Snafu Conference

A one-day summit for reluctant salespeople. March 5, 2026 in Oakland, California.

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what is snafu?

A more human approach to sales and persuasion

Snafu Conference is an immersive experience where we learn how to be persuasive without feeling gross, how to step up without burning out, and how to be successful on your own terms.

Amidst all the change going on in the world today, “durable” skills are often the most resilient. Learn how to speak up, navigate uncertainty, and sell without selling out.

What we teach

The art of authentic sales

Snafu Conference is less for successful sales professionals and more for executives and entrepreneurs who want to practice this skill. We bring together some of the best practitioners on persuasion, habits, and human behavior to teach successful – and deeply human – selling.

Expect candid talks and workshops about what it means to connect, create value, and stay human in a rapidly changing world. We’ll dive into stories of service-driven selling, ethical persuasion, and how to navigate increasing chaos with grit and good humor.

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A woman stands in front of a colorful illustrated board with handwritten notes about Zappos' history, values, and business strategy. The board includes sketches, arrows, and text discussing service, culture, innovation, and customer focus.
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A Summit about Sales

Why Snafu Conference?

Because you have something to say, but you’re not yet sure how to say it or sell it.

The Snafu Conference teaches entrepreneurs how to sell without selling out. You’ll leave with tools to connect, tell your story, and ask for what you want. Build a career based on service, not scripts.

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A Few Of Our Speakers

  • A smiling man wearing a blue jacket and backpack taking a selfie on a hiking trail surrounded by trees.

    David Shackelford

    Head of Product, Enterprise and Platform,
    Asana

    David Shackelford is a product leader, lifelong learner, and unapologetic nerd who thrives on solving complex customer, business, and organizational problems. At Asana, he leads the Workflow Pillar, helping teams manage their most mission-critical processes through automation, integration, and platform innovation. With a background spanning engineering and product strategy, David brings a systems-level curiosity and a love of practical problem-solving to everything he does.

  • Dan Cavenaugh

    Market Maker,
    Accenture

    Dan Cavenaugh spent more than three decades at Accenture, leading sales for the company’s largest global client group and shaping billion-dollar partnerships across the tech industry. Over 33 years, he’s learned that the best deals aren’t won through pressure or polish — they’re built on trust, curiosity, and genuine human connection. Now retired, Dan teaches and speaks about a more human approach to selling — one that replaces manipulation with meaning, and performance metrics with long-term relationships.

  • Jackson Cavenaugh

    Senior Sales Development,
    Snowflake

    If data and AI are the new gold, Jackson Cavenaugh spends his days in the mine. As a Senior Sales Development rep at Snowflake, he makes a hundred cold calls a day — connecting teams to the tools that turn raw data into real value. His world runs on automation, efficiency, and speed. Alongside his father, Dan Cavenaugh, Jackson will explore the role of connection — and what it means to stay human in a world built on outbound sales.

  • A woman with wavy, shoulder-length blonde hair, smiling, wearing a bright pink blazer with large dark buttons, against a plain white background.

    Mandy Mooney

    Director, Internal Communications, Prologis

    Mandy Mooney is a communications leader, performer, and storyteller who helps organizations find their voice. As Director of Internal Communications at Prologis, she leads a global team focused on engaging employees through authentic storytelling and human connection at scale. Equal parts strategist and showwoman, Mandy brings a theatrical flair to the corporate stage — blending decades of experience in branding, culture, and live performance to help people show up with confidence, clarity, and heart.

  • Eric Bahn

    Co-Founder, General Partner,
    Hustle Fund

    Eric Bahn is a kind killer — a venture capitalist who leads with empathy but plays to win. As Co-founder and General Partner at Hustle Fund, he backs scrappy, ambitious founders and helps them turn hustle into traction. A former founder and product leader turned investor, Eric blends heart and strategy, generosity and precision — proving that kindness and competitiveness aren’t opposites, but a powerful combination for getting things done.

  • Chris Hodge

    VC Relationship Manager, Burkland Associates

    Chris Hodge doesn’t sell over golf and steak dinners — he sells through experience. As VC Relationship Manager at Burkland Associates, he works with venture partners and portfolio companies to scale Finance and PeopleOps teams from Seed to Series C and beyond. A founder turned connector, Chris has built thriving communities like the 800+ member Talent Thought Talk and advised dozens of startups on how to grow without losing their humanity. He believes great sales — like great startups — are built on curiosity, trust, and the stories you create together.

  • A man with glasses and a beard smiling outdoors in front of greenery.

    John Kennelly

    Founder,
    I Hate Sales

    John Kennelly hates sales — at least the kind everyone else teaches. A veteran revenue builder who’s scaled streams up to $20M ARR and sold to everyone from Fortune 500s to scrappy startups, John has learned that the difference betweencompanies that pop and those that flop is simple: world-class outbound. After exits to Google and Apple (and a few humbling shutdowns along the way), he founded I Hate Sales to help founders break through the ceiling of inbound and build sales systems that actually scale. John’s approach is blunt, practical, and refreshingly human — no jargon, no tricks, just real conversations that turn into revenue.

Skills You’ll Learn

  • Reframe Selling

    “I hate selling.” Learn why your resistance to sales isn’t a flaw—it’s a reaction to bad practices, and there's a better way.

    “Selling feels manipulative.” Reframe sales as service, not pressure.

    “I’m waiting to be discovered.” Take agency. No one’s coming. Learn to advocate for yourself.

  • Frameworks

    “I don’t know how to connect with people.” Learn how to build trust without being fake or scipted.

    “I can’t explain what I do.” Use storytelling to create emotional resonance and make people care.

    “I’m afraid to ask.” Practice making clear, confident asks that don’t feel pushy.

    “I struggle to set boundaries.” Discover how boundaries actually build trust—and help close the right deals.

  • Craft

    “I take rejection personally.” Learn tools to handle “no” without shutting down.

    “I don’t know when to follow up or let go.” Practice persistence with nuance and care.

    “I don’t know if I’m improving.” Turn selling into a craft through iteration and reflection.

  • Selling as Service

    “Sales feels self-serving.” Redefine selling as helping—real sales is about serving others.

    “I don’t see myself as a leader.” Learn how asking clearly and speaking up is leadership.

People walking past the California Memorial Stadium entrance in Berkeley, with large orange 'OM CA.' signs on concrete walls and a blue sky overhead.

Oakland Museum of California

OMCA is a leading cultural institution of the Bay Area and a resource for the research and understanding of California’s dynamic cultural and environmental heritage.

Invisible section

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The numbers

At A Glance

adaptive_audio_mic 15+ Speakers

crowdsource 7,500 readers

globe_asia 15,000 Global Community

location_city 50+ World-Class Startups

flag 5 Countries