash bar, and lawn games
Live music by Part-Time Genius
Casual networking and topic tables
A chance to let loose on a Friday night
Weekend Pass Exclusives
Mini-golf & ice cream social
Bonfire under ADK stars
SaTurday, June 13 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Disrupt north country
2.0 conference
at OUTER SPACE
An outdoor, open air conference driven by high-impact ideas and real conversations, designed for the leaders and changemakers.
Disrupt North Country 2.0 conference
Future of Small Business Panel
Burnout + Boundaries Workshop
Local Vendors
No-brainer opportunities to network and connect
Morning coffee hour and afternoon lunch on us
Weekend Pass Exclusives
Included with your purchase of a Weekend Pass, add the following excursions to your plans
Sunrise Yoga
Adirondack Passport Challenge
McCauley Mountain Scenic Chair Lift
Rivett’s Marina Lake Cruise
Rooftop Evening Social at Tony Harper’s Sky Bar
Sunday, June 14 | 8:30-11 a.m.
Send-off breakfast
& awards
at the Front Door diner
Weekend Pass Exclusive
Group breakfast for Weekend Pass holders, hosted at Front Door Diner. Expect good food, awards, raffles. and parting words.
Food, cash bar, and lawn games
Live music by Part-Time Genius
Casual networking and topic tables
A chance to let loose on a Friday night
Disrupt north country 2.0
Saturday, june 13
Disrupt speakers
Eight unconventional keynotes delivered by distinct voices with disruptive thoughts. Our speakers get five minutes, 20 auto-advancing slides, and one bold idea to challenge the way we work and lead.
Becca Rusinko
ConsultantAlignment Is the Advantage:
How Leaders Restore Momentum in a World of Constant Change
Brian tucker
Human Resources DirectorOn Second Thought, Burn The Bridge:
The Unfortunate Result of Biting your Tongue During Exit Interviews
Brit Derosa
Human Resources DirectorPizza is Not a Strategy
Elizabeth Evett
Self-Care Educator & CoachYou’re Already Leading—So Act Like It!
Katie Schmid
Financial AdvisorBecoming Financially Bulletproof:
What You Need to Know
Melanie Russo
Director of PartnershipsYour Future Workforce Isn’t Broken.
It’s Just Unintroduced.
Rachael Johnson
Messaging Strategist & CopywriterThe Myth of Competition:
Why Winning Alone Is Stupid
Rachel Johnson
Half Hood Half HolisticStop Building on Hero Mode:
Build a Business That Works Without Burning You Out
Choose how you want to experience the weekend
Weekend Pass
$420
Let’s make a weekend out of it- experience all parts of the DisrUpstate Leadership Summit, including exclusive gatherings and excursions not available for day-pass holders.
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Includes all of Friday and Saturday events plus:
Swag bag of goodies
Access to discounted rooms at Forge Motel (call to claim)
Adirondack Passport Challenge
Friday mini-golf & ice cream social add-on
Friday night bonfire under ADK stars
Sunrise yoga sessions Saturday & Sunday
Additional Saturday afternoon excursions (lake cruise, hiking)
Saturday night social
Sunday breakfast, awards and raffles
VIP Weekend Pass
$640
Get the very best the weekend has to offer. Experience all parts of the summit, plus added perks like early registration, open bar and first row seating.
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All of the Weekend Pass perks plus:
VIP swag bag of goodies
Open bar all weekend long
Early registration for excursions
Priority seating on Saturday
for the locals
Designed for ADK regulars or leaders unable to commit to the whole weekend. Drop in, join the conversation, and be part of the experience.
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$40
Includes:
Food, cash bar, and lawn games
Live music by Part Time Genius
Casual networking and topic tables
A chance to let loose on a Friday night
-
$90
A day driven by high-impact ideas and real conversations, designed for leaders.
DisruptHR isn’t about HR- it’s an invitation to challenge what we know about management, leadership and working with people.
Includes:
DisruptHR North Country 2.0 conference
Future of Small Business Panel
Curated Workshop - announced soon
Vendor tables and activations
No-brainer opportunities to network and connect
Morning coffee hour and afternoon lunch on us
who is the summit for?
The DisrUpstate Leadership Summit brings together people who lead in the real world— inside businesses, teams, and communities often without a perfect roadmap.
for leaders who want a vibey & impactful getaway
You’re a founder, operator, HR leader, executive, or consultant wanting fun, learning, and networking (that maybe doubles a write-off).
You’re looking for:
A leadership retreat that doesn’t feel corporate or performative
Space to think clearly and reconnect to why you lead
Real conversations with people building real businesses
An experience that blends ideas, environment, and connection
This is leadership work that makes more sense when you step outside your usual environment.
For Local Leaders & Small Business Owners
You live or work in or around Old Forge or the Adirondacks.
You’re curious about:
New ways of thinking about leadership and small business
Connecting with people and ideas that don’t usually land in your day-to-day
Being part of something bigger without being pushed aside
This summit is for you, too.
Leadership out in the Wild…
The DisrUpstate Leadership Summit isn’t tucked away in a convention center.
It unfolds throughout the village of Old Forge—inside local venues, around shared tables, and across spaces where small businesses and community life intersect.
Why?
Because leadership feels different when it’s practiced in real places with real people.
Over the weekend, attendees:
Gather, learn, and play in locally owned & nature spaces
Support independent businesses simply by participating
Experience leadership conversations in motion— not just in rows of chairs
Get a chance to celebrate the beautiful landscape and community of the Adirondacks
For destination attendees, this creates a retreat that feels grounded, human, and memorable.
For locals, it opens the door to new ideas, new connections, and fresh ways of thinking about business and leadership.
This is leadership with context, not abstraction.
Why This Matters more than ever.
Leadership shapes more than organizations— it shapes how people experience work, opportunity, and community.
By bringing leaders together in a real place, surrounded by real businesses and real people, this adventure creates conversations that land differently, and last longer.
For attendees, this means insight that sticks and long term friendships that form. For sponsors, it means supporting leadership development that shows up in the real world— not just on a stage.
