Finding a Future of Work Speaker
What is the future of work?
In many ways, the future of work is already here. With the growing adoption of automation, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and mobile technology, it is clear that transformation in the workplace, the workforce, and the nature of work itself is happening rapidly and that total disruption is inevitable.
It is predicted that the workplace will continue to transform in the coming years, with trends including a more decentralized, mobile workforce, increased fluidity of organizational structure shifting more towards project-based teams, and different motivational forces like purposeful work and personal development.
How can we prepare for this evolution? We put together lists of the different types of future of work speakers whose expertise reflect the different forces that are shaping the evolving workplace and can prepare audiences with the trends and tactics to adjust to the shifting landscape.
THE RISE OF TECHNOLOGY AND AUTOMATION IN THE WORKPLACE
According to a McKinsey Global Institute report, at least 30% of the activities associated with the majority of occupations in the United States could be automated. This division of labor is shifting quickly and by 2025, it is expected to shift to 48% human, 52% machine or algorithm. From topics such as social media, business models, workforce trends, the digital economy, legal affairs, and cyber security, these future of work keynote speakers help audiences gain a better understanding of the technological changes to come in the workforce.
Here are a few in-person future of work speakers and virtual future of work speakers who are able to expertly outline the challenges, opportunities, and likely scenarios presented by job automation and technological disruption:
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Michael Steep: Drawing on decades of experience leading operations at companies including Apple and Microsoft, Mike is the executive director of Stanford’s Engineering Center for Disruptive Technology and Digital Cities who helps audiences get ahead of disruption with practical tips for fueling innovative ideas powered by new technology.
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Poppy Crum A Stanford University adjunct professor, chief scientist at Dolby Laboratories, neuroscientist, and technologist, Dr. Crum shares an optimistic and inspiring view of a technology-enabled future where human capacity and performance is turbo-charged by empathetic technologies, such as ubiquitous sensing and smart spaces, and how organizations can embrace this change.
- Sec. Anthony Foxx: Sec. Foxx was the former Secretary of Transportation from 2013-2017 and a digital cities visionary. Having worked with companies like Tesla and Uber on developing guidelines for autonomous cars, he is able to speak to the ways our businesses and workforce will change as a result of AI and robotics.
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Vivek Wadhwa: Named one of the “40 Most Influential Minds in Tech” by TIME magazine, Vivek is an emerging technologies expert. He’s worked at Duke, Stanford, Harvard, and Singularity, and writes for the Washington Post.
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Kate Darling: Recognized as one of the “biggest names in science” by NBC News, Kate is a leading expert in social robotics and MIT Media Lab research specialists who shares incredible insights on human-robot interaction, robot ethics, and the ways robots will impact society and the workplace.
- Neil Jacobstein: Neil chairs the AI and Robotics track at Singularity University. He’s served as a consultant on AI research for NASA, Boeing, and the U.S. Air Force. He’s able to speak to the many ways AI will disrupt tasks across industries, plus how companies will shave billions off of bottom-lines by tapping into data.
- Kate O’Neill: A “Tech Humanist,” Kate offers clarity, encouragement, and a thoughtful approach for business leaders to adapt to emerging and exponential technologies’ impact on human jobs, while grounding the discussion in the timeless fundamentals of humanity. She helps to answer questions like: Beyond the economic impacts, how will this shift our human understanding of meaningful work, of accomplishment, of achievement? And how can companies prepare for workplaces that increasingly blend human and machine contributions?
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Ambassador Michael Froman: Former U.S. Trade Representative Froman sits at the intersection of business and the economy. In speeches, he looks at the impact of automation on labor, the digital economy, and finance, examining how we do business domestically and globally now and the ways it will change.
Click here for a full list of speakers on technology.
DEMOGRAPHIC AND GENERATIONAL SHIFTS IN THE WORKFORCE
The number of Millennial and Gen Z employees is expected to surpass Baby Boomers (individuals in their late 50's and older) by the end of 2019 and they are estimated to comprise nearly half of the total working population by 2020. These future of work speakers cover speaking topics such as business growth, the importance of work-life balance to each generation, how each generation perceives the customer experience, and the increasing awareness of good mental health.
Understanding how to engage the entire workforce is fundamental to an organization’s success. Check out these expert workplace transformation speakers who speak on the differences across generations and demographics and techniques to effectively train and empower your talent:
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Lindsey Pollak: Dubbed as the translator among generations, Lindsey is a force for inter-generational understanding. With practical and easily implementable tactics, Lindsey can lead your team to better recruiting, retaining, and engagement among your workforce. Named to Thinkers50 Radar List, Lindsey is a leading voice on the future of the labor workforce.
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Michael Parrish DuDell: Named “one of the nation’s leading voices on millennials” by IBM, Michael is the best-selling author of the official business books from ABC’s Shark Tank and a specialist on the millennial workforce, helping business leaders build future-focused organizations that connect with the growing generation.
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Neil Howe: Originator of the term “Millennial Generation,” Neil is a renowned generation authority, demographer, and best-selling author who provides insights into today’s generations in the workplace and tactics to unleash the power of each to foster productive relationships.
