Learn how to manage change and become future smart
Learn how to manage change and become future smart
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Futurist, author, visionary business advisor and co-chairman of the Futures and Forecasting Track at Singularity University
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Futurist, Author and Visionary Business Advisor
Dr. James Canton is a renowned global futurist, social scientist, keynote presenter, author, and visionary business advisor. For over 30 years, he has been insightfully predicting the key trends that have shaped our world. He is a leading authority on future trends in innovation and The Economist recognizes him as one of the leading futurists, worldwide. He is the author of The Extreme Future: The Top Trends That Will Reshape the World in the 21st Century, Dutton 2006, and Technofutures: How Leading-Edge Innovations Will Transform Business in the 21st Century, Next Millennium Press, 2004.
Dr. Canton is CEO and Chairman of the Institute for Global Futures, a leading think tank he founded in 1990 that advises business and government on future trends. He advises the Global Fortune 1000 on trends in innovation, financial services, health care, population, life sciences, energy, security, workforce, climate change and globalization. From a broad range of industries, clients include: IBM, BP, Intel, Philips, General Electric, Hewlett Packard, Boeing, FedEx, and Proctor & Gamble. He is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Research in Innovation at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and on the advisory board of the Corporate Eco Forum. He has advised three White House Administrations, the National Science Foundation and MIT’s Media Lab, Europe.
Recognized as “one of the top presenters in the 21st century” by Successful Meetings Magazine, Dr. Canton is a highly sought-after keynote presenter. He has spoken to thousands of organizations on five continents. He is noted for his fascinating, informative, dynamic and entertaining keynotes.
A frequent guest of the media, Dr. Canton is a commentator on CNN. He was named “the Digital Guru” by CNN and “Dr. Future” by Yahoo. Dr. Canton’s media coverage has included CNBC, Fox, PBS, ABC, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Bloomberg Report, The New York Times, US News and World Report, CEO, CIO and CFO Magazines. His Global Futurist blog is followed by a world-wide audience.
Dr. Canton serves as Co-chairman of the Futures and Forecasting Track at Singularity University. Singularity University is educating a new generation of leaders to use advanced technologies to transform the planet for the better. This first year of the program has brought together an outstanding faculty to enable the leaders of tomorrow.
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Keynote by Speaker James Canton
Keynote by Speaker James Canton
Keynote by Speaker James Canton
Keynote by Speaker James Canton
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What types of technologies do you see playing a major role in the next decade?
There are seven top technologies that will transform the economy, business and our lives over the next decade. I profiled them in my last book, The Extreme Future. They are IT, including cloud computing, big data; nanotech which is about the design of matter; biotech and the life science revolution in health care; neurotech which is about how our brains work; robotics and quantum technology, the manipulation of time and space and geoengineering, the quest for managing climate and energy.
How will the concept of innovation change?
Innovation will become accelerated to a pace that will redefine the competitive landscape of nations, industries, organizations and individuals. Those that don’t innovate–experiment, learn, adapt fast enough or deep enough will not thrive. Most of the products and services that we will be using in five years have not been invented yet. Fast and disruptive innovation will be the currency of survival. We need to learn to change faster and embrace more science to be effective in the marketplace. Innovation is a mindset, a cultural shift and should be part of the new DNA of an organization.
What types of keynotes do you deliver most often?
My top keynotes are the Extreme Future: the top trends that will transform markets and society. This is collection of strategic global trends about tech, economics, demographics, workforce, business, climate and energy based on my last book. My Technofutures keynote focuses on the future of technology and innovation, dealing with IT, mobile, cloud computing, analytics, eCommerce as well as robotics and nanoscience. Other leading keynotes are: The Innovator’s Mindset; The Extreme Future of Health Care; The Connected Enterprise; The Future of Mobile Commerce to name a few.
Why should event planners use you as the keynote for their next event?
Event planners should only use me if they are interested in an insightful, entertaining and informative keynote that audiences will be talking about well after the event is over. I work hard to make every keynote the best one I have ever given. I enjoy motivating my audiences to get ready for the future. This comes across in my enthusiastic and positive view of change.
How do you work with planners to prepare for an event?
We have a three part strategy in working with planners for an event. We ask that they fill out our client inquiry form so we can capture basic info. The real magic comes when we speak to the planner ahead of time and listen to what he or she needs for their client. I then will speak with the client and I and my team will prepare for the client engagement call to understand the event and the client organization, market and industry. Working with the client and the planner, I take the info from the client call, our research and the client inquiry form to formulate the keynote to address the client’s objectives.
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