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Technology Speakers

 

Artificial Intelligence. 4D Printing. Virtual Reality. Lavin’s technology speakers can explain how the latest inventions, networks, and gadgets will transform the market. But they also speak to technology’s more profound impact—on culture, policy, and society at large—with the critical sophistication of our very best theorists.

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Alexandra Samuel

Digital workplace expert | Author of Remote, Inc.

COVID-19 has meant a dramatic shift in the way we work—from the time-honored tradition of the office, into the “new normal” of working from home, and the shift to a hybrid workplace. Alexandra Samuel is a technology strategist, data journalist, and author who has spent much of her twenty-five-year career as a remote worker. In her new book Remote Inc.,  as well as her accompanying talks, she helps us conceptualize a new approach to working in the modern age.
Stephanie Mehta

CEO of Mansueto Ventures | Former Editor-in-Chief of Fast Company

What makes the world’s most creative people—and companies—tick? The most qualified person to answer the question is Stephanie Mehta. As Editor-in-Chief of Fast Company—the influential magazine championing creativity, innovation, and thriving workplace culture—Mehta is the rare editor who talks to pure creatives and corporate leaders in equal measure. In talks, she reveals how the world’s most successful companies innovate in leadership, technology, creativity and design.
Shoshana Zuboff

Author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism | Harvard Business School Professor Emeritus | Activist and Scholar

As we attempt to grasp the consequences of our digital era, Shoshana Zuboff’s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism “shines a searing light on how this latest revolution is transforming our economy, politics, society—and lives” (Financial Times). Zuboff urges business leaders to pay attention, resist habituation, and come up with novel responses to this new era. 
Ajay Agrawal

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Expert | Founder of the Creative Destruction Lab | Co-Author of Prediction Machines and Power and Prediction

Co-author of the definitive AI book Prediction Machines, Ajay Agrawal’s talks illuminate the incoming realities of AI: how machine prediction presents us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to optimize the way we do business, run governments, and provide healthcare. 
Neil Hoyne

Author of Converted | Chief Measurement Strategist at Google | Senior Fellow at Wharton

Too many companies have a short-term strategy when it comes to data: focusing on the point-of-purchase moment with a customer, rather than building their business around long-term relationships. A Senior Fellow at Wharton and Google’s Chief Measurement Strategist, Neil Hoyne has led over 2,500 engagements with the world’s biggest advertisers—helping them acquire millions of customers, improve conversion rates by over 400 percent, and generate billions in incremental revenue. In his debut book Converted, he shows us how to sharpen our long-term marketing strategy and unleash true value.
Radhika Dirks

Forbes' 30 Women in AI to Watch | Quantum Computing Expert | CEO & Co-Founder of XLabs & Ribo AI

A quantum physicist-turned-entrepreneur, Radhika Dirks is CEO and co-founder at XLabs: the only company in the world making AI moonshots a reality. Her work harnesses the dynamism of AI in tangible, world-renewing ways, amplifying your business, tech, brand, and strategy in the process. With firsthand examples of AI she has built, Dirks argues for a future that fits our biggest ambitions—making the world a better place while we’re at it. 
Andrew Marantz

New Yorker Writer | Author of Antisocial

Social media has hijacked the global conversation. We face an informational crisis that is radicalizing youth, sowing confusion, and shaking democracy to its core. For his book, Antisocial, Andrew Marantz spent four years with the two groups who increasingly control the internet: the founders of social media platforms, and the conspiracists, trolls, and white supremacists who use them to advance their toxic agendas. With clarity, courage, and humor, Marantz explains how we got into this mess—and how we can get out. 
Alex Kantrowitz

Reporter and Founder of Big Technology | Author of Always Day One

How do the tech titans—Facebook, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft—stay on top? Alex Kantrowitz, one of the world’s most prolific tech reporters, has made it his mission to find out. In his debut book Always Day One, he explores the precedent-setting culture and leadership practices these companies have built to spark invention and move beyond the status quo. In his talks, Kantrowitz reveals how you, too, can use the tech titan playbook to invent and reinvent in a rapidly-changing economy. 
Kate Crawford

Professor, author of ATLAS OF AI, and leading scholar of AI and society

Artificial intelligence may seem abstract, but it's urgent that we understand how it's working - and failing - in everyday life. Kate Crawford, a world-leading scholar in the field, says that although AI can be used to exploit people and resources, we can still regain control and lay the foundation for a better, more equitable world. Kate has advised policymakers from the White House to the United Nations, and in her award-winning book Atlas of AI, she maps out the landscape and future of AI to help us see the full impacts of this fast-developing field.
Susan Hockfield

President Emerita of MIT | Author of The Age of Living Machines

We’re entering the Age of Living Machines, where biology and engineering converge to create revolutionary technologies that will transform our world. Susan Hockfield—President Emerita of MIT and a leading voice in the STEM fields—is the preeminent speaker on this new “convergence.” 
 
