Opening night | Run Your Own Race: Standing Out In the Age Of Average
Monday, September 28, 2026, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

In 2011, Bill Magnuson and Jon Hyman bet a company on a future that hadn't arrived yet. Fifteen years later, marketing is standing at the same fork.

Bill Magnuson, CEO and Cofounder of Braze, opens Forge 2026 with an honest read on what AI does and doesn't do for marketers. It won't hand you taste, a point of view, or a reason for anyone to care. What it is is a jetpack for your ambition, and ambition is the only edge that was ever really yours.

Jon Hyman, CTO and Cofounder of Braze, then takes the stage to present the Torchie Awards, celebrating the brands and marketers already turning that ambition into results. And because a night this big deserves an ending to match, comedian Jimmy O. Yang closes it out live.

Jimmy O. Yang
Jimmy O. Yang
Stand-up comedian, actor, and writer
Bill Magnuson
Bill Magnuson
CEO and Cofounder
Jon Hyman
Jon Hyman
Cofounder and CTO
Session Type:
Keynote