Future

Top Futurist Keynote Speakers for Future-Focused Events! We represent some of the world’s leading futurist keynote speakers—visionaries with proven track records and consistently high ratings from Fortune 500 companies. Our speakers deliver forward-thinking insights on innovation, emerging trends, and the future of work, helping organizations stay ahead in a rapidly evolving world.

Simon Anderson

Founder of Venture Foresight, Futurist, Award-winning Author and Global Speaker on Trends & Technology.

About

Simon Anderson: Futurist | Applied Foresight Expert | Founder of Venture Foresight

Be Ready for What Comes Next

Simon Anderson helps organizations answer that question. He makes emerging trends and technology understandable and gives leaders a practical way to prepare for the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Why Book Simon Anderson?

Simon helps audiences turn uncertainty into better decisions. His Future Ready Framework™ organizes foresight into three actions: Attention, Anticipation, and Action. It gives leaders a way to recognize meaningful signals, consider what they could mean, and decide what to do next.

His presentations connect broad change to the choices facing a specific organization or industry.

What Makes Simon Different?

A practical foresight framework leaders can use in their next meeting
Clear explanations of AI, technology, and emerging change
A focus on early signals and decisions leaders can make now
Industry-specific examples that connect trends to the audience’s work
Tools for questioning assumptions and acting before change becomes urgent

Why Is Simon Right for Your Audience?

Simon is a strong fit for executive meetings, industry conferences, strategy sessions, and leadership teams facing rapid change. He is especially valuable when people know their sector is shifting but need a shared way to separate significant developments from noise.

Book Simon when your audience needs to:

Spot changes that could affect its industry
Understand what AI and emerging technology could mean for its work
Challenge assumptions built for a different environment
Balance improving today’s business with preparing for tomorrow’s
Turn trend discussions into decisions and experiments
Build a more proactive approach to change

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

Equipped to use Attention, Anticipation, and Action as a planning framework
Better able to distinguish meaningful signals from passing noise
Ready to examine assumptions that may be limiting their options
Clearer about emerging opportunities and potential challenges
Motivated to take practical steps toward a more future-ready organization

Keynote Programs

Beyond Resilient: How to Be Future Ready® in an Age of Constant Change

Simon introduces his Future Ready Framework™ and shows leaders how to notice important shifts, think through their implications, and act early. Ideal for leadership and strategy events where change is a central concern.

The Future Is Here. Now What?

AI attracts attention, but it is one of several technologies changing how organizations work. Simon helps audiences decide which developments deserve attention, what they could mean for their industry, and when to act.

Leading into the Future of Your Industry

In this customized keynote, Simon examines the trends reshaping the audience’s sector and applies his framework to potential opportunities. Ideal for industry associations, client events, and executive teams looking for relevant foresight.

Why Contact The Sweeney Agency Now?

Tell us about your industry, your priorities, and the decisions your leaders need to make. We’ll help you identify the most relevant Simon Anderson program, discuss customization, and confirm his availability and current fee.

Is Simon Right for Your Event?

Tell us what is changing around your organization and what you want your audience to do differently afterward. We’ll help you assess Simon’s fit and plan the next step.

To check availability and fee of this speaker, call 1-866-727-7555 or email [email protected].

Nikolas Badminton

Futurist Speaker, Advisor, and Best Selling Author

About

Nikolas Badminton: Futurist | Chief Futurist and Hope Engineer™ | Author of Facing Our Futures

Help Your Audience Imagine—and Prepare for—What Comes Next

Nikolas Badminton helps organizations do that work. A futurist and executive advisor, he connects emerging technology and global change to the questions leaders need to ask about their own industry. The Sweeney Agency

Why Book Nikolas Badminton?

Nikolas makes the future a useful strategic conversation. Drawing on his work with organizations and his book Facing Our Futures, he challenges audiences to examine emerging signals, prepare for risks, and see opportunities they may otherwise miss.

His presentations can open a broad conversation about an industry’s future or focus on AI, energy, or geopolitical technology.

What Makes Nikolas Different?

Experience advising leaders on futures thinking and strategic foresight
An energetic approach that makes large-scale change relevant to the audience
The ability to connect technology, industry shifts, and wider global forces
A focus on imagining desirable futures as well as anticipating risks
Topics that can be tailored to a sector’s most pressing questions

Why Is Nikolas Right for Your Audience?

Nikolas is a strong fit for executive conferences, industry associations, strategy meetings, and organizations confronting significant technological or market change. He is particularly valuable when leaders need to step back from immediate demands and consider the choices that will shape their future.

Book Nikolas when your audience needs to:

See beyond short-term trends and current assumptions
Explore possible futures for its industry
Understand the implications of AI and emerging technology
Anticipate risks and opportunities earlier
Build a bolder shared vision
Turn curiosity about the future into strategic discussion

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

Better able to recognize signals of meaningful change
Ready to ask stronger questions about possible futures
Clearer on how technology and global shifts may affect their sector
More confident discussing opportunities alongside risks
Motivated to bring foresight into today’s decisions

Keynote Programs

Facing Our Futures: Looking to 2035 and Beyond

Nikolas helps audiences explore the megatrends and emerging technologies that could reshape their industry. He encourages a shift from accepting today’s assumptions to asking what could be possible.

The A.I. Leader: Create Incredible Productivity, Profit & Growth

Nikolas explores how AI could change work, capabilities, and business models—and what leaders should consider as they prepare their organizations.

Energy Transitions: Explore Renewable Energy Futures

Nikolas examines how changes in energy generation, distribution, storage, and consumption could create new opportunities and challenges.

Geopolitical Technology Futures: Looking to 2035 and Beyond

Nikolas considers how AI, critical resources, supply chains, and other technologies could reshape global competition and strategic planning. The Sweeney Agency

Why Contact The Sweeney Agency Now?

Tell us about your industry, the forces you are watching, and the choices your leaders face. We’ll help you identify the most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm Nikolas’s availability and current fee.

Is Nikolas Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the changes it needs to understand, and the conversation you want the event to start. We’ll help you assess Nikolas’s fit and plan the next step.

To check availability and fee of this speaker, call 1-866-727-7555 or email [email protected].

Lisa Bodell

Global Leader on Simplification & Banishing Complexity, Innovation, Leadership, Change, Collaboration, and Transforming Culture

About

Lisa Bodell: Keynote Speaker on Simplification, Innovation & Leadership | Founder & CEO of FutureThink | Bestselling Author of Why Simple Wins

Simplify Work. Unlock Better Thinking. What could your people accomplish if they stopped wasting time on unnecessary work and focused their energy on what actually matters?

Lisa helps organizations eliminate the complexity, bureaucracy and low-value work that prevent people from thinking, leading and innovating at their best. Her message is provocative, practical and immediately actionable: stop adding more—and start removing what gets in the way.

Why Book Lisa Bodell?

Lisa doesn't just inspire people to work differently. She gives them practical tools to actually do it.

Her keynotes challenge one of the biggest problems facing organizations today: people are overwhelmed by meetings, processes, approvals and unnecessary complexity while leaders simultaneously ask them to innovate, move faster and accomplish more.

Lisa shows audiences how to create capacity by eliminating low-value work, simplifying decision-making and giving people more space to think.

The result is a keynote that can change not just how your audience thinks—but how they work the very next day.

What Makes Lisa Bodell Different?

Founder & CEO of FutureThink — helping organizations simplify and innovate since 2003
Bestselling author — author of Why Simple Wins and Kill the Company
Simplification expert — helps organizations eliminate unnecessary complexity
Innovation authority — teaches people how to challenge assumptions and think differently
Highly interactive — incorporates audience participation and live exercises
Immediately actionable — audiences leave with tools they can actually use
Human-centered AI perspective — focuses on strengthening the capabilities technology can't replace
Extensive corporate experience — has worked with leading organizations around the world

Why Is Lisa Right for Your Audience?

Lisa is an outstanding choice when your people are overwhelmed, moving too slowly or spending too much time on work that doesn't create enough value.

