Built for Turbulence

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.

David is a Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council and the Stimson Center, and a principal at LeadDoAdapt Ventures. He has served in a variety of leadership roles in turbulent environments, including bioterrorism preparedness and response from 2000-2005, time on the ground in Afghanistan in 2009, serving as the non-partisan Executive Director for a bipartisan National Commission on R&D, and providing leadership as a non-partisan federal agency Senior Executive. In our conversation we dig deep into the leadership skills needed to navigate highly complex situations, and the need to explore the big(ger) picture of disruption and their implications on organizations.

Hannah does independent research into the disruptive developments transforming the economy. She presents this content to business and investor audiences, while working with clients through her sustainability advisory business, Balance Point Ventures. Hannah is also the Founder of Disruption Dinner, providing culinary adventures through our changing food system. Digging into Hannah’s latest research, we explore disruption from a sustainability perspective, what it takes for companies and their people to change, and how to best drive disruptive change in your organization.

Philipp is cofounder of Swarm Markets as well as the Swarm Network, an open source project and DAO. Philipp also co-founded Proximic (acquired by comScore), Loop Media (public at USOTC: LPTV) and Bitadel Crypto Trading. Philipp has been engaged in decentralized technologies and crypto asset trading since 2015. He is also a startup investor and mentor e.g. at Singularity University & StartX. Member of the AIMA blockchain committee and Digital Currency Trade Association (DCTA). In our conversation we dig deep into the behaviors successful “disruptors” show on a daily basis, and why “aubergine people” are best avoided at all cost.

Bill is a Professor of Practice of Social Organizational Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, and an Executive Team member at the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). He authored 30 books and numerous articles in leading publications. Dig deep into the organizational and leadership aspects of disruptive change, what is required of the leader of the future, and how to be successful in navigating the increasing levels of change we experience today.

Rob is the Managing Partner at Imaginal Labs, where he helps courageous leaders dream big and mobilize others to achieve those dreams. Prior to this he was a VP at Cap Gemini, as well as partner at EY. Rob was the founder of the innovative Accelerated Solutions Environment (ASE) at Cap Gemini, that pioneered the development of new forms of large-scale collaborative projects to dramatically accelerate strategy and organizational transformation projects. Dig deep into a riveting conversation about the origins of disruption, how organizations and their leaders best embrace today’s rapidly changing landscape, and how to unleash collaboration at scale.

Chris helps leaders solve impossible problems. As a coach and consultant, he guides his clients to a deep understanding of their unique and complex challenges. With his assistance, they learn to engage others and solve their most challenging problems in creative, collaborative ways. He is the co-author of Meltdown: What Plane Crashes, Oil Spills, and Dumb Business Decisions Can Teach Us About How to Succeed at Work and at Home, which was named a best book of 2018 by The Financial Times and won the National Business Book Award. Explore disruption from the perspective of a risk analyst, learn how black and grey swans play into the innovation/disruption field, and how leaders best prepare for an uncertain future.

Dave is a General Partner at Vibe Capital; formerly an early and long-time Facebook employee and startup founder. Join us for an exploration of the deeply disruptive nature of blockchain-based and decentralized technologies, business models, and markets. Here is Dave’s Suggested Crypto Reading List: https://davegoldblatt.com/copy-of-crypto-readinglistening-list