Built for Turbulence

Marques is a cyborg anthropologist, innovator, and world builder. Seeking to be globally impactful, he created the World Education Foundation in 2009 while writing his Master’s thesis for the Adult Learning and Global Change program at Linkoøping University in Sweden. The WE Foundation’s mission and aim focuses on bridging the gap between academia, technology, and implementation in local communities around the world. In our conversation, we explore the fascinating work of a cyborg anthropologist, ancestral wisdom, and how to integrate this into one’s work.

Hemali is an industry-agnostic Multipotentialite with 30+ years of experience with in-depth technical and business acumen across different organizations. She is known for her thought leadership in Strategic Execution which includes strategic assessment, planning, governance, and implementation of complex systems with robust technical competencies. Hemali currently works at NASA / JPL – Caltech in Project Development Leadership for NASA’s flight projects and mission success and is Chair of the AIAA Space Economy Committee working to bring industry, academia, and innovators together. Hemali has co-founded and been an advisor for various technology startups and owned/operated a business in hospitality. In our conversation we explore (no pun!) the future of space exploration, and what companies and leaders can learn from NASA.

Grant is the founder of Knotion Labs where he works with leaders to invent breakthough products and get them into the hands of customers. In our conversation we talk a about innovation best practices, the common pitfalls, and Grant’s anti-patterns of innovation and disruptive.

David is the founder of Idea Farm Ventures where he invests into and helps build mission-driven companies for the modern consumer. He started and designed the Wharton School of Business’s first course on Digital Marketing and E-Commerce and the author of the book “Location Is (Still) Everything”. In our conversation we dig into the wonderous world of direct-to-consumer businesses, what’s next for B2C companies, and the inner workings of disruptive innovation in the space.

David Siegel is the CEO of Meetup, the largest platform for finding and building local community. He has over 20 years of experience as a technology and digital media executive leading organizations through innovative product development, rapid revenue growth, and digital traffic acceleration. Prior to joining Meetup, David was CEO of Investopedia and before that, President of Seeking Alpha. David’s book, Decide and Conquer: 44 Decisions that will Make or Break All Leaders lays out the framework for decision-making that leaders can use to ensure organizational and personal success. In our conversation we talk about David’s approach to failing, learning, and the art of the pivot, how to stand the inevitable tensions with doing things on the edge, and how to create a winning culture.

Bruce Smith is the founder and CEO of hydrow, the fitness company which created the leading connected rowing machine. A former Head of the Charles winner, Bruce coached the US Lightweight Eight to a Bronze medal at the 2015 World Rowing Championships. In our conversation we explore the many disruptions and state changes happening in the fitness industry at large, how community becomes the cornerstone of personal transformation, the approach the hydrow team took to creating their revolutionary product in a category which hasn’t seen much change over the last couple of decades, and how this all translates into the world of business and leadership.

Riaz Shah is EY's Global Learning Leader and a long-term partner in the firm. Throughout his career he has had senior leadership and client roles at EY and Capgemini, in Assurance, Advisory, Operations and Global Talent. In our conversation we dig deep into the future of learning and work, how to prepare yourself and your team for the future and which skills are most needed today and tomorrow. It is a fascinating, deep dive into the ways one of the largest consulting firms in the world prepares itself and its workforce for the future — and what you can learn from it.

Cecilia “Cece” Tham is the cofounder, principle and future synthesist at Futurity Systems, where she and her team are hard at work creating the future. Previously she created a leading collaborative Coworking community in Barcelona, Spain, was a Senior Social Technologist at Telefonica Alpha, the European moonshot factory, among many other roles. She is an acclaimed public speaker, and educator. In our conversation, we look at the world of innovation and disruption through the lens of a futurist, and explore the models and frameworks Cecilia and her team bring to her work in anticipating and creating the future.

Samantha is the cofounder and catalyst at re:3D, where she and her team pioneered large-scale 3D printers, as well as using recycled materials as filament. Previously, she was a social entrepreneur-in-residence at NASA Johnson Space Center and the cofounder of Bioflow Technologies, a biotech startup working on novel approaches to tissue cultures. Together, we explore the future of manufacturing, how to build a manufacturing company from the ground up, and the disruptive nature of 3D printing ten years after the initial hype.

Dave is the CEO of AutonomyWorks, a company which employs a team of people with autism to deliver exceptional business services, while building independent lives for employees. Prior to AutonomyWorks, he spent 25 years assisting retail and consumer organizations in building brands through great customer experiences. Most recently, David served as President, Marketing for Sears Holdings. In our conversation we explore the disruptive opportunity of expanding your teams neuro-diversity, and the ways you can engage with a neuro-diverse workforce. We also tap into Dave’s extensive knowledge of the retail industry and discuss opportunities and disruptions within the sector.