She is particularly effective for leadership conferences, executive meetings, innovation summits, transformation initiatives and organizations navigating AI-driven change.

Book Lisa when your audience needs to:

Eliminate unnecessary complexity
Create more time for meaningful work
Make decisions faster
Reduce bureaucracy and low-value processes
Give leaders more capacity to actually lead
Challenge outdated assumptions
Strengthen innovation and creative problem-solving
Determine where humans add the greatest value in an AI-enabled workplace

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

Identifying unnecessary work they can stop doing
Better equipped to simplify meetings, processes and decision-making
Understanding how complexity can undermine innovation
More willing to challenge outdated rules and assumptions
Equipped with practical tools they can apply immediately
Better prepared to create space for higher-value work
Thinking differently about leadership in an AI-enabled workplace
Ready to simplify how work gets done

Lisa Bodell Keynote Programs

Unleash the Power of Simple. What if the fastest way to improve performance isn't adding something new—but eliminating what no longer matters?

Drawing from her bestselling book Why Simple Wins, Lisa shows audiences how unnecessary complexity steals time, energy and attention from the work that creates the most value.

Through practical tools, interactive exercises and real-world examples, she helps people identify what they can eliminate, simplify or change so they can spend more time on meaningful work.

Ideal for: Leadership conferences, corporate meetings, transformation initiatives and organizations struggling with complexity.

Let Leaders Lead. How much time do your leaders actually spend leading?

Too often, managers become trapped in meetings, approvals, processes and administrative work that leave too little time for coaching, decision-making and developing their people.

Lisa challenges organizations to remove the bureaucracy preventing leaders from doing what they were hired to do: lead.

She gives managers practical ways to simplify work, remove barriers and create more capacity for the leadership activities that drive performance.

Ideal for: Executive meetings, leadership development, management conferences and organizations focused on improving leadership effectiveness.

Unleashing Innovation: AI-Enabled, Human-Led. As AI becomes more capable, what becomes more important for humans to do exceptionally well?

Lisa reframes the AI conversation around a critical opportunity: using technology to amplify human capability rather than simply replace human activity.

She explores how organizations can use AI to remove lower-value work while strengthening the distinctly human capabilities that drive innovation—including judgment, curiosity, creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving.

The goal isn't humans versus AI. It's creating organizations where AI handles more of the work while people do more of the thinking that matters.

Ideal for: AI conferences, leadership events, innovation summits and organizations navigating the future of work.

Why Book Lisa Bodell Through The Sweeney Agency?

Lisa Bodell combines provocative thinking with practical tools audiences can use immediately—but the real value comes from identifying where complexity is getting in the way of your organization's performance.

The Sweeney Agency can help you:

Confirm Lisa Bodell's availability and current speaking fee
Determine which Lisa Bodell keynote best fits your audience
Discuss customization around your organization's challenges
Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
Compare Lisa with other leading innovation, change and leadership speakers

Is Lisa Bodell Right for Your Event?

Tell us what's slowing your people down—and what you want them spending more time doing instead.

We'll help you determine whether Lisa is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.

Planning a leadership conference, innovation summit or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Lisa Bodell as your keynote speaker.

Book Your Next Great Speaker in 5 Easy Steps

5 Tips to Book your Next Great Speaker

About

Did last year's speaker knock your socks off? Not sure where to go next? Let our team of experienced professionals help you find your next great speaker.

Here's a quick guide to help you get started:

Find A Theme

Decide on a theme or topic for your event.

Going through a period of transition? Looking to shake up your creative? Building trust within your teams? We have great speakers on all of those topics.

Having trouble? Check out our IDEA GENERATOR for inspiration.

Get in Touch

Get in touch with your Event Date & Theme.

We will ask you some key questions to find the perfect speaker for your live or virtual event.

We pride ourselves on our personal touch. We are small team of dedicated professionals with over 20 years experience. When you call us, you speak to us directly... and quickly.

Shortlist

By now, we have a great idea of what you are looking for and will send you a shortlist of exceptional speakers.

Each speaker will be vetted with YOUR event in mind, along with our personal thoughts on how that speaker can inspire your attendees.

Let's talk

Futurist Keynote Speaker Mike Walsh at The Sweeney Agency Speakers Bureau

From the shortlist, you've narrowed it down to two great speakers. Let's discuss your needs to help make the final decision.

With over 20 years experience, you can trust us to provide all of the information you need to choose the right speaker.

We work with you to find the best format for your presentation, including live streams, Q&A sessions and even follow up programs to ensure maximum engagement for your key stakeholders.

The Details

We will facilitate a call with your leadership team & our speaker to do a deep dive into your business to make sure their presentation really hits home.

As trusted experts, you can rest easy knowing our experience will guide you every step of the way.

get in touch

Get in touch to book your next great speaker.

Jonathan Brill

#1 Ranked Futurist in the World by Forbes, Futurist in Residence at Amazon and the world’s leading transformation architect according to Harvard Business Review.

About

Jonathan Brill: Business Futurist | AI Strategist | Speaker on Innovation and What Comes Next

Make the Next Five Years Work for You

Jonathan Brill helps audiences connect emerging trends to practical choices. Drawing on his experience as a futurist, inventor, and business advisor, he shows organizations how to spot change earlier, adapt how they work, and create opportunities in uncertain conditions.

Why Book Jonathan Brill?

Jonathan moves a conversation about the future toward decisions leaders can make today. He examines where technology, geopolitics, economics, and social change intersect, then helps audiences think about how those forces may affect their own business.

His work in innovation and organizational transformation gives him a useful perspective on both emerging possibilities and the difficulty of putting new ideas into practice.

What Makes Jonathan Different?

Experience as a business futurist and former Global Futurist at HP
Work advising organizations on innovation and transformation
A focus on the combined effects of AI and wider social and economic change
Practical frameworks for spotting opportunities and adapting to disruption
An engaging way of making complex future scenarios relevant to business decisions

Why Is Jonathan Right for Your Audience?

Jonathan is a strong fit for executive conferences, innovation summits, leadership meetings, and industry events. He is particularly relevant when teams feel pressure to act on AI but need a clearer view of how it connects with their strategy and organization.

Book Jonathan when your audience needs to:

Identify trends that could reshape its industry
Turn uncertainty into useful strategic questions
Explore how AI changes decisions, teams, and customer expectations
Build adaptability into how the organization works
Find opportunities created by disruption
Connect long-term thinking with near-term action

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

Better able to spot signals of change that matter to their work
Clearer on how multiple trends can combine to create new risks and opportunities
Ready to question assumptions about how their organization operates
Equipped with practical ways to begin planning for the next five years
Motivated to test ideas and adapt as conditions evolve

Keynote Programs

AI & the Octopus Organization

Jonathan asks leaders to rethink organizational design for an AI-driven world. Using the octopus as a model, he explores how distributed intelligence and empowered teams can help a business sense change and respond more effectively. Ideal for executive and transformation audiences.

Strategic Luck: The Science of Thriving in Uncertainty

Jonathan challenges the idea that useful opportunities appear by chance alone. He offers approaches for noticing openings, preparing for surprises, and making better choices when outcomes are uncertain. Ideal for leadership and sales audiences.

Architect Your Future

Jonathan explores how organizations can respond to disruption by building the capacity to adapt and innovate. Ideal for industry conferences and teams reconsidering their strategy as markets change.

Win the Next Five Years: Spot, Lead, Win

Jonathan connects AI, economic, geopolitical, and social trends to decisions organizations can begin making now. Ideal for executive teams and audiences looking for a more actionable view of the near future.

Why Contact The Sweeney Agency Now?

Tell us which changes matter most to your audience and what decisions it is facing. We can help choose Jonathan’s most relevant keynote, discuss customization, and confirm his availability and current fee.

Is Jonathan Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, its industry, and the opportunities or disruptions it needs to prepare for. We’ll help you assess Jonathan’s fit and plan the next step.

