Cathy Hackl to host Grace Hopper Celebration 2026

AI futurist Cathy Hackl will host the Grace Hopper Celebration 2026 at the Anaheim Convention Center from Oct. 27-30, leading opening and closing plenaries for the world’s largest annual gathering of women in technology. The role caps a wider international speaking run across Africa and the Middle East and puts Hackl alongside other high-profile tech voices at the women-in-tech conference.

Why it matters: - Grace Hopper Celebration is the largest annual gathering of women in technology, making the host role one of the event’s most visible stage positions. - Hackl’s appointment underscores how AI, spatial computing, and other emerging technologies are becoming central themes for the women-in-tech audience. - The booking also broadens Hackl’s profile as a keynote speaker, tech executive, and B2B creator across major global forums.

What happened: - AnitaB.org selected Cathy Hackl to host Grace Hopper Celebration 2026. - The conference runs Oct. 27-30 at the Anaheim Convention Center. - Hackl will MC the plenary sessions and lead the opening and closing keynotes. - GHC 2026 will bring together software engineers, AI researchers, tech founders, and digital innovators.

The details: - Hackl is CEO of Future Dynamics and serves as Nokia’s Futurist in Residence. - Her background includes leadership roles at HTC Vive, Magic Leap, and Amazon Web Services. - Hackl has also advised brands including Nike, Louis Vuitton, and Walmart. - She hosts the TechMagic podcast and has more than 350,000 professional followers across LinkedIn, Instagram, and other channels. - Hackl is known for work in spatial computing, physical AI, agentic AI, smart glasses, and gaming technology. - In 2022, Hackl became the first person to ring the Nasdaq opening bell simultaneously in physical and digital form. - Hackl will share the main stage with Kara Swisher, Sinead Bovell, Baratunde Thurston, and Michelle “MACE” Curran, among others. - A featured book signing is planned for Hackl’s book, Spatial Computing: An AI Driven Business Revolution. - Hackl’s speaking schedule also includes the Singularity South Africa Summit, MWC26 Doha, and Founders Forum Dubai.

Between the lines: - The selection signals that major tech conferences are treating AI infrastructure, hardware, and immersive computing as core topics, not side themes. - Hackl’s mix of executive experience, media reach, and futurist branding makes her a strong fit for an event built around visibility and community influence. - The release frames Hackl as part of a longer lineage of women shaping computing, while also positioning her as a contemporary public face of the next wave.

What’s next: - Hackl will appear at GHC 2026 in late October. - Her international speaking tour continues with events in North America, Africa, and the Middle East. - Hackl’s forthcoming appearances are expected to reinforce her role as a prominent voice on AI, spatial computing, and emerging hardware.

The bottom line: - GHC 2026 is giving one of tech’s most prominent futurists the main stage at a time when women in AI and emerging technology are shaping the next wave of computing.