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Seth Mattison: Workforce trends and generational dynamics expert, Seth Mattison, advises top brands on talent management and provides a roadmap for building organizations in the face of demographic and technological challenges.
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Lynne Lancaster: An authority on generational issues in the workplace and co-founder of BridgeWorks, Lynne advises leaders, managers, and employees on how to conduct business more successfully by bridging generation gaps at work.
- David Stillman: A generational guru, David’s research has been featured on CNN, CNBC, and the Today Show. He breaks down the implications of GenZ’s entrance into the workforce and even works with his son, Jonah, to deliver cross-generational insights.
- Paul Taylor: Generational trend expert and author, Paul Taylor, uses compelling data to present a racial, economic, political, and technological portrait of the latest cohorts, sharing his vision for the next America – how millennials and Generation Z, or as he prefers to call it, the “mosaic generation,” will impact the current workforce.
Click here for a full list of speakers on generations and demographics.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND CREATING AN INCLUSIVE, HIGH-PERFORMING CULTURE
It’s reported that organizations with high employee engagement outperform those with low employee engagement by 202%, and companies with engaged employees pull in 2.5x more revenue compared to competitors with low engagement levels. As more and more employees are working remotely, employee engagement remains vital to the retention of current workforces. Another inconsistency facing many employers is the fight for a more diverse and inclusive cultures. For the remainder of this year and years to come, these trends will be driving the factors in employee engagement and high-performing teams.
These virtual keynote speakers talk about the importance of inclusion in the workplace, not only for engagement, but for other facets of the job such as leadership development, social justice, and crisis management.
Employees who experience meaningfulness in their work are more likely to be engaged in their jobs, and therefore more likely to become high-performing. These culture and inclusivity speakers share their expertise on engaging employees and provide tools to create a high-performing culture:
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Sarah Robb O’Hagan: Former CEO of Flywheel Sports, former global president of Gatorade, and former marketing director at Nike, Sarah is a legendary business leader who combines lessons learned from fitness to build an “extreme team” and improve business performance.
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Angie Bastian: Entrepreneur, co-founder, and namesake of Angie’s BOOMCHICKAPOP, Angie shares how she built an energy and space for her employees to thrive, respecting, celebrating, and empowering her team to create an empowered brand.
- Melissa Swift: U.S. Transformation Leader at Mercer and a Future of Work Expert who advises organizations on people-focused transformation to enhance the workplace experience and leads thought-provoking discussions on the world of work and ways to create better results for organizations and employees, beginning by looking through a humanist lens.
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Nick Friedman and Omar Soliman: Founders of College Hunks Hauling Junk & Moving, Nick and Omar share how they’ve built an entrepreneurial culture of strong, reliable teams and developed College Hunks into a customer-centric, values-driven company, revolving around the core purpose: to “Move the World.” A large employer of millennials, Friedman and Soliman provide strategies to unlock the potential of this workforce, with a focus on building future leaders and using gamification and other tech-enabled strategies to keep employees engaged.
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Doug Rauch: The former president of Trader Joe’s Company, Doug is an expert in crafting singular corporate cultures and shares important tenets of value-based leadership to develop a commercially successful and ethically responsible business.
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Jenn Lim: Dedicated to inspiring science-based happiness, passion, and purpose at work, Jenn is a former Zappos consultant who created the Zappos Culture Book, a global symbol of using happiness as a business model to increase productivity and profitability.
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Scott Moore: A United States Navy SEAL Rear Admiral (ret.), Scott is an expert on building and leading “no-fail” teams, sharing stories of teamwork in life-and-death circumstances and his insights on recruiting, training, and equipping teams that exceed expectations.
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Charlotte Blank: As Maritz’s first chief behavioral officer and one of the few CBOs in business today, Charlotte dives deep into the human behavior that drives employee and customer engagement and shares the behavioral science behind motivation and performance.
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David DeLong: Widely cited by the New York Times, Fortune, and the Wall Street Journal, David is an author and consultant who helps organizations adapt their recruiting and development techniques to the changing workforce, retain high-potential employees, and develop leaders.
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Greg Williams: Editor-in-Chief of WIRED Magazine who shares insights and best practices to enable organizations to emerge from this challenging period with new ways of working, thinking, and managing teams and culture that will offer a strategic advantage long after the pandemic.
Click here for a full list of speakers on corporate culture.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE CHANGING WORKPLACE
As we become more aware of the importance of mental health and a strong work-life balance, emotional intelligence in a workforce that is ever changing is now more important than ever.
These experts on the future break down how the world's top organizations prioritize emotional intelligence to foster a high-performing, productive, and happy workforce.
- Poppy Jamie: an entrepreneur, influencer, author, and rising star in the mental health space who champions mindfulness as the foundation for upgrading your headspace to be more curious, compassionate, and emotionally resilient. In her talks and her new book, Happy Not Perfect, Jamie provides a clear path to overcoming uncertainty, fears of rejection, anxiety, and burnout to find peace with the past and create a happier, healthier future.