To check availability and fee of this speaker, call 1-866-727-7555 or email [email protected]

Daniel Burrus

Futurist Expert and Speaker on Business Strategy, Technology, Innovations & Their Impact

About

Trusted by Industry Leaders – Advisor to Google, Microsoft, Deloitte, and top global organizations.
Disruptive Innovation Expert – A leading authority on AI, automation, and exponential technologies shaping the future.
Strategic Foresight & Innovation – Actionable insights to anticipate disruption and create competitive advantages.
Author of seven books, including The New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller Flash Foresight; One of the world's leading futurists who the New York Times called “…one of the top three business gurus in the highest demand as a speaker…”
Master of Hard Trends – Navigate uncertainty with confidence using proven anticipatory strategies.

Click Here to Watch Daniel's Virtual Presentation

Daniel Burrus is considered one of the World’s Leading Futurists on Global Trends and Disruptive Innovation. The New York Times has referred to him as one of the top three business gurus in the highest demand as a speaker.

He is the author of seven books, including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller Flash Foresight and his latest Amazon No. 1 bestseller, The Anticipatory Organization.

He has delivered over 3,000 keynote speeches worldwide and is a strategic advisor to executives from Fortune 500 companies, helping them to develop game-changing strategies
based on his proven methodologies for capitalizing on technology innovations and their future impact. His client list includes Lockheed Martin, Verizon, Microsoft, VISA, Deloitte,
Google, Procter & Gamble, KPMG, Honda, FedEx and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Burrus is an innovative entrepreneur who has founded six businesses, four of which were U.S. national leaders in the first year. He is the CEO of Burrus Research, a research and consulting firm that monitors global advancements in technology-driven trends to help clients profit from technological, social and business forces that are converging to create enormous, untapped opportunities.

He is the creator of the Hard Trend Methodology, the Anticipatory Organization® Business Model, used by leading organizations worldwide, and he is a founding member of the
Department of Defense Joint Services Futures Group.

His accurate predictions date back to the early 1980s, when he became the first and only futurist to accurately identify the 20 exponential technologies that would become the driving
force of business and economic growth for decades to come. They included digital electronics, AI, distributed computing, genetic engineering, lasers, optical storage, photovoltaics,
fiberoptics and nanotechnologies to name a few. Since then, he has continued to establish a worldwide reputation for his exceptional record of predicting the future of technology-
driven change and its direct impact on the business world.

Burrus is a featured writer, reaching millions of monthly readers with his insights on disruptive innovation, exponential change and the future. His work is featured across various platforms, including LinkedIn, where he is a member of an exclusive invitation-only group of experts. On LinkedIn alone, he has built a following of over 1.2 million professionals.

He has been the featured subject of several PBS television specials and has appeared on programs such as CNN, Fox Business and Bloomberg. Burrus has been quoted in a variety
of publications, including Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Fortune and Forbes.

Andrew Busch

Renowned Political Economist, Author, Keynote Speaker

About

Andrew Busch: Economic Futurist | Former Chief Market Intelligence Officer at the CFTC | Speaker on the Economy, AI and Growth Opportunities

Why Book Andrew Busch?

Andy combines that experience with a background in financial markets and public policy, including his role as Global Currency and Public Policy Strategist at BMO. His presentations explore how technology, policy and demographic change influence business opportunities. He researches each audience’s industry to make the discussion relevant to its challenges and plans.

Why Is Andrew Busch Right for Your Audience?

Andy is a strong fit for executive meetings, industry conferences, financial services events and association gatherings. He is especially useful when leaders need to understand how economic and policy shifts could affect demand, investment, supply chains or workforce decisions.

Book Andy when your audience needs to:

Understand the forces shaping the economic outlook
Connect policy changes with business implications
Explore how AI could reshape its industry
Identify potential growth opportunities amid uncertainty
Consider the effects of geopolitical and supply chain changes
Bring a broader perspective to strategic planning

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

Clearer on economic trends relevant to their industry
Better able to connect government policy with business conditions
More aware of how AI is changing markets and work
Equipped with a framework for discussing risks and opportunities
Ready to ask better questions about future growth

Keynote Programs

Future Economy: Growth Opportunities
Andy connects the economic outlook with public policy, technology and demographic trends. Using research and an industry-specific case study, he helps audiences consider where growth opportunities may emerge. Ideal for executive, financial services and industry audiences.

AI Unleashed: Disrupting the Economy and Shaping the Future
Andy explores AI’s implications for economic growth, jobs, business models and policy. Ideal for leaders who want to understand how technological change could affect their markets and plans.

Geopolitics=Economy: Opportunities to Grow!
Andy examines how conflicts, tariffs and shifting alliances affect trade, supply chains and economic decisions. Ideal for organizations assessing international exposure and opportunities in a changing business environment.

Is Andrew Busch Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the economic questions it faces and the decisions you want the session to inform. We can help select Andy’s most relevant program, discuss industry-specific research and customization, and confirm his availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Dan Chuparkoff

Leading Experts on AI, Innovation, & The Future of Work

About

Dan Chuparkoff: CEO of Reinvention Labs | Former Technology Leader at Google, McKinsey and Atlassian | Speaker on AI, Innovation and the Future of Work

Why Book Dan Chuparkoff?

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience at Google, McKinsey and Atlassian, Dan brings the perspective of someone who has built products and led teams through technological change. Now CEO of Reinvention Labs, he helps organizations connect emerging capabilities to the tasks, decisions and challenges their people face every day.

Why Is Dan Chuparkoff Right for Your Audience?

Dan is a strong fit for leadership meetings, industry conferences, association events and company gatherings focused on AI adoption and innovation. His presentations can meet audiences at different levels of technical understanding, making him particularly relevant when teams need a shared foundation for moving forward.

Book Dan when your audience needs to:

Understand AI in clear, practical terms
Identify useful applications in its industry
Combine AI capabilities with human knowledge and judgment
Build confidence in learning new technologies
Rethink how teams collaborate and solve problems
Turn interest in AI into practical next steps

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

Clearer on AI’s strengths and limitations
Better able to recognize opportunities in their everyday work
More aware of the role of human expertise in using AI effectively
Equipped with ideas for improving productivity and collaboration
Ready to approach technological change with curiosity and purpose

Keynote Programs

AI & the Future of Everything
Dan’s signature keynote explains how AI is changing work and how teams can respond. He explores its capabilities and limitations, helping audiences connect new technology with their own experience and expertise. Ideal for organizations seeking a practical introduction to AI and its business implications.

Dan customizes this program to the audience’s industry, technical readiness and priorities. For nontechnical audiences, he provides an accessible starting point; for technology teams, he explores new possibilities for applying AI. Industry examples help participants connect the presentation to their own work.

Is Dan Chuparkoff Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, its experience with AI and the changes you want people to make after the event. We can help shape a relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm Dan’s availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Conference Plans Changed?

How to Plan a Great Virtual Event

About

Click Here to Receive Your Customized List of Speaker Ideas

Virtual Events can:

Reach a wider audience
Offer a great experience at a much lower cost
Create long term impact with recorded elements that allow for content to be watched over a period of time
Have an increased impact over time, as viewers re-watch, discuss and connect over social media and other channels

And, most importantly: offer the ability for inspiring and impactful presentations to connect in a one-on-one way, directly to the attendee.

WHO is your audience?

Who are your virtual event attendees? Are they across a specific group within your organization, or are you serving clients across a wide range of levels? Determining who you are speaking to will help you determine a format for your event that will captivate your audience.

WHAT is your key message?

Are you focusing on change? Innovation? Leadership?

Creating a single focus or mission will allow you to hone in on the type of speaker(s) you need to engage your audience and help event producers to format the event into a dynamic program that balances inspiration with information and audience interaction.

WHAT type of event suits your audience?

Virtual Conference
Webinar
Hybrid Event

Virtual event technology has come a long way over the last few months, offering a huge range of different options from pre-recorded webinars, to multi-day virtual conferences, to hybrid events with some attendees in the audience while the event is live streamed.

OUR ADVICE

A COMBINATION of live and pre-recorded elements will allow your virtual event to run smoothly and stay on time.

Many of our clients are also opting for multi-day virtual conferences with shorter segments spaced over a few days.

