A pause for thought

May 6–8, 2026 |

Over food, wine, and activities at Southall Farm & Inn, a working farm and luxury retreat, we’ll reawaken our curiosity about the role software can play in solving complex problems, and reimagine ways to make this happen.

Among the voices taking part in the discussion are Tom Standage, Editor of The Economist’s The World Ahead, and Agile Manifesto signatory Martin Fowler. The Retreat is strictly under Chatham House rules.

We’ll cover two nights of accommodation so you can focus on the people, the ideas, and the outlook. You are welcome to bring a plus one who can enjoy the facilities while you attend the event.

Closest airport: Nashville, Tennessee (BNA)


Agenda

Wednesday May 6, 2026
4:00 pm Arrival
5:30 pm Cocktails at the Plaza
6:30 pm Dinner on the Fireplace Patio
9:00 pm After Hours at the Hearth (plus ones are invited)

We appreciate your understanding that, for our first day, Plus Ones are invited only to the After Hours event.

 

Thursday May 7, 2026
8:30 am Breakfast and Welcome, Gold Rush
10:00 am First session
11:00 am Break
11:30 am Second session
12:30 pm Lunch
1:30 pm Afternoon Farm Activity (not mandatory)
5:00 pm Cocktails at the Hilltop with Tom Standage
6:30 pm Dinner, followed by After Hours at Dottie's Speakeasy

We welcome Plus Ones to Dinner and After Hours on Thursday. They can also join you if you are participating in an Afternoon Farm Activity (subject to an additional fee).

 

Friday May 8, 2026
9:00 am Breakfast, Gold Rush
10:15 am Reflections
11:00 am Departures and Check Out

Note: Plus Ones are not included in Friday's events.

In attendance

Some friendly faces you can expect to see at this event:

    • Tom Standage

      Guest speaker
      Tom Standage is deputy editor of The Economist and editor of its future-gazing annual, The World Ahead. He joined The Economist as science correspondent in 1998 and was subsequently appointed technology editor, business editor and digital editor. He is the author of seven history books, including “Writing on the Wall” (2013), “The Victorian Internet” (1998) and “A History of the World in 6 Glasses” (2005). He studied engineering and computing at Oxford University and has written for other publications including the New York Times, Daily Telegraph, Guardian and Wired, taking a particular interest in technology’s cultural and historical significance.

    • Martin Fowler

      Guest speaker
      I grew up in Walsall, England, going to Queen Mary's Grammar School. I went to University College London from 1983-6 where I got a BSc (ENG) in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science. After graduating I stayed in London working for a while at Coopers & Lybrand, and a small tech company called Ptech, before becoming an independent consultant in 1991. I moved to Massachusetts in 1994 continuing as an independent consultant until I joined Thoughtworks in 2000. I became an American citizen in 2005 (I retain my UK citizenship as well).

    • Dr Leda Glyptis

      Moderator
      Leda Glyptis is a seasoned fintech executive and former banker, with a career spanning two decades working in transformation and technology functions. A frequent keynote speaker at flagship industry events globally including Sibos, M20/20, Finovate as well as specialist regional events, she is the author of the highly acclaimed #LedaWrites column on Fintech Futures and the best-selling book, ‘Bankers Like Us: Dispatches from an Industry in Transition’.

    • Peter Temes

      Moderator
       

      Peter began his career as a full-time member of the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and went on to found Enterprise Interactive, a consulting and research firm.

      Peter has led research initiatives for Goldman Sachs, ExxonMobil, Microsoft, Disney, EY, Pfizer, GM’s autonomous vehicles group and many other companies in the technology, finance and consumer marketing sectors. Peter has also served as Dean and Campus Chief Executive for Northeastern University, President of the Antioch New England Graduate School and President of the Great Books Foundation.

      He is the author and editor of several books, including Teaching Leadership, The Just War, and Against School Reform. Peter holds a Ph.D. and three master’s degrees from Columbia University.

    • Rob Mee

      CEO, Mechanical Orchard
      A software engineer by trade, I began my career writing natural language translation systems in Lisp at an artificial intelligence laboratory in Tokyo. I later launched Pivotal Labs which was acquired in 2019, and has been credited for shaping the software development cultures of some of Silicon Valley’s most influential and valuable companies. Today, I’m tackling what I envision as the last major problem of software; modernizing and future-proofing the critical systems that support the corporations that run our global economies.

    • Irene Sandler

      CMO, Mechanical Orchard
      I’m responsible for all things marketing—brand, positioning, product, content, demand gen— at Mechanical Orchard. I began programming on a Commodore 64 and have held product management and senior marketing positions at Cisco Systems and Cognizant Technology Solutions, where I was on the Executive Leadership Team. After nearly two decades in the corporate world building high-performing teams, I’ve returned to startups: Mechanical Orchard is my seventh.