Yaël Eisenstat

Former National Security Official | Former Facebook Elections Integrity Head | Berggruen Institute Future of Democracy Fellow | Anti-Defamation League VP

Over the last two decades, Yaël Eisenstat has been a CIA Officer, a U.S. Diplomat, and a special advisor to Vice President Biden. Noticing that more and more Americans were having a hard time finding common ground, she switched her focus from counter-extremism overseas to the dangers back at home—starting with Silicon Valley. Eisenstat’s national security expertise landed her at Facebook, where she had the opportunity to work inside a company playing a major role in one of the biggest threats to our democracy.  Today, Eisenstat helps us navigate the choppy intersection of ethics, technology, society, and politics to create a better future.
Shivani Siroya

Founder and CEO of Tala

As the Founder and CEO of microfinance company Tala, Shivani Siroya delivers credit to customers with little to no formal borrowing history—helping them start and expand small businesses. The company has disbursed more than one billion dollars to customers in East Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, leading Forbes to name it one of the Top 50 FinTech companies in the world. Believing that financial visibility is crucial to living to our full potential, Siroya shows us why radical trust will be the currency of the future—and how we can leverage it to create a financial system that works for everyone.
Garrett M. Graff

9/11 Expert and Author of The Only Plane in the Sky

One of America’s most distinguished journalists, Garrett M. Graff is a voice of reason within the clamor of hysterical headlines. Graff’s unparalleled instinct for truth makes him the speaker for audiences looking to understand how politics impact business and commerce, from the changing domains of cybersecurity, to the social and economic events that shape our technology.  
Martin Ford

New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Robots and Rule of the Robots

How did AI advance from the realm of science fiction to today’s reality? And how should we prepare for the future? Martin Ford—a McKinsey award-winning author, software entrepreneur, and TED mainstage speaker—explains why our current plans to manage the robotics revolution fall short. Brilliant, fastidious, and uncannily prescient, Ford orients investors and managers in the shifting technological landscape, helping to both safeguard potential threats, and distinguish the hype from the real opportunities.
Amber Baldet

CEO of Clovyr | Former JP Morgan Blockchain Lead

Amber Baldet was a blockchain program lead at JP Morgan before she left to start her own company. Now the CEO of the blockchain start-up Clovyr, Baldet has been recognized as a member of Fortune’s 40 Under 40, and named one of the “People Leading the Blockchain Revolution” by The New York Times. Praised for her ability to bring together the corporate and hacker camps, Baldet explains—with charisma and clarity—how the Internet of value will disrupt businesses, the global economy, and everyday life.
Nita Farahany

Legal Scholar & Ethicist | Director of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society

At the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence lies a wealth of opportunity for business, labour, and society at large. Yet along with progress comes a host of ethical dilemmas. As a leading scholar and neuro-ethicist who has advised the United States Congress, Nita Farahany considers what our neurological information is worth, and the  implications of making it available to corporations, workplaces, and government.
Jeremy Gutsche

CEO of Trend Hunter | New York Times Bestselling Author of Create the Future

Jeremy Gutsche is “an intellectual can of Red Bull” (Association Week) and a management consultant to brands, billionaires, and CEOs (he’s even helped NASA brainstorm ways of putting people on Mars). With contagious enthusiasm, he shows us how to use methodical innovation to generate ideas and kickstart creativity in times of rapid change.  
Jonathan Brill

Futurist | Author of Rogue Waves: Future-Proof Your Business to Survive and Profit from Radical Change

Everyone knows that technology is ushering in a new industrial era. Jonathan Brill doesn’t just see the future coming down the pike—he invents it. The Global Futurist at tech giant HP, Brill advises leadership on the company’s 10-year portfolio of opportunities and threats. His talks cut through the noise to identify what’s worth the investment—and how your business can prepare for tomorrow, today. 
Michael Casey

Chief Content Officer at CoinDesk | MIT Media Advisor | Author of The Truth Machine and The Age of Cryptocurrency | Web3 Expert

As Senior Advisor to MIT’s Digital Currency Initiative and co-author of both The Age of Cryptocurrency and The Truth Machine, Michael Casey demystifies the blockchain: the decentralized record-keeping system driving the bitcoin revolution.

 

Nicholas Thompson

CEO of The Atlantic | Former Editor-in-Chief of WIRED

Nicholas Thompson is the editor-in-chief of Wired, investigating the technological and ethical developments as they unfold in Silicon Valley. He speaks at the cutting edge of digital innovation—championing tech’s role in making the world a better place.
Michael Katchen

Founder and CEO of Wealthsimple

If Toronto is the Silicon Valley of the North, then Michael Katchen is one of its leading figures. Katchen is the founder and CEO of Wealthsimple, whose easy-to-use service has redefined investing for a young generation, and whose massive success has disrupted the financial services industry.  
 