This allows some flexibility for attendees in different time zones and accommodates different teleworking situations for attendees, allowing them to tune in when it is convenient.

WHERE? It’s all about Tech.

Virtual meeting technology has exploded over the last few months as teleworking became the norm.

Consider your needs:

Interactive elements like breakout rooms, polls & Q&A
Seamless blend of live & pre-recorded elements
Ability to replay segments
Live tech support

If you plan for rain, it’s likely the sun will shine…

Tech isn’t perfect so don’t forget to test, rehearse and have a back up plan ready to go for your virtual event.

Pro Tip: Think of a virtual presentation like a podcast. Viewers can view the content multiple times and refer back to it.

WHEN? A Date… or Dates?

As we have all noticed, our attention spans for meeting in real life versus meeting online are a lot longer.

When deciding on a date, consider spreading your virtual event out over a few days, with a variety of speakers, interactive elements and information.

The benefits of a multi-day format:

Viewers watch content fresh for a short period every day
Allows attendees in different time zones to stay on top of the content
Attendees can review & re-engage with content

Virtual Event Checklist:

Is your event?

Interactive?
Informative?
Able to be rewatched?

WHY? Pandemic 2020

Just because you are online instead of in person, it doesn’t mean you are missing out on connection.

Using the technology that we have become so accustomed to over the last few months, our keynote speakers have the ability to connect to your viewers one-on-one, in a way that was impossible in live events.

FIND YOUR WHY…

What do you want the audience to leave thinking at the end of the presentation?

Apply this question to all the presentations and segments in your event to create a cohesive, impactful virtual event.

HOW? Virtual Event Checklist

To wrap it all up

TECH: Find the right tech platform & don’t forget to test drive before your event
AGENDA: Use a mix of live and pre-recorded segments, mixed with interactive elements, to ensure a smooth flow of events & audience engagement
ANTICIPATION: Build up your event with emails, teasers and sneak peeks into what content will be offered
NETWORKING: Create and encourage online chat functions, an event specific hashtag or even a dedicated event page to allow attendees to network virtually. Maximize the networking opportunities offered by your tech platform.
EXTEND YOUR IMPACT: A dedicated social media page is a great place for attendees to connect after an event to discuss ideas and implement some of the learnings from the event.

Offer a password protected, limited time recording of keynote presentations to continue the conversation long after the virtual event has ended.

Continue the conversation with post-event touch points like emails or questions based on the key presentations.

To find a GREAT Speaker for your Virtual event, get in touch.

Dr. George Friedman

Author of The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century and Speaker on International Affairs

About

George Friedman, Founder & Chairman, Geopolitical Futures | Geopolitical Forecaster | New York Times Bestselling Author | Founder of Stratfor

Understand What Happens Next

George Friedman helps audiences understand the geopolitical forces shaping the future and what they could mean for business, economies and global strategy.

Founder and Chairman of Geopolitical Futures and founder of Stratfor, George is one of the world's best-known geopolitical forecasters. His books include The Next 100 Years, The Storm Before the Calm, Flashpoints and The Next Decade.

Why Book George Friedman?

George goes beyond headlines and daily political commentary to examine the deeper forces shaping nations, economies and international relationships.

Drawing on decades of geopolitical analysis, he gives leaders a framework for understanding global events and considering how political, economic, military and geographic forces may affect their organizations.

His presentations are particularly valuable for executives who need to make long-term decisions in an increasingly uncertain world.

What Makes George Different?

Founder and Chairman of Geopolitical Futures
Founder and former Chairman of Stratfor
New York Times bestselling author
Author of The Next 100 Years and The Storm Before the Calm
Has briefed military and government organizations in the U.S. and internationally
Translates complex geopolitical developments into clear strategic implications
Challenges audiences to look beyond today's headlines and consider the forces shaping tomorrow

Why Is George Right for Your Audience?

George is an excellent choice for executive conferences, leadership meetings, financial and investment audiences, global companies and organizations whose future is affected by geopolitical change.

Book George when your audience needs to:

Understand the geopolitical forces reshaping the global economy
Look beyond headlines to identify longer-term trends
Explore how international events could affect markets and business
Understand changing relationships between major global powers
Consider geopolitical risk when making strategic decisions
Think more clearly about an uncertain global future

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

Better able to put major world events into a broader strategic context
More informed about geopolitical forces affecting business and markets
Equipped with a framework for thinking about global uncertainty
Better prepared to challenge assumptions about what happens next
Thinking differently about risk, opportunity and long-term strategy

Keynote Programs

The Future of the World

What forces will shape the international system over the coming years?

George examines the geopolitical realities influencing nations, economies, alliances and conflicts and helps audiences consider what these changes could mean for the future.

Ideal for executive conferences, global leadership meetings and organizations operating internationally.

Geopolitics and the Global Economy

Political events increasingly have direct consequences for business.

George connects geopolitics with economics, trade, markets, supply chains and investment, helping executives understand how international developments may affect strategic decisions.

Ideal for financial services, investment, manufacturing and multinational business audiences.

America and the World Ahead

The United States is experiencing significant political, economic and social change while its relationship with the rest of the world continues to evolve.

Drawing on themes from The Storm Before the Calm and his broader geopolitical work, George examines the forces shaping America's future and their potential implications for the global system.

Ideal for leadership, economic and international affairs audiences.

Why Contact The Sweeney Agency Now?

Geopolitical events move quickly. The most valuable presentation will connect George's global perspective directly to the issues your organization and audience are facing at the time of your event.

Confirm George's availability and current fee
Discuss the geopolitical issues most relevant to your audience
Explore customization around your industry, markets or regions
Determine the best presentation and format for your event
Receive comparable recommendations if another geopolitical speaker may be a stronger fit

Is George Friedman Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the geopolitical issues affecting your organization and what you want attendees to better understand.

We will provide an honest assessment of George's fit, confirm availability and fees, and help shape a presentation around the global issues that matter most to your audience.

Contact The Sweeney Agency to discuss booking George Friedman.

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Nancy Giordano

Futurist, Corporate Strategist & Speaker

About

Nancy Giordano: Keynote Speaker on Future Trends, AI & Leadership | Strategic Futurist | Author of Leadering | Founder of Play Big Inc.

Don't Just Predict the Future. Help Build It. What future do you want your organization—and your leaders—to be responsible for creating?

As technology, AI and societal expectations reshape virtually every industry, Nancy helps leaders understand not only what is changing—but how they can actively shape what comes next.

Her optimistic, human-centered approach challenges audiences to stop thinking about the future as something that simply happens to them and start recognizing their responsibility and opportunity to help create it.

Why Book Nancy Giordano?

Nancy doesn't simply predict trends. She helps leaders understand the forces reshaping their world and decide what they want to do about them.

Her work sits at the intersection of exponential technology, AI, leadership, work and societal transformation.

Rather than overwhelming audiences with predictions, Nancy creates a compelling picture of what's becoming possible—and challenges leaders to think more boldly about the organizations, experiences and systems they can create.

Her central question is powerful:

What future do you want to be responsible for?

What Makes Nancy Giordano Different?

Strategic futurist — connects emerging trends to practical leadership decisions
Author of Leadering — introduces a new approach to leading through exponential change
200+ global keynotes — extensive experience engaging executive audiences
Founder of Play Big Inc. — focused on helping leaders actively shape the future
Deep technology perspective — explores AI and other exponential technologies
Human-centered futurism — keeps people, purpose and responsibility at the center
Highly customized — tailors presentations to the questions facing each audience
Optimistic perspective — helps audiences become excited rather than overwhelmed by what's next

Why Is Nancy Right for Your Audience?

Nancy is an outstanding choice when you want your audience to understand what's changing, rethink outdated assumptions and become more confident shaping what's next.

She is particularly effective for leadership conferences, executive meetings, association events, innovation summits and organizations navigating AI-driven transformation.

