Mentessa founder launches HUMAN for HR leaders navigating AI change

Dr. Tina Ruseva has launched HUMAN, an international community for HR and transformation leaders focused on practical AI upskilling and peer exchange. The first major event is a free, weeklong online conference starting Nov. 12, 2026, aimed at helping people leaders respond to new EU AI Act training demands and workplace uncertainty.

Why it matters: - HR teams are now expected to help workers adapt to AI, build new skills and reduce fear about job loss at the same time. - The new EU AI Act requirement, in force since July 2026, makes AI literacy and workforce development a compliance issue, not just an HR initiative. - HUMAN is designed to help people leaders learn from each other instead of relying on vendor pitches or isolated internal experiments.

What happened: - Dr. Tina Ruseva, founder and CEO of Mentessa, launched HUMAN, an international community for people leaders and transformation owners. - The community is built on the idea of “from HR for HR,” with practitioners sharing what works in real organizations. - Ruseva previously founded the Big & Growing New Work Festival in 2019, which connected the transformation community across the German-speaking region. - HUMAN extends that model to a global audience focused on AI transformation in the workplace.

The details: - HUMAN membership is free for people leaders in HR, talent development and transformation. - Members can join now, connect before the conference and get early access to the program and speaker lineup. - People who want to share their own AI transformation experience can apply to speak. - Registration, membership and speaker applications are available through Mentessa's HUMAN page. - The first major event is the HUMAN conference, starting Nov. 12, 2026. - The conference runs for one week, is fully virtual and free to attend. - Sessions are spread across different times of day so participants in multiple time zones can join live. - Organizers plan more than 70 sessions with more than 120 speakers from more than 25 countries. - The format includes keynotes, deep-dive workshops, live Q&As and networking rooms. - Topics include AI in HR, skills, talent development, leadership, organizational design and learning culture. - The conference emphasizes practical examples from organizations of different sizes and industries. - Ruseva said HR leaders are being told what AI can do from many sides, but need honest peer exchange about how to respond in practice. - Ruseva said many companies are investing in AI tools without knowing who inside the workforce already has AI skills. - Ruseva said the most valuable AI experts are often already inside the organization and learn fastest from one another.

Between the lines: - HUMAN is entering a market where AI adoption is colliding with workforce anxiety, which gives peer learning a clear business case. - The launch also suggests HR leaders want less theory and more operational guidance on training, internal capability mapping and change management. - By making the conference free and global, HUMAN lowers the barrier to participation and broadens the potential network effect.

What's next: - HUMAN will begin community onboarding ahead of the Nov. 12 conference. - Organizers will continue building the speaker roster and session agenda before the event. - HR and transformation leaders can join the community now and submit speaking applications for the first conference. - The conference should serve as the first test of whether HUMAN can become a durable peer network for AI-era people leadership.