Nina Tandon

CEO and Co-Founder of EpiBone | TED Senior Fellow

Nina Tandon is at the cutting edge of science where sci-fi meets reality. She works on growing artificial hearts and bones that can be put into the body, and studies the new frontier of biotech. Named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, Tandon speaks on the future of healthcare and technology.  
Peter H. Diamandis

Chairman and CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation, Innovation Speaker

It’s very likely that the future of space exploration lies in the hands of Dr. Peter Diamandis. As co-founder of the XPRIZE Foundation, he oversaw the creation of the $10 million Ansari XPRIZE for commercial spaceflight. An entrepreneur on the leading edge of science and technology, he speaks on disruptive innovation, motivation, and how to drive exponential growth. 
Adam Alter

New York Times Bestselling Author of Drunk Tank Pink and Irresistible

What makes us obsessively scroll through our phones, or binge-watch Netflix? There’s a fascinating psychology behind our addictive, tech-based behaviors, says Adam Alter. A New York Times bestselling author and Associate Professor of Marketing at NYU, Alter investigates the hidden forces shaping our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In talks, he explains what makes certain experiences irresistible, what consumers really think, and how we can navigate the attention economy.
 
Douglas Rushkoff

World-renowned thinker | Bestselling author of Team Human, Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus, Present Shock, and Survival of the Richest

Instead of trying to optimize human beings for the automated future, we should be optimizing technology for human beings, says Douglas Rushkoff. A world-renowned philosopher and futurist, Rushkoff’s funny, agile talks show how we can put human creativity at the heart of businesses. 
Tarah Wheeler

Cybersecurity Expert | Author of Women in Tech

Cybersecurity attacks are doubling every year. Phishing scams are at an all-time high. Enter Tarah Wheeler: one of America’s leading cybersecurity experts, as well as lead writer of Women in Tech—called “the essential handbook for women in technology” by Library Journal.
 
David Kong

Director of MIT Media Lab’s Community Biotechnology Initiative

At the MIT Media Lab, David Kong is a passionate, brilliant exponent of biotechnology. But to start the revolution—and for human creativity to flourish—we need STEM to be inclusive: fusing tech with art, granting all people access to advanced science, and re-visioning what labs, classrooms, and companies look like. 
 
Jessica Green

CEO of Phylagen, Inc. | TED Senior Fellow

How can we create sustainable cities and healthier buildings—including classrooms, hospitals, offices, and homes—by studying microbes? TED Senior Fellow Jessica Green explains how in visually rich talks that chart the frontier of bio-inspired design. 
 
Salman Khan

Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Khan Academy

Sal Khan is the founder and CEO of Khan Academy, a nonprofit with a mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Khan is also the founder of Khan Lab School, a nonprofit laboratory school in Mountain View, California, where he teaches seminars in the humanities and sciences. 
Steve Wozniak

Co-Founder of Apple Computers

Considered by most to be the real “brains” behind Apple, Steve Wozniak is not just a first class engineer with three decades of world-famous credentials, he’s also a really nice guy. Personally invested in making the world a better place on a global and local level, Wozniak is dedicated to making technology functionally and financially accessible. 
Jer Thorp

Author of Living in Data | Former Library of Congress Innovator in Residence | Former NYT Data Artist-in-Residence

When Twitter, Microsoft, and Facebook need an expert to analyze their data, who do they turn to? Jer Thorp—the most respected Data Artist in America. By creating multi-dimensional, visually stunning projects, often using hundreds of square feet of imagery and billions of pieces of data, Thorp makes data visible—and changes the way we think and act.
 
Sue Gardner

Executive Director of The Markup | Former Director of Wikimedia Foundation

The fight to keep the internet democratic and easily-accessible is one of society’s most urgent battles. Sue Gardner, the former Executive Director of Wikimedia, offers a clear-eyed take on why a robust, transparent, and unobstructed internet, with the free flow of ideas and information, is essential to a healthy democracy. 
Dr. Helen Papagiannis

Augmented Reality Speaker and Author of Augmented Human

The power of Augmented Reality resides in its capacity to amplify human possibility: creative expression, knowledge, and connection, says Dr. Helen Papagiannis, a world-leading expert in the field. Author of Augmented Human, Papagiannis’ talks explore what AR does best, highlighting ways that emerging technologies can serve to expand human intelligence. 
John Maeda

Microsoft VP of Design and Artificial Intelligence | Author of How to Speak Machine

John Maeda is a world-renowned artist, graphic designer, computer scientist, educator, and innovation speaker whose career reflects his philosophy of humanizing technology. For more than a decade, he has worked to integrate technology, education, and the arts into a 21st-century synthesis of creativity and innovation.  
Adam Segal

Director of Cyberspace and Digital Policy at Council on Foreign Relations

Adam Segal is a cybersecurity expert who is at the forefront of this burgeoning field. In his talks and in his new book, The Hacked World Order, he provides meaningful answers to urgent questions about hacking, cyberwar, and surveillance. What’s happening with our data? And what are the real, imminent cyber threats that exist in our post-Snowden world?  
Britt Wray

Human and Planetary Health Fellow at Stanford | Author of Generation Dread

Our climate change anxieties have never been more overwhelming—but they’re also the key to saving the planet. Britt Wray’s revolutionary scientific research on the psychological toll of climate change—outlined in her brilliant book Generation Dread—reveals a surprising truth: that acknowledging and dealing with climate anxiety helps us find purpose, avoid burnout, and solve both mental health and ecological problems.