Book Nancy when your audience needs to:

Understand the forces reshaping business and society
Prepare for the opportunities and responsibilities created by AI
Think differently about leadership
Anticipate the future of work
Challenge outdated assumptions and systems
Become more comfortable with exponential change
Think more boldly about what's possible
Move from reacting to the future to actively shaping it

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

Better prepared to understand exponential change
More confident navigating AI and emerging technologies
Thinking differently about what 21st-century leadership requires
Better able to recognize opportunities hidden inside disruption
More willing to challenge outdated assumptions
Understanding why human capabilities matter even more as technology advances
Inspired to take greater responsibility for shaping what's next
Asking: What future do we want to create?

Nancy Giordano Keynote Programs

Creating a Future to Be Excited About. What if the future isn't something to fear—but something we're responsible for designing?

Nancy explores the powerful technological, economic and societal forces transforming our world and helps audiences understand what these changes could make possible.

Rather than simply forecasting what's next, she challenges leaders to think intentionally about the future they want to create and the actions they can take today to move toward it.

Ideal for: Executive conferences, association meetings, innovation events and organizations preparing for significant change.

21st Century Expectations for Leadership. The leadership practices that got organizations here may not be enough to take them where they're going next.

Drawing from her book Leadering, Nancy challenges traditional ideas about leadership and introduces a more dynamic approach designed for continuous change.

She helps leaders become more curious, adaptive and forward-looking while developing the confidence to navigate a future where many of yesterday's assumptions no longer apply.

Ideal for: Leadership conferences, executive meetings and organizations transforming how their leaders think and operate.

The Opportunities and Responsibilities of Being AI-Led. AI is extraordinarily powerful—but what do we actually want to do with that power?

Nancy moves the AI conversation beyond productivity and automation to explore the bigger leadership questions surrounding artificial intelligence.

She challenges audiences to consider how AI can expand human capability while recognizing the responsibility leaders have to make thoughtful decisions about how these technologies are designed, deployed and governed.

Ideal for: AI conferences, executive meetings, technology events and organizations developing their AI strategy.

The Work of the Future. As technology transforms what machines can do, how should we rethink what humans do best?

Nancy explores how exponential technologies, changing expectations and new organizational models are reshaping work.

She challenges audiences to move beyond simply making existing work more efficient and instead consider how work itself can be redesigned to become more meaningful, human and valuable.

Ideal for: Future-of-work conferences, HR events, leadership meetings and organizations undergoing workforce transformation.

Why Book Nancy Giordano Through The Sweeney Agency?

Nancy Giordano combines future trends, AI, leadership and human-centered thinking—but the real value comes from connecting those forces directly to the future your organization needs to prepare for and help create.

The Sweeney Agency can help you:

Confirm Nancy Giordano's availability and current speaking fee
Determine which Nancy Giordano keynote best fits your audience
Discuss customization around your industry and strategic priorities
Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
Compare Nancy with other leading futurist, AI and leadership keynote speakers

Is Nancy Giordano Right for Your Event?

Tell us what's changing in your industry—and what you need your leaders to understand about the future ahead.

We'll help you determine whether Nancy is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.

Planning a leadership conference, AI summit, association meeting or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Nancy Giordano as your keynote speaker.

Kian Gohar

Founder & CEO of Geolab, Keynote Speaker on Innovation, Disruptive Technologies, & The Future of Work

About

Kian Gohar: Founder and CEO of Geolab | Bestselling Co-Author of Competing in the New World of Work | Speaker on Human–AI Collaboration and Innovation

Why Book Kian Gohar?

A former executive director at XPRIZE and Singularity University, Kian brings ambitious thinking into practical team conversations. His keynotes connect emerging possibilities with the behaviors needed to pursue them—helping audiences examine how they collaborate, adapt, and turn ideas into action.

Why Is Kian Gohar Right for Your Audience?

Kian is a strong fit for leadership conferences, innovation summits, HR events, and company gatherings focused on AI or team performance. He is especially relevant when an organization wants employees to explore new tools while strengthening the collaboration that makes those tools useful.

Book Kian when your audience needs to:

Explore practical ways to collaborate with AI
Strengthen teamwork across roles and departments
Adapt how it works as expectations change
Challenge assumptions that limit innovation
Turn ambitious goals into a plan for action
Build confidence experimenting with new approaches

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

Better informed about the skills involved in human–AI collaboration
Ready to identify opportunities to improve team workflows
More aware of behaviors that support trust and shared ownership
Equipped with a framework for approaching ambitious challenges
Motivated to test new ideas and learn from the results

Keynote Programs

The Future of Human + AI Collaboration
Kian explores how teams can use generative AI to support creativity, productivity, and decision-making. Ideal for leaders and employees seeking practical insight into AI at work.

The Art of Teamwork
Kian examines the practices behind adaptable, effective teams, including communication, trust, and peer collaboration. Ideal for company events and teams seeking to improve how they work together.

Leadership in the New World of Work
Drawing on his bestselling book, Kian challenges established assumptions about work and explores how leaders can build more resilient, inclusive teams. Ideal for executives, managers, and HR audiences.

How to Build a Moonshot
Kian draws on his XPRIZE experience to guide audiences from an ambitious goal toward concrete steps and solutions. Ideal for innovation conferences, entrepreneurs, and teams pursuing a significant challenge.

Is Kian Gohar Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the challenges it needs to solve, and what you want people to try after the event. We can help select Kian’s most relevant program, discuss customization and workshop options, and confirm his availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Garry Golden

Academically Trained Futurist and Speaker on Emerging Trends

About

Talks about: Finding the Future – Tomorrow’s Emerging Trends, and How to Anticipate and Act on Them for Success
Garry works with municipal and investor owned utilities seeking to embrace the integration of new solutions ranging from new customer experiences to distributed energy resources.
Author of Designing Your Future, and The Age of Adaptive Experiences
Past clients include: Alliant Energy, Chartwell, Sunoco, Eversource, Haliburton, Xcel Energy, Reliant Energy, Duke University EDGE, Direct Energy Business, The Energy Authority (TEA), ElectriCities of North Carolina, American Public Power Association (APPA)

Garry Golden is a professionally trained futurist who writes, speaks, and consults about issues that will shape society and business in the 21st century. His uncanny sense of what will hit—and what won’t—can be seen in futurethink’s research and heard in his international keynotes and corporate leadership seminars. His insights on how to align talent development to coming industry and market transitions have been shared with and implemented by such organizations as the McGraw-Hill Companies, Goodyear, S&P, and Reliant Energy.

Garry serves as Adjunct Lecturer on the Future of Energy and Environment for the University of Houston. He has consulted on projects as diverse as the future of utilities; transportation and supply chains; food safety and health; financial services; and sustainable retail packaging. He is the co-author of the inspiring book Designing Your Future, and author of the upcoming book titled The Age of Adaptive Experiences.

Garry attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received his Futures Studies degree from the University of Houston. He is a past board member of the Association of Professional Futurists (APF) as well as an aspiring collector of street art (which will likely be huge in the year 2040.) If left to his own devices at a museum gift shop, odds are a micro-machine or geological piece will be finding itself a future home.

Ian Goldin

Former VP of World Bank, Speaks on Future Trends, Globalization & Innovation

About

Professor Ian Goldin was the Founding Director of the Oxford Martin School from September 2006 to September 2016. He is currently Oxford University Professor of Globalization and Development and the Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on Technological and Economic Change. He is a Senior Fellow at the Oxford Martin School and a Professorial Fellow at the University’s Balliol College.

During his decade as Director, the School established 45 programs of research, bringing together more than 500 academics from across Oxford, from over 100 disciplines - and becoming the world’s leading centre for interdisciplinary research into critical global challenges.

Professor Goldin initiated and was Vice-Chair of the Oxford Martin Commission for Future Generations, which brought together 19 international leaders from government, business, academia, media and civil society - to address the growing short-term preoccupations of modern politics and business, and identify ways of overcoming today’s gridlock in key international negotiations. The Commission’s report, Now for the Long Term - was published in October 2013.

