Workday Rising 2025: AI, Ambition, and a Dash of Duran Duran
Workday is turning up the volume—literally and figuratively—for Workday Rising 2025, its flagship annual conference for HR, finance, and IT leaders. Taking place September 15–18 in San Francisco, the event aims to crystallize the “future of work” through a compelling blend of tech innovation, thought leadership, and cultural resonance.
And yes, that includes a live performance by Duran Duran.
This year’s theme? AI-driven everything. As Workday positions itself as the AI platform for managing people, money, and agents, the company is bringing out some serious firepower in terms of speakers, partners, and tech.
Brené Brown and Big Brands Take the Stage
The event kicks off with a keynote from Workday CEO Carl Eschenbach alongside none other than Brené Brown, the celebrated researcher and author known for turning vulnerability into a leadership superpower. Expect candid insights on navigating a workplace reshaped by automation, hybrid models, and generative AI.
Executives from Microsoft and Instacart will also take the main stage to share how they’re leveraging Workday Illuminate, the company’s AI-powered engine, to drive digital transformation across HR and finance ecosystems.
A Partner Ecosystem That’s Built to Scale
The real story behind Workday’s platform isn’t just what it does—it’s who helps power it. Workday Rising 2025 will feature over 175 partner sponsors, representing an ecosystem that’s increasingly essential to enterprise AI deployment.
Titanium Sponsors include consulting giants like Accenture, Deloitte, PwC, and KPMG, while Platinum Sponsors such as AWS, Google Cloud, and AI disruptors like Paradox and TechWolf are set to showcase real-world integrations and use cases.
Gold-tier sponsors round out the mix, with players like ADP, Mercer, Phenom, Equifax Workforce Solutions, and Sun Life spotlighting solutions that extend Workday’s native capabilities—especially in payroll, workforce planning, and compliance.
Then there’s the Workday Ventures crew: emerging tech names like Aisera, Beamery, Automation Anywhere, and Workato that are pushing the boundaries of intelligent automation, recruiting AI, and connected data.
Why It Matters: AI at the Center of the Workday Stack
Workday isn’t just throwing a party in San Francisco—it’s throwing down the gauntlet in the HR tech race. With the likes of Oracle, SAP, and ServiceNow all racing to build more AI-native platforms, Workday is betting big on a unified AI stack that blends human capital management (HCM), financial management, and intelligent agents.
What’s different this year? The emphasis on real deployments—not just roadmaps. Expect customers and partners to showcase how they’re not just experimenting with AI, but embedding it directly into workflows and decision-making.
It’s also clear Workday wants to make Rising more than a product show—it’s curating a community. “Workday Rising is where our entire community comes together to experience how Workday, our visionary customers, and our powerful partner ecosystem are boldly shaping the AI-powered future of work,” said CMO Emma Chalwin.
The Takeaway
Workday Rising 2025 is shaping up to be more than just another vendor conference—it’s positioning itself as the nexus for HR and finance innovation in the AI era. With a star-studded lineup of speakers, a robust partner network, and a clear focus on practical AI adoption, it’s a must-watch for any organization looking to future-proof its people and finance strategy.
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