Ross Thornley and I are on a similar mission; to make sure nobody is left behind as we enter an exponential and accelerating future, which led to an amazing and fun conversation. Ross is the author of two books: Moonshot Innovation and AQ Decoded, an exceptional entrepreneur, and a pioneer in the future of work. Driven by the idea that a person’s ability to adapt to unanticipated changes is the most important skill to master in today’s workplace, Ross launched AQai, an HR/EdTech platform. In this episode, Ross shares why understanding our Adaptability Quotient is so important, what it means to be adaptable, and how we can increase our ability to adapt and thrive in today’s economy.

"Entrepreneur and 'AQ' Pioneer. Author of Moonshot Innovation & AQ Decoded. Ross’s work is opening up new frontiers in HrTech and EdTech. Leveraging conversational AI and predictive analytics his company’s platform enables people, teams and organizations to successfully navigate accelerating change. His ability to contextualize diverse and complex subjects, inspire and engage audiences makes him a highly sought after international speaker." - WALL STREET JOURNAL

Connect with Ross
AQai - https://www.aqai.io/
@The_AQ_Guy
LinkedIn

Links
Documentary - Seeing The Invisible: Adaptability And The Future Of Work
AQai Assessment - Adaptability
Book - Moonshot Innovation
Podcast - Decoding AQ
Tyrrell’s English Crisps - Wanky Veg

Creators of Last Resort - COLR

This episode is brought to you by Creators of Last Resort, the startup network and community for disruptive tech entrepreneurs.

Samson Mow is a true tech pioneer so I'm stoked to have him on the show. Samson is a well-known figure in the blockchain ecosystem as well as a visionary entrepreneur in the online gaming space. As the Founder and current CEO of Pixelmatic, he created the revolutionary multiplayer online game called Infinite Fleet, which recently closed a multi-million dollar private round of funding. He also serves as the Chief Strategy Officer at Blockstream, a leading bitcoin and blockchain infrastructure company, where he was instrumental in launching the Liquid Network sidechain. In this episode, Samson shares a little about his backstory of getting into emerging technology as we dive into subjects spanning bitcoin, blockchain, virtual reality, and online gaming. We also discuss the current state of bitcoin and the blockchain ecosystem as well as explore the convergence of online gaming, cryptocurrency, and distributed ledger technology.

Connect with Samson

Twitter: @Excellion

Links

Pixelmatic: https://pixelmatic.com

Blockstream: https://blockstream.com

Jameson Lopp: https://www.lopp.net/

Creators of Last Resort: https://creatorsolr.com/

Dr. Gabriele Rizzo is a visionary futurist and an enthusiastic innovator. He is NATO Member at Large (“world-class expert drawn from academia, industry or government”) for Strategic Foresight and Futures Studies, and he leads deep futures visions in Defense and Security for the United States, Italy, Switzerland, NATO, and European institutions, and advised European Defense Agency and United Nations. Gabriele also serves as Professor of Strategy at Sapienza University. He is the CEO and Director of Futures, Longviews.

We cover a number of interesting topics such as...

• Is the coronavirus a bioweapon?
• What we should know about deepfakes.
• Is the US Space Force necessary and what are the potential unintended consequences of it?

Connect with Gabriele

• Personal - LinkedIn
• Company (Longviews) - LinkedIn

Links

• Phys Org - https://phys.org/
• NATO Futures Work - https://www.act.nato.int/futures-work
• Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History podcast - https://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-series/
• Global Foresight Summit - https://www.globalforesightsummit.com/talks/gabriele-rizzo-the-war-we-never-prepared-for-how-covid-19-will-transform-the-future-armed-forces
• U.S. Space Force - https://www.spaceforce.mil/
• Article on Nvidia’s Deepfake Technology - https://news.developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-invents-ai-interactive-graphics/
• Strategic Foresight Primer by European Commission – European Policy and Strategy Center - https://lngv.ws/2pa

My guest today is the one and only, Roger Spitz. Roger's experience is a perfect example of the power of utilizing foresight and futurism in important business decisions and transactions. He's the former Head of Technology M&A for BNP Paribas where he advised on over 50 M&A transactions with a total deal value of $25bn. He's now the founder of Techistential, a global foresight, strategy, and futures thinking organization. In this episode, Roger shares some key insights that will help you thrive, rather than just survive, during this time of technological evolution.

