Rahaf Harfoush

Author and Former Associate Director of the Technology Pioneers Programme at The World Economic Forum

The New Way to Work, Learn, and Govern in a Hyper-connected World

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THE LATEST: Rahaf Harfoush is now presenting a new talk called The New Way to Work, Learn, and Govern in a Hyper-connected World. Check out the talk below.

Rahaf Harfoush is a Digital Innovation & Foresight Strategist who has a deep passion for exploring how technology is affecting the way we communicate, work and play. She is currently working on her second book, entitled ArchiTechs: How to Live, Work & Govern in a HyperConnected world, set to be published in late 2012.

Rahaf is the co-founder of Red Thread Inc, a consulting agency that provides clients with out-of-the-box thinking to tackle strategic challenges. She connects business leaders to the latest global foresight trends and offers a unique approach to digital strategy, ideation and innovation.

Formerly, Rahaf was the Associate Director of the Technology Pioneer Programme at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland where she researched and identified start-ups that were using technology to improve the state of the world. She was responsible for managing the Web & IT category of the programme and in integrating the companies within her portfolio into the Forum's global network, various initiatives and regional events, such as Davos, the Annual Meeting in Switzerland, and the Annual Meeting of New Champions in China.

Rahaf is also the co-founder of EmergingWomen, a non-profit launched in late 2011 that curates events world wide to strengthen local and global support systems for women entrepreneurs in emerging economies. The first event will take place in South Africa in 2012. She currently serves as a Global Ambassador for the Sandbox Network, a community of exceptional entrepreneurs under the age of 30. She is on the Board of Directors of Taking IT Global, a non-profit that enables the world's largest community of youth to create positive changes in their cities. She is also on the Advisory Board of OneLeap.to, a site that helps connect young people to business leaders.

In August 2008, she joined Barack Obama's New Media Team at the Chicago headquarters as a full-time volunteer during the Presidential election campaign. In 2009, she published a book about her experiences titled Yes We Did: An Insider's Look at How Social Media Built the Obama Brand.

Rahaf was also the Research Coordinator for the best-selling Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything (Tapscott 2006), and contributor to both Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World (Tapscott 2008) and Everything I Needed to Know About Business I Learned from a Canadian (Brody 2008).

Rahaf Harfoush Speech Topics

ArchiTech Revolution: HealthCare

For as long as we can remember, we have placed our health in the hands of our healthcare practitioner. Today, we are seeing a new age where patients are informed and a second opinion is only a google search away. From patients who can publicly rate their doctor and hospital experiences to insurance companies who use social media to determine knowledge of pre-existing conditions in their client's claims, the health care industry is going through a period of increased transparency and disruption.

Using the latest case studies and research, this presentation will answer the following questions:

- How is collaborative technology changing patients' attitudes and management of their own well being?
- Can the creation of micro-niche communities promote greater healing?
- How are mobile apps helping patients make better decisions?
- How are mobile apps helping health care practitioners refine and perfect their skills?
- What can health institutions do to protect their brands in this new reputation economy?
- What are the policies necessary for both patients/practitioners to engage in social media without compromising ethics, privacy, or putting their employers at risk?
- How can we cope with (mis)information overload especially when diagnosing ourselves?

ArchiTech Revolution: Education

Do we really need a university degree? Billionaire Peter Thiel doesn't think so - and he's not alone. In a world where information travels faster than the speed of light can we still rely on institution that can't seem to keep up? In this presentation, Rahaf Harfoush will examine the challenges being faced by the education institutions as well as some of the start-ups that are disrupting the way we learn. From tuition-free online universities, to an enormous video-on-demand online tutoring platform there are now new ways to pursue a higher education.

- What are the risks and opportunities for educators in this space?
- How is technology being used to make education (and educators) more accountable and transparent?
- What are some of the innovations that are improving classrooms and lecture halls around the world?
- What are the latest and greatest innovative startups in education?
- How is technology impacting the way we learn?
- What will the schools of tomorrow look like?

ArchiTech Revolution: Politics

We all know the impact social media can have in a political campaign, but thanks to the incredible speed of innovation, that's just the beginning. From the Wikileaks' cablegate scandal which revealed the confidential cables of US Diplomats to the use of Facebook to rally supporters during the Arab Spring in Egypt, we are living in a world where the playbook of politics are changing. Using case-studies and the latest research, this keynote presentation will answer the following questions:

- How is technology impacting geo-political agendas?
- What does Diplomacy 2.0 look like?
- How are governments around the world legislatively dealing with these issues?
- What are the risks we face in the age of cyber-terrorism?
- How are activists both empowered and threatened using these tools?
- What are the new roles for multinational companies in this new global dialogue?

The New Way to Work, Learn, and Govern in a Hyper-connected World

What happens when our institutions -- workplaces, government, education systems -- no longer connect with the people they're meant to engage? In the blink of an eye, our social norms have changed. New technologies and social platforms make it easier than ever for people to connect and collaborate. Simply put: Our way of life is outpacing our institutional models, many of which haven't changed in decades. Schools, corporations, and government agencies are now scrambling to catch up. In this revelatory talk, Rahaf Harfoush asks, What happens when businesses are unable to meet the expectations of consumers, competitors, and stakeholders? When governments no longer represent their constituents? When education is dwarfed by innovation? With case studies, original research, and her trademark accessibility, Harfoush outlines how we've outgrown the way we live -- and how best to adapt, reposition, and move forward.

VIDEOS

LINKS

Rahaf Harfoush's Blog

BOOKS

Yes We Did

ARTICLES

"Yes She Did" - Marketing Magazine profile

Social Media: Inside Obama's Online Campaign - CBC

All Speakers > Rahaf Harfoush

GAYLE LEMMON at TEDxWOMEN

"If you're going to talk about jobs, then you have to talk about entrepreneurs," says Gayle Tzemach Lemmon. "And if you're talking about entrepreneurs in conflict and post-conflict settings, then you must talk about women." Lemmon is the author of the New York Times bestselling book The Dressmaker of Khair Khana and a Contributing Editor-at-Large for Newsweek and The Daily Beast. She has devoted her life to shedding light on the resiliency of female entrepreneurs, and their remarkable power to reshape local economies. By recognizing and investing in these female breadwinners, Lemmon says, we can help grow economies of all development levels around the world.