Density

The Conference for Leaders, Recruiters, and People Competing for the World’s Best Talent

April 28 - 29,
2026

The Midway
San Francisco, CA

Early bird tickets available now $499  $899

Density is the premier gathering for leaders, company builders, and recruiters focused on building and scaling high-performance teams in today’s rapidly shifting talent market.

Join us for two days of sharp keynotes, panels, and hands-on sessions that dive into the systems, strategies, and frameworks that drive precise hiring, strengthen organizational talent capabilities, and position companies to compete the best talent.

At Density, the people defining how elite teams are recruited, built, and scaled come together to exchange ideas, share insights, and explore the forces shaping the the talent market. 

Speakers

Hear from today’s leading voices in recruiting and talent

David Paffenholz

CEO & Co-Founder, Juicebox

Reggie Williams

Head of Early Stage Talent, Sequoia Capital

Tushar Makhija

Founder & CEO, TeamOhana

Matt Stephenson

Head of Tech Talent, Bain Capital Ventures

Stay tuned for more speaker announcements.

Fresh Ideas.

Agenda

Navigate the talent forces shaping your company’s future​

Build your own agenda covering the next wave of hiring strategy, AI-driven talent acquisition, executive sequencing, culture design, and more. Whether you’re scaling your first team or leading a mature organization, you’ll find conversations that match your experience and sharpen your decision-making.​

The AI-Driven Recruiting Revolution

See how AI is reshaping the way elite teams are built, from sourcing and screening to candidate engagement. Gain insight into the tools and strategies giving companies a decisive edge in attracting and retaining top talent.

Building Teams that Scale

Explore the frameworks and best practices top-performing startups use to hire and retain exceptional talent early. Learn from real-world case studies and actionable strategies for scaling teams that drive growth.

The Intersection of Talent & Investment

Hear from venture capitalists on how talent influences investment decisions, deal flow, and startup success. Gain insight into what top investors look for in teams,and how recruiting excellence creates durable advantage.

The Future of the Talent Market

Gain clarity on the forces shaping today’s global talent market. Learn how talent attraction strategies, competitive dynamics, and evolving compensation models are redefining how companies attract, retain, and deploy top performers.

Schedule

All Times Pacific Standard Time

8:30 am PST - 9:30 am PST

Registration & Continental Breakfast

Get to know other attendees over a light delicious breakfast featuring fresh juice, bagels with cream cheese and jams, pastries, and seasonal fruit.

9:30 am PST - 9:45 am PST Ride Stage

Opening Remarks: Talent as Capital

9:45 am PST - 10:25 am PST Ride Stage

Opening Keynote - The Future of Recruiting Leadership: Craft, Credibility, and Culture

A conversation on the evolving identity of recruiting leadership. What does it mean to lead in an era of AI, leaner teams, and higher bars?

10:30 am PST - 11:00 am PST Gods and Monsters Stage

Roundtable Discussions: Building High-Talent-Density Teams in a Hybrid Era

High-talent-density isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a competitive advantage. Join leaders from fast-scaling companies as they share how to define, measure, and maintain talent density amid distributed work, rapid headcount growth, and shifting candidate expectations. Expect candid discussions on raising the hiring bar, comp structures, and culture design.

10:30 am PST - 11:00 am PST Ride Mezzanine

Roundtable Discussions: The Recruiter as a Strategic Operator: Leading Through Change

2:30 pm PST - 11:00 am PST Ride Stage

Betting on People: How VCs and Talent Leaders Evaluate High-Density Teams

VCs place multi-million-dollar bets not just on technology, but on people. In this session, investors and talent leaders unpack how they evaluate “founder quality” and leadership talent, and what high talent density looks like from seed to IPO and beyond. We’ll explore what separates “qualified” from truly exceptional: technical aptitude, grit, capacity to get things done, and the charisma or “aura” that attracts other top performers. Attendees will walk away with practical lenses and questions they can use to assess talent inside their own organizations—whether they’re hiring the first 20 people or scaling to thousands.

11:00 am PST - 11:30 am PST

Morning Break

11:30 am PST - 12:00 pm PST Ride Stage

Keynote

Sponsored by Juicebox

12:00 pm PST - 1:00 pm PST Terrace

Lunch

1:40 pm PST - 2:10 pm PST Ride Mezzanine

Product Workshops

2:10 pm PST - 2:45 pm PST Terrace

Afternoon Treat

Take a well-deserved break and recharge with something sweet, courtesy of our friends at Ashby. Whether you need a sugar boost, a caffeine fix, or just a few moments to connect with fellow attendees, this treat break is the perfect pause between sessions.

