DisruptHR
DisruptHR is a privately held HR community and events company that operates a global franchise of rapid-fire 5-minute talk events in 100+ cities, generating revenue from ticket sales and corporate sponsorships, with video content archived on Vimeo.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersCincinnati, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What DisruptHR does
DisruptHR is a privately held HR community and events company founded in 2016 and led by CEO Jennifer McClure. Its core product is a franchise-style series of local information-exchange events held in 100+ cities globally, in which HR practitioners deliver 5-minute talks using a fixed format of 20 slides advancing every 15 seconds. The company does not build proprietary technology beyond a WordPress website (disrupthr.co); its distribution infrastructure relies on Eventbrite for ticketing and Vimeo for video archiving, with marketing driven by social media hashtags, an email newsletter, and word-of-mouth within local HR communities.
The business makes money through two primary streams: ticket sales (priced at varying tiers per city, typically distributed via Eventbrite) and corporate sponsorships from HR technology vendors, consulting firms, and local partners who gain visibility at events and on the website. A complementary product, DisruptHR Talks, archives recordings of the events on Vimeo, extending reach beyond physical attendees. Operations are decentralized: events are organized by independent local organizers ("Disruptors") who host the gatherings in venues ranging from corporate offices (e.g., Deloitte Toronto) to restaurants and event spaces. Sponsors such as Deloitte, WorkTango, Workday, UKG, and Personify Health anchor flagship city events, while technology partners Eventbrite and Vimeo underpin the ticketing and content infrastructure.
DisruptHR LLC is founder-owned with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or acquisition history. The company has continuously expanded its geographic footprint since 2016, adding new cities across EMEA, APAC, Latin America, and Africa through 2026. Revenue, headcount, and ownership details are not publicly disclosed. The business model is essentially a media and community franchise — capital-light at the center, with revenue concentrated in event transactions and sponsor relationships, and competitive advantage anchored in brand recognition, the distinctive talk format, and a grassroots distribution network of volunteer organizers.
DisruptHR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DisruptHR
- Legal name
- DisruptHR LLC
- Website
- https://disrupthr.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- DisruptHR is a privately held HR community and events company that operates a global franchise of rapid-fire 5-minute talk events in 100+ cities, generating revenue from ticket sales and corporate sponsorships, with video content archived on Vimeo.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DisruptHR industry classification
Industry- Product category
- HR Events and Professional Networking
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Virtual Event Platforms & Production Services (Streaming, Engagement, Moderation) (MPAGAOAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Virtual Conferences & Summits (Webinars, Keynotes) (MPAGAOAA), Live Streaming & Broadcast Production (Multi-camera, Encoding, CDN Delivery) (THAHAOAB), Event Monetization & Sponsorship Tech (Virtual Booth Leads, Ads, Sponsored Sessions) (THAHAOAK), On-Demand Video Hosting & Content Repurposing (VOD Libraries, Highlights, Editing) (THAHAOAN)
Keywords
Where DisruptHR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cincinnati
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DisruptHR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Event Tickets: Revenue generated from ticket sales to DisruptHR events. Events typically charge attendance fees ranging from affordable to premium pricing depending on the city and venue.
- Sponsorships: Local and corporate sponsors pay to have their logos displayed at events and on the website. Sponsors include HR technology vendors, consulting firms, and related service providers.
- Speaker Applications: While speaking at events is generally free, there may be associated costs or revenue through the speaker application process.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Event Tickets |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
DisruptHR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DisruptHR produces and licenses a global network of local, evening information-exchange events for HR professionals, each featuring a rapid-fire format of 5-minute talks with 20 slides auto-advancing every 15 seconds. The organization also operates a companion video platform, DisruptHR Talks, that archives event recordings on Vimeo for on-demand viewing. Revenue is generated through paid event tickets, corporate and local sponsorships, and venue partnerships with HR technology vendors and consulting firms.
Product overview
DisruptHR operates as a dual-product platform centered around live events and video content. The core product is DisruptHR Events — local information exchange gatherings held in cities worldwide where HR professionals deliver quick 5-minute talks. The complementary product is DisruptHR Talks — a video hosting and streaming platform that archives these presentations, making them accessible for ongoing viewing. Both products serve the same audience of HR professionals seeking innovative ideas and networking opportunities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DisruptHR Events Local information-exchange events held in cities worldwide, designed to energize, inform, and empower HR professionals. Each event features multiple speakers delivering 5-minute rapid-fire talks supported by 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds. Tickets are sold to individual HR professionals via Eventbrite, with local organizers managing each city.
- DisruptHR Talks Video platform hosting archived recordings of talks from DisruptHR events worldwide, accessible for on-demand viewing by HR professionals. Featured talks are surfaced on the DisruptHR website with weekly 'Top 5 Most Viewed' compilations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100+ cities globally with active DisruptHR events
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use DisruptHR
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
DisruptHR technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
DisruptHR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- DeloittecoreMajor sponsor and venue provider for DisruptHR Toronto events. Deloitte's 8 Adelaide Street West office serves as the event venue.