From 2003 to 2006 he was Vice President of the World Bank, and prior to that the Bank’s Director of Development Policy (2001-2003). He served on the Bank’s senior management team and led the Bank’s collaboration with the United Nations and other partners - as well as with key countries. As Director of Development Policy, he played a pivotal role in the research and strategy agenda of the Bank.

From 1996 to 2001 he was Chief Executive and Managing Director of the Development Bank of Southern Africa - and served as an advisor to President Nelson Mandela. He succeeded in transforming the Bank to become the leading agent of development in the 14 countries of Southern Africa. During this period, Goldin served on several Government committees and Boards, and was Finance Director for South Africa’s Olympic Bid.

Previously, Goldin was Principal Economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in London, and Program Director at the OECD Development Centre in Paris - where he directed the Programs on Trade, Environment and Sustainable Development.

He has a BA (Hons) and a BSc from the University of Cape Town, an MSc from the London School of Economics - and an MA and Doctorate from the University of Oxford.

Ian has served as a non-executive director on the boards of a number of leading businesses, including Old Mutual, Implenia AG, Metropolitan Life, and CDC Plc. His board positions include being the lead independent director - and chairing investment, credit, risk, audit, strategy, remuneration, social responsibility and ethics committees. Ian has advised over 50 governments and 100 leading global businesses. His non-profit activities include being the Chair of the CORE-econ.org initiative to reform global economics - and serving as a trustee of Comic Relief and other charities.

Goldin has received wide recognition for his contributions to development and research, including having been knighted by the French Government and nominated Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum. He has published over 50 articles and 20 books, including Globalization for Development: Meeting New Challenges (Oxford University Press, 2012), Exceptional People: How Migration Shaped our World and Will Define our Future (Princeton University Press, 2011), Divided Nations: Why Global Governance is Failing and What We Can Do About It (Oxford University Press, 2013), The Butterfly Defect: How Globalization Creates Systemic Risks, and What To Do About It (Princeton University Press, 2014) and an edited volume, Is the Planet Full? (Oxford University Press, 2014). His latest books are The Pursuit of Development: Economic Growth, Social Change and Ideas (Oxford University Press, 2016) and Age of Discovery: Navigating the Risks and Rewards of Our New Renaissance (Bloomsbury and St Martin’s Press, 2016).

Nikki Greenberg

Futurist Keynote Speaker & AI Thought Leader

About

Nikki Greenberg: Futurist and Innovation Strategist | Founder of Women in PropTech | Speaker on AI and the Future of Real Estate

Why Book Nikki Greenberg?

Nikki is especially compelling where technology meets the physical world. She helps audiences consider how changing expectations will affect the places people live, work, and visit. Her presentations give event planners a way to open a useful conversation about investment, innovation, and long-term priorities.

Why Is Nikki Greenberg Right for Your Audience?

Nikki is a strong fit for real estate conferences, construction and infrastructure events, urban planning forums, and executive meetings. She is particularly relevant when an organization wants to explore future possibilities and agree on where to focus its attention next.

Book Nikki when your audience needs to:

Explore how technology could change its industry
Reconsider assumptions about future customers and communities
Connect innovation with business and property decisions
Think beyond the next project or planning cycle
Identify questions to guide a technology investment
Build a shared direction for future initiatives

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

With a broader perspective on the changes ahead
Ready to question assumptions in existing plans
Better prepared to discuss technology with colleagues
Clearer on the people their future investments should serve
Motivated to identify a practical next step

Keynote Programs

Journey to 2040: Leading the Future of Your Industry
Nikki examines AI, generational change, and workplace evolution, with a framework for moving ideas into action. Ideal for leadership and industry conferences.

The World in 2050: Preparing Cities for Future Generations
Nikki explores how demographic shifts and technology could reshape cities. Ideal for public sector, infrastructure, and urban development audiences.

Today to 2050: Creating the Future of Real Estate
Nikki considers how AI, automation, and changing demand will influence property development and use. Ideal for real estate investors, developers, and property leaders.

Introduction to AI: Eliminate Your Busywork — Workshop
This hands-on session introduces practical uses of AI tools for everyday tasks. Available as a keynote add-on for teams seeking a more applied learning experience.

Is Nikki Greenberg Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the changes affecting your industry, and the decisions you want people to think about differently. We can help select Nikki’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm her availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Kristen Hadeed

Founder & CEO of Student Maid, Author & Entrepreneur

About

CEO and founder of Student Maid, a cleaning company that has employed thousands of millennials and is known for building the next generation of leaders
Kristen talks about how to build a culture of belonging with multiple generations in the workplace, and how to deliver and receive criticism as a leader.
First TED Talk has received more than two million hits on YouTube
Past clients include: Apple, Burger King, jetBlue, Ohio State University, PGA Tour, Re/MAX

Kristen Hadeed believes that authentic, human leadership can change the world.

At 19, with hardly any leadership experience, Kristen started a cleaning business called Student Maid. She never expected it to be her career; it was simply a way to earn money while she was in college. But before she graduated, her company received a contract to clean hundreds of apartments—and it changed her path forever. Kristen hired a team of 60 people help her, and within days, 75% of that team quit. That’s when Kristen’s obsession with learning how to be a leader began.

Over the next 14 years, Kristen learned a lot by screwing up. But most importantly, she learned how to lead from her heart. Doing so helped her take Student Maid from a small cleaning company to a business known on a global scale for its culture of belonging, its focus on people, and its purpose of building leaders.

Today, Kristen spends her time helping leaders, teams, and organizations around the world embrace their humanity. She’s worked with just about every industry with one purpose behind it all: To build a better world through courageous, compassionate leadership.

Kristen’s work has been featured in news outlets including PBS, FOX, Inc., NBC, TIME, and Forbes. Kristen’s book, Permission To Screw Up, has sold more than 40,000 copies worldwide. Her first TED Talk has more than three million views on YouTube

Ignite Your Innovation

The Top Ten Keynote Speakers on Innovation

About

10 Most Requested Speakers on Innovation

Click here to get your Customized List of Speaker Ideas

Innovation is the catalyst for growth, profit, and sustainability for any business so it is no wonder that it is one of the most requested speaking topics from just about every industry. Here are our highest rated Speakers on Innovation:

Scott Anthony | Innovation Strategist

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Scott-Anthony

Lisa Bodell | CEO of Futurethink and Best-selling author of Kill the Company

Often innovation is associated with a complicated and overly challenging process, however, innovation expert Lisa Bodell argues that this need not be the case. Lisa’s keynotes demonstrate that the complex processes that organizations have developed over the years actually hinder innovation and block original thought.

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Lisa-Bodell

Whitney Johnson | Co-founder of the Investment Firm Disruptive Innovation Fund

Whitney Johnson will inspire audiences with her call for personal disruption as a means to create an organization-wide innovative culture. She motivates attendees to actually do the things they would only dare to dream. Whitney Johnson is a true influencer and innovator and will teach your audiences how to do the same.

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Whitney-Johnson

Kaihan Krippendorff | Strategy and Innovation Expert & Founder of Outthinker

Kaihan Krippendorff is committed to helping organizations and individuals thrive in today’s era of fast-paced disruptive technological change. Kaihan is known for his ability to turn difficult concepts into easy-to-understand ideas that drive meaningful outcomes and actions. He is an internationally recognized thought-leader, battle-tested consultant, and sought-after keynote speaker on the topics of business strategy, growth, transformation and innovation.

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Kaihan-Krippendorff

Polly LaBarre | Author, Speaker, and Entrepreneur

Understanding that many organizations have been working since their inception to maintain and protect the foundational practices on which it was built, Polly LaBarre pushes audiences to break the status quo in order to achieve exceptional performance. Her keynotes highlight the importance of adaptability – or risk paralysis. Polly’s presentations are truly inspiring as she encourages attendees to be relentlessly creative, excited, and inventive.

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Polly-LaBarre

Josh Linkner | Bestselling Author on Creativity, Innovation, and Leadership

You’ve come up with a spectacularly creative idea for your organization – so the hard part’s over, right? Unfortunately it’s not. Turning raw, unpolished (albeit great) ideas into a reality can be very challenging. Josh Linkner’s keynotes provide practical tools and methodologies to turn those big ideas into big results and big profits. Oh, and he’s an excellent jazz guitarist too!