Connect with Roger
Techistential

LinkedIn

Twitter

Instagram

Important Links
Xploration Centre Virtual Retreat: https://www.xc.digital/a/23129/pQVXdAHi

Designing Your Life: https://designingyour.life/

The 100-Year Life: http://www.100yearlife.com/

Nassim Taleb: https://www.fooledbyrandomness.com/

Pat Riley’s article: Why Solarpunk, Not Cyberpunk, Is The Future We Need Right Now

Roger’s MIT Technology Review article: Innovation Starts When You Fall Off The Edge Of The Playground

In this episode, I’m joined by the founder of 5-Figure Workweek, Michael Marcial. As a business mentor and developer of personal brands, Michael has helped his clients generate over $20M. He’s also an in-demand keynote speaker and can be heard on over 200 podcasts. But don’t let his current success fool you into thinking his path has been easy...because it hasn’t. I wanted to get Michael on the show to share his business wisdom and vision for the future, but more importantly, I knew his personal story of overcoming self-doubt and uncertainty to rise from the ashes like a phoenix would be a powerful message for us in today’s COVID-19 world. 

Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay inspired! 

Connect with Michael
Facebook
@MichaelMarcial6

Johnny Boyd is on the front lines of innovation as the Director of Sports at Shive-Hattery Architecture and Engineering. In his role as the Director of Sports, Johnny plays part strategist, part consultant, and part futurist, which is a job I envy as a sports fan and exponential technology enthusiast. In this episode, Johnny and I talk about the future of fan engagement, using exponential technologies to create the sports stadiums of the future, how to cultivate a future focused culture and team along with other informative and fun topics. We also talked a little bit about the potential effects of COVID-19 on the sports industry, which is obviously relevant right now. Johnny shares a number of very practical things you can do today to increase your level of future literacy and attack new opportunities. Check it out and please share this episode with your networks and communities.   

Connect with Johnny Boyd
LinkedIn
Twitter: @ArchConfidence

My guest today is Dr. Andy Hines. Dr. Hines came highly recommended to me by a number of listeners so I was thrilled when he agreed to join me to discuss foresight and future literacy. Dr. Hines is motivated by a professional hunger to make foresight practical and useful, and he believes that foresight can help deliver the insight that is so needed in today’s organizations and the world. His goal is to infect as many change agents as possible with this message, which is why he’s honed a skill set designed to make foresight more actionable and his efforts are paying off, big time. As a co-founder and board member of the Association of Professional Futurists, the Program Coordinator of the Graduate Program on Foresight at the University of Houston, and the author of 5 books, Dr. Hines has created a solid foundation for business leaders to become professional futurists. This episode is full of valuable insights so I hope you’re ready to take notes.

Helpful Links

Hinesight (Personal website for speaking, workshopping, and consulting)

LinkedIn

@futurist_Ahine

Graduate Program on Foresight at the University of Houston

Top 10 Books on Foresight

GlobalFoundries is one of the world's largest semiconductor companies, generating annual revenue of over $5b and DP Prakash is the Global Head of Innovation tasked with the job of creating the company's future. DP is a dynamic leader and an innovator at his core. In this episode, we discuss the end of Moore's Law, the future of the semiconductor industry, quantum computers, and how DP is using exponential technology like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and virtual/augmented reality to optimize operations and fuel innovation.

Bio

DP Prakash is the Global Head of Innovation in the CIO office of Global Foundries with a focus on improving enterprise productivity through AI ML AR VR applications. His work includes industry leading innovations that speed up documentation of standard operating procedures by 10x, cut training time by half, reduce cognitive load in operations, deliver remote expert assistance, and redefine human machine interface for digital twins powered by AI engines.

