The Hiring Playbook is a practical, conversation-led event designed for HR leaders, people managers, founders, and organizations preparing to hire new talent. The goal is simple: help teams understand what's changing in hiring and how to plan ahead.

This session brings together immigration professionals and industry experts to share how companies are preparing for this year's changes and what strategies they are using to support candidates in a rapidly evolving immigration landscape.

What We'll Talk About

Which candidates may qualify for fee waivers
How companies are adjusting budgets and internal policies
Supporting employees not selected in the lottery through alternate pathways, such as O-1 and EB-2 NIW
How HR teams are adapting documentation, communication, and internal approval workflows
Practical steps organizations can take before registration opens
Understanding the new visa stamping process and consular considerations
How organizations are evaluating the $100,000 H-1B fee rule

Event Flow

Registration (30 min): Grab a seat, meet the Casium team, and get settled in.
Guided Networking (60 min): Connect with HR leaders, founders, and hiring teams navigating similar immigration challenges.
Panel Conversation (45 min): A candid discussion on timelines, strategy, compliance, and what organizations are prioritizing this year.
Audience Q&A (15 min): Bring your questions about stamping changes, the H-1B process, alternate visa pathways, fee rules, or anything else on your mind.

Speakers

Yvette La Rue, VP People, InfluxData: Yvette brings 14+ years of experience building people strategies that scale. At Auth0 (acquired by Okta), she led global people operations through rapid growth from 350 to 1,000+ employees across 30+ countries. She is a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion and continues that work at InfluxData.

Joel Williams, Associate Director, Global Mobility, KPMG: With 25+ years in global mobility, Joel helps organizations use technology to run smarter mobility programs. He leads KPMG's Global Mobility Services Innovation team and recently spearheaded AI training for KPMG's entire U.S. mobility practice. Named to Forbes' inaugural Best-in-State CPAs list in 2025 and Chair of the WA Society of CPAs Board.

Christina Hemmen, Founder, Modern Human HR: Christina founded Modern Human HR in 2013 to help leaders build high-performing teams. She specializes in scaling hiring at high-growth companies, drawing on experience at Microsoft, Amazon, Deloitte, and Premera Blue Cross.

Priyanka Kulkarni, Founder & CEO, Casium: Priyanka founded Casium to help global talent navigate the U.S. visa system with clarity. She works with founders, operators, and HR leaders to build practical immigration strategies that support hiring and growth. Backed by the AI2 Incubator, her work sits at the crossroads of technology, policy, and global talent mobility.

Patrick Dunn, Head of Commercial Legal, Turing: Patrick comes with nearly 20 years of legal expertise advising companies, with experience at Amazon and Kirkland & Ellis. At Turing, he leads legal initiatives supporting frontier AI labs, large enterprises, and emerging companies as they leverage a global workforce to drive AI transformation. A strong track record of aligning legal and people strategies to scale the workforce at high-growth companies.

Who Should Attend

HR leaders, people managers, talent acquisition teams, startup founders, small and mid-sized business owners, enterprise People Operations leaders, and anyone planning to hire global talent in 2026.

If your organization is preparing for the upcoming H-1B season, The Hiring Playbook will help you understand the changes and plan your hiring strategy with more confidence.

The Hiring Playbook: Talking Hiring, Recruiting & Team Management