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Josh-Linkner

**Mike Walsh | Best-selling author of FUTURETAINMENT, Speaker on Technology and Innovation**

So often companies survive on one big idea or major breakthrough, however, in contemporary business those who thrive are continuously creating and cultivating those big ideas and breakthroughs. Mike Walsh helps organizations create strategic priorities in order to prepare for the future of business today.

Video: https://thesweeneyagency.com/speakers/Mike-Walsh

*Speakers are listed in alphabetical order

To Learn more about these speakers contact [email protected]

Derek Sweeney is the Director of Speaker Ideas at The Sweeney Agency. www.thesweeneyagency.com. For 15 years Derek has been helping clients find the right Speakers for their events. Derek can be reached at 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected]

Ian Khan

About Ian Khan – National Bestselling Author, Thinkers50 Award Shortlist, Highly Rated Futurist: Ian Khan, the Futurist, is a USA Today & Publisher Weekly National Bestselling Author of Undisrupted, Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement Award in Fu …

About

His work is frequently featured on CNN, the BBC, Fast Company, Bloomberg and other global media outlets.

Tom Koulopoulos

Chairman and Founder of Delphi Group, Author and Speaker on Innovation & The Future

About

Tom Koulopoulos: Keynote Speaker on AI, Future Trends & Innovation | Futurist | Founder of Delphi Group | Author of Gigatrends

Understand What's Next—Before It Changes Everything. How do you prepare your organization for a future being reshaped by AI, digital workers and technologies moving faster than ever before?

As Chairman and founder of Delphi Group, Tom has spent decades studying how disruptive technologies change organizations, industries and human behavior. His latest book, Gigatrends, explores the powerful forces shaping how we will live, work and compete throughout the 21st century.

Tom helps audiences look beyond today's headlines to understand what's coming next, why it matters and what leaders should be doing about it now.

Why Book Tom Koulopoulos?

Tom doesn't simply showcase futuristic technologies. He connects emerging technology directly to the decisions leaders need to make today.

His presentations explore AI, digital workers, changing demographics, frictionless commerce, autonomous technologies and other forces transforming business and society.

But Tom's message isn't that technology will determine the future. People will.

With a combination of research, provocative ideas, humor and compelling examples, Tom helps audiences understand disruption without becoming overwhelmed by it—and recognize the opportunities hidden inside enormous change.

What Makes Tom Koulopoulos Different?

Founder of Delphi Group — a Boston-based technology and futures think tank
Author of 14 books — including Gigatrends, The Gen Z Effect and Cloud Surfing
Deep AI expertise — explores AI's impact on work, business and human behavior
Decades studying disruption — brings long-term perspective to today's technology changes
Innovation authority — former Director of the Dell Innovation Lab
Academic perspective — professor at Boston University
Business experience — combines futurist thinking with real organizational insight
Engaging delivery — makes complex technology understandable, relevant and entertaining

Why Is Tom Right for Your Audience?

Tom is an outstanding choice when you want your audience to understand where technology is taking their industry and become more confident navigating what's next.

He is particularly effective for leadership conferences, association meetings, technology events, executive meetings and organizations navigating AI-driven transformation.

Book Tom when your audience needs to:

Understand how AI will reshape business
Prepare for humans and digital workers working together
Anticipate major technological shifts
Identify opportunities created by disruption
Understand how emerging technologies change customer behavior
Navigate generational changes in the workforce
Challenge assumptions about the future
Turn uncertainty into strategic opportunity

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

Better prepared for the business impact of AI
Understanding how digital workers may reshape the workplace
More aware of the major trends influencing their industry
Better able to separate meaningful technological change from hype
Thinking differently about the relationship between humans and technology
More confident navigating disruption and uncertainty
Ready to identify opportunities created by emerging technologies

Tom Koulopoulos Keynote Programs.

Gigatrends: The Technologies Shaping Our Future. What forces will have the greatest impact on how we live, work and compete over the coming decades?

Drawing from Gigatrends, Tom takes audiences on a fast-paced exploration of the technological forces reshaping society and business.

From AI and digital workers to frictionless commerce, autonomous vehicles and changing generations, he helps leaders understand how seemingly separate trends are converging to create profound change.

More importantly, Tom explores what these shifts mean for your organization and the decisions leaders need to start making today.

Ideal for: Executive conferences, association meetings, strategy events and organizations preparing for long-term disruption.

The Future of Work: Humans + Digital Workers. What happens when your next colleague isn't human?

AI is rapidly changing what technology can accomplish, creating a workplace where people and increasingly capable digital workers will operate side by side.

Tom explores how this transformation will change jobs, organizations and leadership—and why the opportunity isn't simply to replace human work, but to raise the bar on what people can accomplish.

Audiences leave with a positive but realistic roadmap for navigating a workplace being transformed by AI.

Ideal for: Leadership conferences, HR events, corporate meetings and organizations navigating AI transformation.

AI: Navigating the Next Great Business Transformation. AI isn't simply another technology trend. It's changing how organizations think, decide and compete.

Tom cuts through the hype to help leaders understand where artificial intelligence is heading and what its rapid evolution could mean for their businesses.

He explores how organizations can use AI to reduce friction, improve decisions and unlock new opportunities while keeping human judgment, creativity and trust at the center.

Ideal for: AI conferences, executive meetings, technology events and organizations developing their AI strategy.

Innovation in an Age of Constant Disruption. How do you innovate when the future refuses to slow down?

Tom challenges audiences to rethink traditional assumptions about innovation and recognize how rapidly changing technologies create entirely new possibilities.

He shows leaders how to become more comfortable with uncertainty, identify emerging opportunities and build organizations capable of adapting as technology and customer expectations evolve.

Ideal for: Innovation summits, leadership conferences, strategy meetings and organizations navigating disruption.

Why Book Tom Koulopoulos Through The Sweeney Agency?

Tom Koulopoulos combines deep technology expertise, futurist thinking and practical business insight—but the real value comes from connecting those trends directly to your industry and the decisions your audience needs to make.

The Sweeney Agency can help you:

Confirm Tom Koulopoulos's availability and current speaking fee
Determine which Tom Koulopoulos keynote best fits your audience
Discuss customization around your industry and business challenges
Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
Compare Tom with other leading AI, futurist and innovation keynote speakers

Is Tom Koulopoulos Right for Your Event?

Tell us what's changing in your industry—and what your leaders need to understand about what's coming next.

We'll help you determine whether Tom is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.

Planning a leadership conference, association meeting, AI summit or corporate event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Tom Koulopoulos as your keynote speaker.

Kaihan Krippendorff

Futurist, Strategy and Innovation Expert & Founder of Outthinker

About

Kaihan Krippendorff: Keynote Speaker on Strategy, Innovation & AI | Founder of Outthinker | 6-Time Bestselling Author | Former McKinsey Consultant

What if your biggest competitive advantage is seeing opportunities your competitors haven't recognized yet?

Kaihan Krippendorff is a globally recognized strategist, bestselling author and highly sought-after keynote speaker on strategy, innovation, AI, disruption and the future of business.

As the founder of Outthinker, Kaihan works with senior leaders and strategists to understand the forces reshaping business and identify unconventional opportunities for growth. His message is both provocative and practical: don't simply react to disruption—learn how to create the future your competitors will have to respond to.

Why Book Kaihan Krippendorff?

Kaihan doesn't just tell audiences that disruption is coming. He gives them frameworks for deciding what to do about it.

Drawing from decades of research into strategy and innovation, conversations with hundreds of executives each year and his work with organizations around the world, Kaihan reveals how successful companies challenge assumptions, identify strategic options others overlook and move before competitors recognize the opportunity.

His presentations combine big-picture thinking with practical tools, giving audiences a way to turn emerging trends, AI and disruption into competitive advantage.

What Makes Kaihan Krippendorff Different?

