thinkfuture: technology, philosophy and the future

Alex is the Director of Strategic Innovation at Samsung, focusing on the mobile category - thinking about the future of mobile devices. Trend analysis, the evolution of business models, design affordances, smart and sensible design, rooted in lean startup methodologies.

we used to think that it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission, but in the world of today, what are the chances you WILL be forgiven?

you can become successful in many fields with 10000 hours of practice - just not in any field.

I am currently director of product innovation at McKesson Corporation, a pharmaceutical and healthcare IT company. I work for a technical division, MPTS - Macro Helix, where we create software for hospitals and pharmacies. My primary role is to analyze the industry and discover market problems that we can build software to solve.

if you have all the time and space in the world, can you still be creative?

sometimes dumb is good.

Karin Lange is Head of the FutureLab at La Mobilière, Switzerland’s oldest private insurance company that has operated on a mutual basis since its founding in 1826.

Prior to this position, she was part of the Corporate Social Responsibility team at La Mobilière, focusing strongly on the question of Corporate Digital Responsibility, Data Ethics, and opportunities and risks connected with (big) data.

Karin accumulates 20+ years of experience in various positions, departments, industries and spent several years living and working in Asia.

She graduated with a Master in Political Sciences and Linguistics from the University of Konstanz in Germany.

Karin also teaches Data Ethics and Corporate Foresight at different business schools and universities in Switzerland.

there is gold in the empty white spaces between things.

sometimes, as we get stuck in our lives, we forget to ask "why are we doing what we are doing?" we need to stop and question ourselves

Brad Kirshenbaum is the Director of Innovation for CA Ventures, a global real-estate development firm. He works to enhance the resident experience, property management efficiency, and building NOI by implementing a variety of technologies: both high and low-tech. Prior to joining CA Ventures, he served as the Director of Marketing for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands and developed an educational curriculum for local mentoring programs centered around college-readiness. He earned his B.A. in History & Economics, as well as his M.A. in Cultural & Educational Policy Studies from Loyola University Chicago.