2:45 am PST - 3:10 pm PST Ride Stage

From Zero to One: Designing Your Founding Team for Scale

How do great companies get their first hires right? This session unpacks how top founders and recruiting leaders think about founding team composition, including the balance between product, engineering, and GTM leadership. Learn how to evaluate founder-market fit, identify “franchise” early hires, and structure incentives to align for long-term scale.

3:15 pm PST - 3:55 pm PST Ride Stage

Building and Sustaining High-Talent-Density Teams

Elite teams don’t happen by accident. Explore how organizations define talent density, set a consistent hiring bar, and uphold quality through scale, hybrid work, and shifting business needs. The discussion highlights how recruiting, hiring leaders, and founders work together to embed sourcing, assessment, and calibration practices that keep talent density high over time.

3:15 pm PST - 3:55 pm PST Gods and Monsters Stage

Executive Recruiting as a Growth Lever

The right exec hires accelerate entire orgs. Explore how to approach executive search with intentionality — timing your first VP hires, calibrating expectations, and avoiding costly mis-hires that set teams back.

4:00 pm PST - 4:15 pm PST Ride Stage

Recap Day 1

4:30 pm PST - 5:30 pm PST Terrace

Cocktail Reception

Unwind and connect after a packed day of insights and inspiration. Join us for drinks, light bites, and great conversation with fellow RecOps pros. Whether you're debriefing sessions, swapping ideas, or just vibing with new friends—this is your time to relax and celebrate the community.

6:30 pm PST - 7:30 pm PST Lolinda

VC Talent Leaders Dinner

8:30 am PST - 9:30 am PST Gods and Monsters Stage

Continental Breakfast

9:45 am PST - 10:25 am PST Ride Stage

URx Opening Keynote

9:45 am PST - 10:25 am PST Gods and Monsters Stage

Sequencing Talent: Who You Hire When (and Why It Matters)

Hiring isn’t just about who — it’s about when. This data-driven discussion explores hiring sequences from Seed → Series B, revealing how elite teams time critical roles to unlock the next stage of growth. We’ll cover headcount planning frameworks, role prioritization tradeoffs, and the hidden costs of hiring too soon or too late.

10:30 am PST - 11:15 am PST Gods and Monsters Stage

Employer Brand That Wins in a Competitive Market

A tactical session on building a recruiting brand that resonates with candidates and hiring managers. Learn how to create a consistent brand narrative across your careers site, social, job descriptions, and stakeholder conversations.

11:20 pm PST - 12:00 pm PST Gods and Monsters Stage

Navigating Founder Profiles: The Product, Eng, and GTM Archetypes

Different founder archetypes create different company DNA. Learn how to adapt recruiting strategy to a founder’s strengths and gaps — whether technical, product-led, or go-to-market oriented.

12:30 pm PST - 1:30 pm PST

Lunch

1:30 pm PST - 2:15 pm PST Ride Stage

Keynote

1:30 pm PST - 2:15 pm PST CarreSel

URx: Breakout Session

3:00 pm PST - 3:15 pm PST Ride Stage

Closing Remarks

Why Attend

BE IN COMMUNITY

BE WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

Connect and collaborate with fellow talent and recruiting leaders who are shaping the future of hiring. Build meaningful relationships, exchange insights, and leave with practical strategies, tools, and frameworks you can apply immediately to strengthen your team and elevate your organization’s talent brand.

ADVANCE YOUR CRAFT

ADVANCE YOUR CRAFT

Explore how AI, automation, and intelligent agents are transforming recruiting through impact-oriented keynotes, panels, and hands-on workshops. Hear from forward-thinking talent leaders and recruiting technologists on the latest trends and strategies, and walk away with insights you can apply immediately to elevate your team’s talent acquisition capabilities.

HAVE FUN​

HAVE FUN​

OneReq is more than a conference, it’s an experience. Enjoy immersive programming, surprise-and-delight moments, and the kind of energy that makes learning and connection unforgettable.

Experience

Simply put. We Produce Special Events. 

