Clay CEO and Blackstone executive to speak at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

By Splitfeed EditorialLast updated Oct 2, 2026, 16:40 UTC

On October 2, 2026, TechCrunch announced two additions to the speaker lineup for its Disrupt 2026 conference. Kareem Amin, co-founder and CEO of Clay, a sales and go-to-market platform, is scheduled to speak on the AI Stage about the rise of the GTM engineer. Jas Khaira of Blackstone, a major investment firm with significant holdings in AI infrastructure, is set to appear on the Builders Stage to discuss building next-generation AI companies. The conference is also offering a 50 percent discount on a second pass for those who register.

The pairing of these two speakers reflects a broader moment in the industry where AI is being discussed simultaneously from the operational and the capital side. The GTM engineer concept, which Amin is expected to address, represents a shift in how sales and growth functions are being restructured around AI tooling. Khaira's presence signals the degree to which institutional capital, particularly from a firm the size of Blackstone, is now actively shaping what the next generation of AI companies looks like. What remains genuinely in dispute is whether these developments democratize business building or concentrate advantages among well-funded players.

None of the three camps, Pro-AI, Anti-AI, or Middle Ground, had published reactions to this announcement at the time of writing. Pro-AI voices would typically welcome this kind of event as evidence that AI is maturing into a broad economic force with real business applications. Anti-AI observers would likely raise concerns about the influence of large investment firms in defining what AI development priorities look like and who benefits. The Middle Ground camp would probably focus on whether the conversations at an event like this translate into meaningful accountability or remain promotional in nature.

The substance of what Amin and Khaira actually say at Disrupt 2026 will be worth tracking, particularly any concrete claims about revenue impact, hiring trends, or investment theses that could be measured against outcomes later.