Employee experience delivery has changed forever
The day kicked off with the highly anticipated unveiling of Unily Futures: the next evolution of the Unily platform designed to make designing immersive employee experiences truly AI-native. CEO Lokdeep Singh set the tone with a vision for the future of workplace technology – one where AI isn’t an add-on, but the engine, empowering EX teams and employees alike.
At the heart of his announcement were two groundbreaking innovations that redefine how organizations will build and scale their digital experiences:
- Indy: The world’s first employee experience agent that turns intent into governed, on-brand experiences in minutes.
- Unily Glass: A conversational “single pane of glass” that helps employees find information and take action across enterprise systems, without leaving the flow of work.
Unily Futures. Prepare to buy your last intranet.
But this wasn’t just a conceptual reveal; it was a live demonstration of what this future looks like in action. Founder, Will Saville and Head of Product Marketing, Matt Boyd took the stage for a real-time intranet build powered by Indy. Within minutes, attendees saw a fully branded, functional site come to life – complete with design, structure, and content.
The audience reaction said it all: not just excitement, but an unmistakable sense that the employee experience landscape had just shifted gears. What had once taken months was now possible in minutes – signaling a new era where AI is the architect, designer, and builder.
Lessons on pursuing the extraordinary
Dr. Mae Jemison’s keynote was a masterclass in purpose, courage, and imagination. She shared how some of her most defining moments came from deliberately stepping outside her comfort zone – right from her early days of serving as a Peace Corps medical officer in Sierra Leone, to becoming the first woman of color to enter space.
Her core message was simple but powerful, and underlined the importance of aligning people and purpose: you need the “why.”
“If you don’t know why you’re doing it, then it’s really easy to be attracted to the next new shiny thing. So you need the purpose of why you’re doing it.”
She also reminded the audience that technology alone doesn’t move us forward – people do.
“WE imbue these tools them with these magical, mystical powers. These are tools designed by people to accomplish something. What’s designed with that tool depends on the people doing the design.”
Coming off the back of the opening keynote, where it was revealed that Indy has been built using 20 years’ of Unily’s human expertise, this was another reminder of how technology can be used to amplify human potential.
Dr. Jemison also challenged how we listen and lead, emphasizing the importance of communicating succinctly and giving people room to tell their story.
“I’ve found that people can’t hear you until they’ve talked sufficiently. It seems the opposite of talking isn’t listening – it’s waiting,” she said, drawing laughs from the audience. With workforces more dispersed than ever, it served as a reminder of how employee feedback is just as vital as top-down communication.
Breaking down silos to build agility
Another key lesson for businesses was the value of collaboration, with Dr Jemison stating:
“Understand that not everybody speaks the same language, uses the same words. But don’t think that because they don’t speak in your jargon, that they can’t understand your field, and have nothing to offer.”
This was a key thread throughout the day, and the companies leading the way with this are inevitably seeing success.
For example, one of the most talked about sessions was the customer keynote from Johnson & Johnson. They spoke at length about how they used Unily as a “digital front door” and removed friction from their employees’ workflows, so they could concentrate on what mattered – making a profound impact on health for humanity.
Just as important though, was leveraging subject matter experts across the business, with Digital Product Manager Ian Moulton stating: “Cross-functional collaboration is a must – this has been critical to our success.”
Similarly, Samantha Rope, SVP HR at Adecco, spoke about “functional fluidity” during a heavyweight panel discussion on building a future-ready workforce. She passionately argued that everybody has a responsibility to eliminate organizational silos, with the panel in full agreement that only with this mindset can enterprises develop the agility needed in today’s world.
The future is human – and AI-powered
Finally, AI was of course the talk of the town, with many speakers and panellists keen to emphasize what Samantha called “human-centered AI development.” This links with Dr. Jemison’s earlier point around technology being used to complement workforce talent.
Kim England (VP, Global Employee Communications at Pearson), had AI down as one of her “big bets” during her session on enterprise social, but also stressed that her aim was to meet employees where they were. This would ensure they receive the right AI training for their needs.
Speakers and audience members alike were aligned on the need to continue pushing the boundaries of what AI can do for your business.
Ateet Jayaswal, Chief Employee Experience Officer at Wipro, gave his EX prediction for the coming years and saw a clear use for Indy, saying:
“Doubling down on AI is something which will definitely happen. Indy will possibly be the owner of our EXP by 2027/2028.”
If there was one unifying thread through Day 1 of Unite 25, it was momentum – a shared belief that to thrive in the modern world, organizations must not just keep up with change, but exceed its pace.
From the unveiling of Unily Futures to Dr. Mae Jemison’s challenge to lead with purpose, every moment reinforced that innovation only matters when it amplifies human potential.
Across the sessions, we saw what this looks like in practice: teams breaking down silos to unlock agility, and pioneers using AI not as a shortcut, but to unleash creativity and connection. The companies ahead of the curve aren’t simply adopting new technologies – they’re reimagining how people and ideas move faster together.
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