As Chief of Staff in 2017 to the current CEO of GlobalFoundries, DP Prakash has experiences in all aspects of leading and managing an organization of thousands of technologists. Spanning Research, Development and Manufacturing leadership roles, DP Prakash has numerous product yield ramp experiences gained through 17 years at IBM and 5 years at Global Foundries.

In 2018, DP Prakash and his Team, in collaboration with the University of Southern California, demonstrated for the first time the VR capability to visualize walking inside chips made with nanotechnology.

Along with two Outstanding Technical Achievement Awards at IBM, DP Prakash holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles, an MBA with honors from Jack Welch Management Institute, a certificate in Film Producing from UCLA School of Film & Television, a B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. In 2019, DP Prakash also completed a certificate program on leading Innovation from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Creating a business from scratch with no money, no business experience, and no contacts that grows from zero to $1M in revenue in the first year with practically zero marketing costs seems impossible for most people. And when Sue and Alisa, the mother-daughter team behind Minky Mamas, got started, making $1M wasn’t even a fleeting thought. They simply needed to find a way to make some extra cash and decided to put their skills to work by creating a handful of one of a kind, handmade patchwork Minky blankets. With the blankets done, they hosted their first ever Facebook Live event with the hopes of selling just one blanket. To their surprise, they sold out. The decision to use Facebook Live turned out to be their silver bullet and with that silver bullet, combined with their work ethic, pure love for their community, the desire to serve others, and a high quality product, they’ve grown their community to over 15,000 people, their Facebook Live events get thousands of viewers per episode, and they sell out of their inventory nearly every show. This is a truly inspiring story that will help aspiring entrepreneurs get started on their journey.

Join the Minky Mamas Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/minkymamas/

Visit the Minky Mamas website: https://minkymamas.com/

What’s up everybody? Today I’m joined by the one and only, Jason Feifer. Jason is the editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine, a popular international speaker, and the host of three podcasts. Other than being the editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur, Jason is best known for his incredible work with the Pessimists Archive podcast, where he explores the history of why we resist new things. On one of my favorite episodes, Jason dives into the crazy beliefs and dangers of bicycles, expressed by public figures, peeking with a news article where the writer states that every cyclist has killed at least one person. It seems unimaginable today, but people really pushed back when bikes first hit the mainstream. Jason’s ability to draw a clear line between historical stories where influential people resisted new things to how influential people today spread fear mongering on how new technology is ruining us, is a remarkable gift he possesses and is a major reason the Pessimists Archive is popular among entrepreneurs and technology innovators who deal with these types of opposing voices on a daily basis. His other podcasts are Problem Solvers, a podcast for entrepreneurs to help them identify how to overcome business challenges and Hush Money, a fun podcast Jason co-hosts with Nicole Lapin about the most taboo, awkward situations where money impacts our lives, relationships, and careers. Jason is an expert storyteller and has the energy of an 8 year old excited about life, which makes him super fun to talk with and learn from. He has interviewed and worked with thousands of entrepreneurs, celebrities, and world leaders and from those interactions he’s identified a few power levers that can be applied to increase your potential for a successful outcome in business. In this episode, Jason shares the common traits of successful entrepreneurs, how to communicate with busy leaders like him to build relationships that lead to meaningful opportunities, the future of communication with the shift from mass communication to personalized interaction, and the power of good storytelling. Check out his work in Entrepreneur Magazine and make sure to subscribe to his podcasts, which reminds me, I’m told podcasts with lots of 5 star reviews makes it easier for potential listeners to find my podcast so if you like what your hear, please take a minute to subscribe to The Way of the Futurist podcast and consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or whichever app you use to consume podcasts. I’d greatly appreciate it. As a quick heads up, Jason had a hard stop so I didn’t want to waste any time, which is why I dove straight into the interview without the typical intro.

Connect with Jason
Website: https://www.jasonfeifer.com/
Twitter: @heyfeifer
Instagram: heyfeifer

Podcasts
Pessimists Archive
Problem Solvers
Hush Money