- WorkTangocoreSponsor of DisruptHR Toronto. Co-founder Rob Catalano serves as Chief Engagement Officer and frequent event supporter.
- CognotaminorSponsor of DisruptHR Toronto events.
- Juno Search PartnerscoreSponsor and organizer contributor. VP Samantha Silverberg serves as co-organizer for Philadelphia events.
- WorkdayminorSponsor of DisruptHR Philadelphia events.
- EssentacorePartner and co-organizer contributor. Michelle DesChenes serves as Boston event co-organizer.
- UKGminorSponsor of DisruptHR Boston events.
- Personify HealthminorSponsor of DisruptHR Boston events.
- Cayman Islands Society of Human Resources Professionals (CISHRP)corePartnership with CISHRP enabled the DisruptHR Cayman launch in 2016. Chris Bailey organized the event with CISHRP support.
- EventbritecoreTicketing platform partner used for event registration and ticket sales across multiple city events.
- VimeocoreVideo hosting platform for archiving and streaming DisruptHR talks. All event recordings hosted on Vimeo.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
DisruptHR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Great Place to Work: Global workplace culture research and certification organization hosting annual conferences and certification events for HR leaders. Targets overlapping CHRO and HR innovator personas and competes for sponsorship from the same enterprise HR vendor ecosystem.
- Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): The largest HR professional association in the US, hosting the SHRM Annual Conference and dozens of specialty HR events serving the same CHRO, talent acquisition, and HR practitioner audience that DisruptHR targets. SHRM is the dominant incumbent that DisruptHR positions against with its 'disruptive' alternative format.
- The Conference Board: Business membership organization operating HR-specific councils and conferences for CHROs and senior HR executives. Targets the same senior HR decision-maker audience DisruptHR serves and competes for enterprise sponsorship dollars.
- Workhuman: HR technology company (formerly Globoforce) that operates Workhuman Live, a major annual conference for HR and employee recognition professionals. It serves the same HR decision-maker audience and competes for the same sponsorship dollars from HR tech vendors like Workday, UKG, and others in DisruptHR's sponsor base.
Direct peers
- HR Technology Conference & Expo: Long-running flagship HR tech event produced by HR Executive magazine, convening HR leaders and technology vendors annually. Competes directly for the same enterprise HR audience and major HR tech sponsors (Workday, UKG, SAP) that anchor DisruptHR's sponsor portfolio.
- TEDx: TED's licensed local event program uses an identical franchise model with volunteer organizers hosting short-format talks in cities worldwide. DisruptHR's structure—local organizers, brand-licensed talks, evening event format—directly mirrors the TEDx playbook, making it the closest format comparable.
- Unleash: Global HR technology conference series (formerly HR Tech World) hosting major events in Europe and the US focused on HR innovation, talent, and future of work. Directly competes with DisruptHR for HR tech vendor sponsorship and HR executive attendance, with overlapping speaker communities.
- HR Transform: Annual HR conference focused on transformation, innovation, and the future of work, featuring shorter-format keynotes and panel discussions. Closely aligned with DisruptHR's content positioning and competes for similar speakers and HR leader attendees.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
DisruptHR social profiles
Digital presenceDisruptHR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DisruptHR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
DisruptHR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DisruptHR M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DisruptHR
What does DisruptHR do?
DisruptHR produces and licenses a global network of local, evening information-exchange events for HR professionals, each featuring a rapid-fire format of 5-minute talks with 20 slides auto-advancing every 15 seconds. The organization also operates a companion video platform, DisruptHR Talks, that archives event recordings on Vimeo for on-demand viewing. Revenue is generated through paid event tickets, corporate and local sponsorships, and venue partnerships with HR technology vendors and consulting firms.
Is DisruptHR a public or private company?
DisruptHR is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was DisruptHR founded?
DisruptHR was founded in 2016.
Where is DisruptHR based?
DisruptHR is headquartered in Cincinnati, United States, in the North America region.
How does DisruptHR make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Event Tickets are the primary driver. The others are sponsorships and speaker Applications.
Who are DisruptHR's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Great Place to Work, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), The Conference Board and Workhuman. Direct peers are HR Technology Conference & Expo, TEDx, Unleash and HR Transform.
Does DisruptHR have an API?
No public API is recorded for DisruptHR.
What industry is DisruptHR in?
DisruptHR's product category is HR Events and Professional Networking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAOAO, Virtual Event Platforms & Production Services (Streaming, Engagement, Moderation), with a secondary code of MPAGAOAA, Virtual Conferences & Summits (Webinars, Keynotes). Its NAICS code is 561920 and its SIC code is 7990.