Meet the Team: Em

Name: Em Narcessian

Title: Head of Product

How long you have been at HumanX: Employee #3!

What’s your background, and what brought you to HumanX?

Events are my domain of expertise. I’ve been in the events industry for nearly 15 years. Before joining HumanX, I led Product at HLTH, our health tech sister conference, where I was part of the team from its very first year. I’ve always been passionate about building events from the ground up. What really excites me is user experience because at its core, it’s about empathy. Developing a great event is rooted in a deep, intuitive understanding of our audience, but it also requires close collaboration across sales, content, operations, and marketing. My role depends on gathering and synthesizing insights from all of those stakeholders to ensure we’re creating an experience that truly resonates and creates value. 

The best advice a mentor ever gave me was to listen more than you talk. That mindset shapes how I approach my work every day: listening for first-hand insights, understanding needs, motivations, and hopes, and never being afraid to ask questions (especially open ended ones) and sharing those insights with the team helps us build thoughtful, human centered conclusions.

Ultimately, I came to HumanX because it offered the rare chance to build an event with empathy from its core from the ground up again. An experience shaped by empathy and grounded in genuine human connection. HumanX represents the intersection of humanity and exponential technology: a belief that AI’s future is only meaningful if it’s built with and for humans. Being part of this team means designing a conference with heart, intention, and a human touch. A conference that never loses sight of people at the center of AI.

What’s been your favorite HumanX moment so far? 

There’s something special about all the “firsts” that come with creating something from scratch. For example, when the inaugural HumanX event received its very first registered attendee, our whole team celebrated. We even joked about sending them a special gift (and decided that might be a bit much), but that moment captures how deeply we value the trust and commitment of our customers.

What’s one tool or habit that helps you stay on top of your game, either personally or professionally?

Honestly, my entire team would be shocked if I didn’t take this opportunity to mention NOTION. I am fully, unapologetically obsessed. If I ever left HumanX, it would probably be to join Notion’s sales team because, frankly, I’ve basically been doing the job for free. I talk it up to anyone who will listen. I use it for everything. Personal life? Notion. Work? Notion. Planning my wedding? Oh yes… Notion. I had databases for vendors, timelines, color palettes, seating charts - you name it, it had a Notion page. At this point, I’m pretty sure Notion knows more about my life than I do. So yes, Notion is my personality trait and my productivity tool. And I have zero regrets.

If you could teleport anywhere for lunch, where are you going?

Hanoi, Vietnam hands down. The street food culture is one of the best in the world. It’s not just about eating; it’s about immersing yourself in the organized chaos of the city. You can sit on a tiny plastic stool on a bustling sidewalk and watch scooters weave past while someone ladles out steaming pho right in front of you for breakfast. The best dishes come from stalls that have perfected one recipe for decades.