Venue

The Midway

900 Marin Street
San Francisco, CA 94124

Getting to Density

Density takes place at The Midway in San Francisco.

The venue is best accessed by car, public transportation, or rideshare. We recommend planning for a short Uber or Lyft to and from the venue, particularly during peak arrival and departure times.


Getting Around

San Francisco is easy to navigate by rideshare, and most attendees will rely on Uber or Lyft throughout the conference. We recommend budgeting extra time during peak hours.

For those staying nearby, informal meetups and shared rides are common and encouraged.


Planning Your Trip

If you’re traveling in from out of town:

Arrive the evening before Day 1 to make the most of the conference

More details on the schedule and evening programming will be shared closer to the event.

Where to Stay

Density takes place at The Midway in San Francisco. The following areas offer the most convenient access via short rideshare:

  • Mission Bay – The closest major hotel cluster; modern hotels, easy rideshare access, popular with tech and startup teams.

  • SoMa (South of Market) – Central, business-friendly, and well-connected; a straightforward ride to the venue.

  • Downtown / Union Square – Best for out-of-town attendees who want central access and more hotel options; slightly longer rideshare but very manageable.

Past Attendees of OneReq Events

RAISE
THE
BAR

Register

Attendee Interest

Complete the form below to register your interest and receive a 20% discount as soon as tickets go on sale!

FAQ

If you have a question that is not answered here please email us at [density [at] onereq.com]

Density is the premier gathering for leaders, recruiters, and people competing for the world’s best talent. The conference focuses on building high-performance teams, shaping culture, and scaling impact through strategic talent practices.

Density is for people responsible for hiring, scaling, and competing for exceptional talent.

That includes recruiting leaders foccused on engineering, design, and gtm doing hands-on hiring;  Heads of Talent shaping strategy; and founders, operators, and investors making critical talent decisions. 

Density is intentionally cross-functional bringing together the people executing hiring with the people setting expectations, budgets, and standards.

Attendees will leave with actionable insights on:

  • Designing and scaling high-performance teams
  • Embedding culture and operational excellence in hiring
  • Understanding how talent decisions drive business outcomes
  • Leveraging AI and innovative tools in recruiting

Density is high-signal and high-impact. Rather than general HR content, it brings together the people who are actively competing for and building elite teams, offering candid conversations, real-world case studies, and strategic takeaways that influence both talent and business decisions.

 

Density takes a strategic, high-signal approach to talent. Rather than focusing on tools or tactics alone, the agenda centers on the systems, decisions, and market dynamics that shape hiring outcomes—compensation, competition for elite talent, AI’s impact, organizational design, and long-term team performance.

Speakers include founders, investors, senior recruiting leaders in engineering, product design, & gtm as well as talent experts from high-growth companies. Expect candid, actionable insights — not just theory.

Select sessions will be recorded and made available post-event. Some conversations will be off-the-record to encourage candor.

Awesome! Click here and fill this form.

You can request a refund up to 30 days before the event  or transfer your ticket at any time before the event.

Please email us at density [at] onereq.com if you would like to partner with us as a sponsor. We’d love to hear from you!

Sessions will address:

  • The future of the talent market and competition for top performers

  • AI’s role in recruiting, evaluation, and workforce strategy

  • Compensation, incentives, and aligning talent with business outcomes

  • Hiring at the earliest and most critical stages of company growth

  • What investors look for in teams—and how talent affects valuation

Density is structured to balance perspective, practical application, and meaningful connections.

  • Day 1: Thought Leadership
    High-level conversations featuring VC talent partners, Heads of Talent and People, founders, and senior operators. Sessions focus on how companies compete for talent as they scale—covering topics like talent density, headcount planning, compensation dynamics, AI’s impact on hiring, and hiring through funding milestones.

  • Day 2: Practical Application
    Hands-on workshops and real-world case studies led by experienced practitioners and trusted partners. These sessions are designed to be tactical and actionable, with concrete playbooks, frameworks, and examples attendees can take back to their organizations.

  • Networking & Social
    Density brings together a curated community of recruiters, leaders, founders, and investors. Between sessions, receptions, and dedicated networking moments, you’ll have the opportunity to exchange insights, benchmark practices, and build relationships that extend beyond the conference.

Across both days, the emphasis is on clarity over noise—helping attendees understand what’s changing in the talent market, act with confidence, and strengthen the relationships that make high-performance teams possible.