Future of Work Speakers

Harper Reed is a highly successful entrepreneur and the former CTO of the Obama 2012 Campaign, where he pioneered the use of technology in politics. He is a Fellow at the MIT Media Lab and a leading expert on e-commerce and cybersecurity. His talks cover building creative teams, nurturing a startup mindset, and the impact of digital technology on business. He provides actionable insights for leaders by codifying a path forward through processes and protocols, all grounded in his experience with startups, PayPal, and the Obama campaign.

Brian Solis is the Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow and a leading digital analyst who has studied the effects of emerging technology on business and society for three decades. He has a loyal online audience of over 700,000. As an award-winning author of eight bestsellers, including X: The Experience When Business Meets Design, his work helps leaders develop digital transformation and innovation strategies. His keynotes provide actionable insights on “Lifescaling” to overcome digital distraction, spark creativity, and enable businesses to adapt to connected markets from the inside out.

Cathy Hackl is a leading global futurist and technology strategist, often called the “Godmother of the Metaverse.” She is an External Partner at BCG and the Founder/CEO of Future Dynamics, her foresight lab. An Ad Age Leading Woman of 2023 and a prominent voice on CNBC and The Economist, her expertise spans AI, spatial computing, and next-generation consumer behaviors. Her keynotes are dynamic and tailored to inspire actionable change and strategic vision for navigating today's rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Steve Cadigan is a veteran global talent strategist, best known for scaling LinkedIn from 400 to 4,000 employees and guiding its talent strategy through its IPO. He is a leading expert on the Future of Work and winning the battle for talent. His philosophy centers on the conviction that a vibrant company culture is the greatest competitive advantage. He helps organizations reframe the employer-employee relationship to focus on growth and development, empowering employees to take ownership of their careers in an increasingly unpredictable world.

Lucy Adams is a former HR Director at the BBC and the current CEO of Disruptive HR, a consultancy focused on innovating and challenging traditional HR practices. Her book, HR Disrupted: It’s Time for Something Different, provides a clear framework for solving persistent problems in HR and implementing positive change within an organization. As a speaker, she provides actionable, high-level insights on innovating HR, leadership transformation, and breaking up tired corporate conventions.

Alexandra Levit is a globally recognized futurist and bestselling author of Humanity Works and Deep Talent. She is a former Wall Street Journal nationally syndicated columnist and CEO of Inspiration at Work. As an expert on AI and human capital strategy, she has advised half of the Fortune 100. Her keynotes provide data-driven insights on The Futurist Advantage and The 5 Pillars of Career Durability, offering concrete strategies for leaders to future-proof their workforce and build essential human-AI collaboration.

Dr. John Nosta is the founder of the global innovation think tank NOSTALAB and a leading voice in digital health, AI, and medical technology. He has published over 500 articles in top-tier publications and peer-reviewed journals. Recognized as a leading global influencer in innovation, he is known for translating complex medical and scientific concepts into accessible material. His keynotes provide vibrant, insightful perspectives on the future of innovation, from The Digital Health Revolution to the synergy between the Human Brain and AI.

Dr. Carl Benedikt Frey is a Professor at the Oxford Internet Institute and a globally recognized expert on AI, automation, and the future of work. His work is highly influential, cited by organizations like the OECD, the UN, and the Bank of England. His book, The Technology Trap, was a Financial Times Best Book of the Year, and his newest book, How Progress Ends, analyzes the delicate balance between innovation and bureaucracy over time. As a speaker, he provides authoritative insights on the impacts of AI on productivity, the US-China AI Rivalry, and how to build a social fabric that benefits from technological disruption.

Dr. Rajdeep Manwani is a National Award winner and an acclaimed professor and speaker. He has trained and mentored over 21,500 students and executives at companies like WIPRO and Britannia. A TEDx speaker and winner of the Distinguished Toastmaster award, his talks focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), offering practical strategies to face discrimination with confidence and courage. His work is a blueprint for organizational and societal change in the disability sector.

Greg Lindsay is a globally recognized urban futurist and generalist, holding fellowships at MIT and the Atlantic Council. He advises governments and Fortune 50 corporations on the future of cities, technology, and work. His work has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Venice Architecture Biennales. As a speaker, he draws on his acclaimed research to deliver visionary insights into AI at urban scale, real estate trends, and the strategic foresight needed to navigate disruption.

Dr. Pasi Sahlberg is a leading Finnish educator and global expert on educational reform. His book, Finnish Lessons, won the Grawemeyer Award for an idea that has the potential to change the world. As a former senior specialist at the World Bank and a former visiting professor at Harvard, he advises leaders globally on educational best practices. His keynotes share the core principles of the Finnish system, emphasizing trust in teachers and the critical role of play in helping children thrive.

Rajiv Makhni is India’s foremost Technology Journalist, Managing Editor of NDTV, and the long-time host of popular tech shows like Gadget Guru. His philosophy is to make technology less intimidating and more empowering by cutting through the jargon and focusing on daily utility. His keynotes provide highly accessible insights on digital transformation and consumer technology, helping audiences navigate, question, and choose with confidence.

Prithvi Shergill is a highly experienced Human Capital Strategist and the former Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at HCL Technologies. He is a committed builder of inclusive, high-impact organizations. With over 35 years of experience, including a former partnership at Accenture, he advises on business strategy, digital transformation, and cultural alignment. His expertise focuses on leveraging digital and AI tools thoughtfully to support scale, access, and equity within organizations.

Jon Matonis is the former Executive Director of the Bitcoin Foundation and a leading global authority on virtual currencies and e-money instruments such as Bitcoin. He is a columnist for Forbes Magazine and American Banker, and his work on digital cash has been published by the London School of Economics. His keynotes provide unmatched insights into bitcoin processing, compliance, and risk management for financial institutions and governments globally.

Amy Wilkinson is a globally recognized innovation expert and the CEO of Ingenuity, which advises Fortune 500 companies on growth strategy. She is a Faculty Member at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. The global bestselling author of The Creator's Code, she is a former White House trade advisor and a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Company. Her expertise is critical for leaders navigating the turbulent impact of policymaking on global supply chains and corporate competitiveness.

Jeremy White is Senior Innovation Editor at WIRED, where he tracks the technologies and companies building the near future and turns them into usable insight for leaders. His beat spans AI and automation to mobility, cybersecurity, and consumer hardware, with a focus on what’s real, what’s hype, and where value appears first. Earlier stints at the Financial Times and Esquire (UK) shaped his eye for design and product—how innovations cross from lab to everyday life. As a keynote speaker and moderator, White briefs boards and product teams on timelines, adoption hurdles, and the operational impacts of emerging tech. He is known for translating complex systems into clear choices—what to pilot, how to govern, and how to talk about change with customers and regulators. Whether road-testing exoskeletons or interrogating quantum and web3 claims, he keeps promise and trade-offs in view, offering a realistic map of the next decade that decision-makers can act on.

Tanmay Bakshi is an AI and software architect known for making machine learning accessible to builders, students and business audiences. He began coding at five, later became a young face in the IBM Watson ecosystem, and now speaks from the overlap of engineering, education and applied AI. He is also the author of four technology books, including Hello Swift!, Cognitive Computing with IBM Watson, Tanmay Teaches Julia for Beginners, and Tanmay Teaches Go. His talks focus on AI literacy, first-principles thinking and how organizations can use technology with more clarity and less hype.