- Erica Dhawan: Named by Thinkers50 as the Oprah of management thinkers and the world foremost expert in connectional intelligence, Erica is an internationally recognized leading authority, speaker, and advisor on 21st century teamwork, collaboration, and innovation.
- Sebastian Terry: Creator of the 100 Things philanthropic movement who inspires organizations to gain perspective, think big, and be the best they can be on every level so that others can follow suit. He combines electric energy and highly unique, entertaining, and emotive storytelling to deliver an interactive goal-setting workshop that motivates audiences to create decisive, personalized pathways to what matters most in their lives.
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Helena Boschi: A world-renowned applied neuroscience psychologist who combines scientific research on how the brain works with real-life examples to demonstrate how to boost leadership development, teamwork, communication, and facilitate organisational change in today’s distributed workplace and beyond.
FUTURE TRENDS FOR BUSINESS
As the future of work becomes our present, businesses need to evolve their strategies along with it. 21st century tools won’t work if an organization is stuck in a 20th century mindset. These futurist keynote speakers cover topics such as change management and how businesses will see an increase in the need to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into their day-to-day processes.
These expert speakers on future trends help to prepare and develop a roadmap for organizations to adapt and thrive in the new business environment.
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Mitch Joel: Called “one of North America’s leading visionaries” by Strategy magazine, Mitch is a technology and innovation expert and best-selling author who helps businesses understand how to manage disruption and leverage new technologies to outpace the competition.
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Sheryl Connelly: Named one of the “100 Most Creative People in Business” by Fast Company magazine twice and listed among TechWeek's “Top 100 Innovators.”
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Dex Hunter-Torricke: Former head of communications at SpaceX, executive communications manager at Facebook, and executive at Google, Dex shares lessons-learned from his time at the day's biggest brands to illustrate the key technological trends of the next 10-20 years and what they mean for organizations.
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Brian Solis: Named to Silicon Valley’s “40 under 40” and called one of the “25 Twitter Accounts That Will Make You Smarter” by Mashable, Brian is a business futurist who helps organizations understand and embrace the dynamics defining digital Darwinism and the rise of social business.
- Lisa Bodell: Founder and CEO of futurethink, Lisa has transformed Fortune 500 companies by giving her clients an “out of company” experience, eliminating complexity and helping them push pass complacency to start an innovation revolution.
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Jim Donald: Named one of the “Top 25 CEOs in the World” by The Best Practice Institute, Jim is the former CEO of Starbucks, Pathmark Supermarkets, and Extended Stay Hotels who discusses how to lead in the 21st century and embrace technology disruption to fuel success.
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Shawn Dubravac: A futurist, best-selling author, and the former chief economist of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), Shawn is a technological authority who analyzes how innovation will impact your industry and shares what the business world of the future looks like.
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Rishad Tobaccowala: Named as one of the top business leaders by BusinessWeek, Rishad is the chief growth officer of Publicis Groupe who specializes in next-generation business strategy enabled by new technologies and people's changing expectations.
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Paul Zikopoulos: A future trends expert who outlines how to best transform your business practices for virtual environments, and the digital tools and tactics behind making virtual environments more personal, interesting, and surprising for both your employees and clients.
FUTURE-FOCUSED REALITIES
As more people become vaccinated and are presented with the option of meeting in person again, many are wondering how organizations will navigate the ever-evolving world.
From meeting in-person, working in a hybrid setting, or continuing to engage in a fully virtual setting, these speakers have some thoughts on what the future world may look like:
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Nichol Bradford: Futurist and Transformative Tech Pioneer, Founder, & Executive, who shares how an increased focus on wellness and wellbeing tech will be one of the post-COVID era’s most prominent changes, helping groups dig into the meaning of human wellness, understand the technology, and how we can innovate and adapt in this new era of wellbeing.
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Marci Rossell: Expert Economic Forecaster, Former Chief Economist for CNBC and Co-Host of Squawk Box, who outlines how increased COVID-19 vaccine rollout and a new White House, among other factors, will burst the global economy into a new era, unveiling what she calls a Fireworks Recovery of explosive growth and a rapid return to normalcy.
- Farhad Manjoo: State of the Art Columnist, New York Times, who explains how, in recovering from this pandemic, we can build a more robust, remote society, and more resilient corporations, that can withstand future unknown dangers and disruptions around the corner.
Click here for a full list of speakers on future trends.
BENEFIT OF FUTURE OF WORK SPEAKERS
Future of work speakers are critical to predicting and preparing for the growing and ever-changing artificial intelligence world. As artificial intelligence continues to develop, it is increasingly important to understand how this novel landscape will affect our work environments. Having the foresight to prepare for and get ahead of your competitors in this increasingly digitized world is critical for garnering a competitive advantage. Not only educating but also inspiring the workforce despite these new challenges is more important than ever before.
Acting as a trend spotter for the growing digital landscape, future of work speakers provide invaluable insights about what these technological advances could look like and their significance in regard to corporate culture, work culture, and transformational leadership. These speakers are thought leaders and hugely successful in their own rights, perfect for keynote events. Their knowledge depth is truly remarkable and a great value-add for any company looking to get ahead of their competitors.
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