Ben Callahan

Ben Callahan

Design System Consultant | Founder of Sparkbox | Speaker | Author | Coach to Design System Teams

Ben Callahan is a leading voice in the design systems space. As the Founder of Sparkbox, he’s spent over a decade helping internal teams uncover and deliver the true value of design systems—beyond components, toward collaboration, alignment, and scalable impact.


With a background that spans computer science, frontend development, animation, and audio engineering, Ben brings a multidisciplinary lens to systems thinking. Today, he focuses on mentoring design system teams, coaching leaders, and conducting deep research into how systems are actually used in the wild.


Ben’s talks are known for being thoughtful, grounded, and people-centered. He believes design systems succeed not just through structure, but through the relationships and trust they help foster within organizations.


When he’s not collaborating with clients or sharing insights on stage, Ben can be found enjoying life in the Midwest with his partner and two incredible kids—usually cooking, writing poetry, or hunting down a great cup of coffee.


Donation Methods

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Event Schedule

Our Events Schedule Plan

12.30 PM - 2.30 PM
Schedule Day 01 - First Sessions with Kate Towsey & Maddalena Zampitelli

Mushroom Kingdom

Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom! Our kickoff talks that turn design into real impact.

3.30 PM - 4.45 PM
Schedule Day 01 - Second Sessions with Odette Jansen & Noelle Lansford

Yoshi Island

Yoshi Island dives deeper into UX challenges. Master design systems and stakeholder communication.

5.00 PM - 6.15 PM
Schedule Day 01 - Final Sessions with Jeremy Miller & Jennifer Blatz

Bowsers Castle

Bowser's Castle Final frontier! Master networking and face challenges that unlock your greatest UX potential.

  • 1:45PM - 2:30PM
Workshop from Amanda Gelb
  • 1:15PM - 1:45PM
Turning Research into Influence
  • 3:30PM - 4:00PM
From Invisible to Irresistible
  • 4:15PM - 4:45PM
Beyond the Application
  • 5:30PM - 6:30PM
Panel Talk
12.30 PM - 2.30 PM

Green Hill Zone

Green Hill Zone - Accelerate your UX career! Master AI-era portfolios, strategic decisions, and impact metrics.

3.30 PM - 4.45 PM

Labyrinth Zone

Labyrinth Zone - Navigate complex UX challenges! Master stakeholder influence and workload mindset strategies.

5.00 PM - 6.15 PM

Final Zone

Final Zone - Ultimate UX challenge! Master AI personality design and instant conversion optimization fixes.

  • 1:45PM - 2:30PM
Workshop from Nina Weber
  • 1:15PM - 1:45PM
The AI map
  • 3:30PM - 4:00PM
Building a customer-centric culture
  • 4:15PM - 4:45PM
User Centric Product Development
  • 5:30PM - 6:30PM
Panel Talk
12.30 PM - 2.30 PM

The Temple of Time

The Temple of Time - Sacred space for deep UX wisdom! Explore solo business, non-traditional careers, and research.

3.30 PM - 4.45 PM

Gerudo Desert

Gerudo Desert - Where resilient UX thrives! Learn systems wisdom from trees and pioneer research foundations.

5.00 PM - 6.15 PM

Hyrule Castle

Hyrule Castle - Strategic UX pinnacle! Master systems wisdom and transform organizations through design thinking.

  • 1:45PM - 2:30PM
Workshop from Jeremy Miller
  • 1:15PM - 1:45PM
Panel Talk
  • 3:30PM - 4:00PM
Greater Good
  • 4:15PM - 4:45PM
From Chaos to Clarity
  • 5:30PM - 6:30PM
The Invisible Rules of UX Careers
Sponsors

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