Founder of Outthinker — a global network of strategy, innovation, growth and transformation executives
Former McKinsey consultant — combines rigorous strategic thinking with practical business application
6-time bestselling author — including Outthink the Competition, Driving Innovation from Within and Proximity
Globally recognized management thinker — recognized by Thinkers50 and Global Gurus
Deep AI and technology perspective — connects emerging technology directly to business strategy
Proven strategic frameworks — gives audiences tools they can immediately put into practice
Innovation from within — shows organizations how to unlock ideas from employees at every level
Highly customized — connects trends and strategies directly to the client's industry and objectives

Why Is Kaihan Right for Your Audience?

Kaihan is an outstanding choice when you want your audience to think more strategically, recognize opportunities earlier and take action before competitors do.

He is particularly effective for executive conferences, leadership meetings, association events, strategy sessions, innovation summits and organizations navigating AI-driven disruption.

Book Kaihan when your audience needs to:

Anticipate disruption rather than react to it
Identify new opportunities for growth
Challenge traditional industry assumptions
Understand the strategic impact of AI
Turn employees into everyday innovators
Build greater organizational agility
Create competitive advantages that are difficult to copy
Translate strategy into action

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

Better equipped to identify opportunities competitors may overlook
Understanding how emerging technologies could reshape their industry
Able to challenge assumptions that limit strategic options
Equipped with practical frameworks for strategic thinking
More confident navigating disruption and uncertainty
Better prepared to unlock innovation across their organization
Ready to translate new ideas into action
Energized to shape the future rather than wait for it

Kaihan Krippendorff Keynote Programs

Outthink the Competition. What if the best strategic option is the one your competitors haven't considered?

Kaihan gives audiences a proven framework for challenging assumptions, identifying overlooked strategic options and creating defensible competitive advantages.

Using his Outthinker IDEAS Process, he shows leaders how to think differently about markets, competitors and opportunities—and translate that thinking into action.

Ideal for: Executive conferences, leadership meetings, strategy events and organizations focused on growth and competitive advantage.

Driving Innovation from Within. What if your organization's next breakthrough idea is already inside the company?

Kaihan challenges the assumption that disruptive innovation primarily comes from startups and outsiders.

Using his IN-OVATE Framework, he shows organizations how to remove internal barriers, empower employees to think like intrapreneurs and turn promising ideas into measurable business results.

The goal is to make innovation part of the culture—not simply the responsibility of an innovation department.

Ideal for: Innovation summits, leadership conferences, transformation initiatives and organizations looking to accelerate innovation.

Winning with AI, Technology, and People. How do you capture the power of AI without overlooking the human capabilities that create real competitive advantage?

Kaihan explores how AI, automation and emerging technologies are reshaping how organizations work, make decisions and compete.

Rather than framing the future as humans versus technology, he shows leaders how to combine AI's capabilities with human creativity, judgment, contextual understanding and strategic thinking.

Ideal for: AI conferences, executive meetings, technology events and organizations navigating digital transformation.

Proximity Revolution. How will AI and emerging technologies change where, when and how value is created?

Drawing from his book Proximity, Kaihan helps leaders make sense of AI, machine learning, 3D printing, data, renewable energy, personalization and other forces transforming business.

He gives audiences a practical Proximity Roadmap for understanding these shifts, identifying opportunities and preparing their organizations for what's next.

Ideal for: Future-of-business conferences, association meetings, executive events and organizations facing significant technological disruption.

Why Book Kaihan Krippendorff Through The Sweeney Agency?

Kaihan Krippendorff combines strategic depth, emerging-technology insight and practical innovation tools—but the real value comes from connecting those ideas directly to your industry, competitive environment and business priorities.

The Sweeney Agency can help you:

Confirm Kaihan Krippendorff's availability and current speaking fee
Determine which Kaihan Krippendorff keynote best fits your audience
Discuss customization around your industry and strategic priorities
Coordinate format, timing and event logistics
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Is Kaihan Krippendorff Right for Your Event?

Tell us what's changing in your industry—and where your organization needs to find its next competitive advantage.

We'll help you determine whether Kaihan is the right fit, confirm availability and fees, and make the booking process simple.

Planning an executive conference, innovation summit, association meeting or leadership event? Contact The Sweeney Agency today [email protected] to discuss booking Kaihan Krippendorff as your keynote speaker.

Charlene Li

Best Selling Author, Entrepreneur, and Leadership Speaker

About

For the past three decades, Charlene Li has been helping people see the future. She’s an expert on digital transformation, disruption leadership and strategy, customer experience, and the future of work. She’s the author of six books, including the New York Times bestseller, “Open Leadership,” and co-author of the critically acclaimed book, “Groundswell.” Her latest book is the bestseller “The Disruption Mindset.” She is currently working on her next book, “Winning with Generative AI.”

Charlene is also an entrepreneur, the Founder and CEO of Altimeter, a disruptive analyst firm that was acquired in 2015. She most recently served as the Chief Research Officer for PA Consulting and currently leads her own firm, Quantum Networks Group.

Charlene has worked with hundreds of top companies ranging from Adobe to Southwest Airlines and advised 49 of the Fortune 100 companies. She has spoken at events like the World Economic Forum, TED, and SXSW.

Named one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company and a LinkedIn Top Voice on Culture, Charlene graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College. She received her MBA from Harvard Business School. She lives in San Francisco and teaches her cat tricks in her spare time.

Greg Lindsay

Speaker and Author on the Future of Travel, Technology, and Urban Development

About

Greg talks about how cities‐as‐a‐service are changing how we live, work, move, and more – and the new real estate, services, and business model opportunities this creates.
Audiences leave with an understanding of how to recognize the changes technology and innovation have brought to urban environments and how to leverage the opportunities these disruptions have created.
Greg Lindsay is a journalist, urbanist, futurist, and speaker, director of applied research at NewCities and director of strategy at its mobility offshoot CoMotion. He is also a non-resident senior fellow of the Atlantic Council’s Foresight, Strategy, and Risks Initiative, a visiting scholar at New York University’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & Management, and co-author of Aerotropolis: The Way We’ll Live Next.
Past clients include: Intel, Samsung, Starbucks, Audi, Chrysler, Hyundai, Tishman Speyer, British Land, André Balazs Properties, Emaar, and Expo 2020.

Greg Lindsay is a non-resident senior fellow of MIT’s Future Urban Collectives Lab, Arizona State University’s Threatcasting Lab, and the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Strategy Initiative. He was the founding chief communications ofﬁcer of AlphaGeo and remains a senior advisor. Most recently, he was a 2022-2023 urban tech fellow at Cornell Tech’s Jacobs Institute, where he explored the implications of AI and augmented reality at urban scale.

Greg speaks about the future of cities, mobility, technology, security, and work, including appearances at 10 Downing Street, the United States Military Academy, Sandia National Laboratories, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Harvard Business School, MIT Media Lab, and Aspen Ideas Festival.

He also speaks to companies (Microsoft, Deloitte, Gensler, Ford, Starbucks), organizations (U.S. Conference of Mayors, Canada Council for the Arts), member associations (ULI, NAHB, NAIOP, SIOR) and universities (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, NYU, McGill).

He’s been cited as an expert by The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, USA Today, CNN, NPR, BBC, and CBC Radio.

Greg’s also a partner at the advisory ﬁrm FutureMap, and has advised Intel, Samsung, IKEA, Starbucks, Audi, Hyundai, Tishman Speyer, British Land, André Balazs Properties, Aldar, Emaar, and Expo 2020, along with numerous G20 government entities. Previously, he was urbanist-in-residence at BMW MINI’s urban tech accelerator, URBAN-X, as well as director of applied research at NewCities and founding director of strategy at its mobility-focused offshoot, CoMotion.

Bjorn Lomborg

Author and speaker on the environment and climate change. Author of The Skeptical Environmentalist and Cool it.

About

Bjorn Lomborg is adjunct professor at the Copenhagen Business School and an international keynote speaker on climate change. He is the organizer of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, which brings together some of the world's top economists, including 5 Nobel laureates, to set priorities for the world. Time magazine named Lomborg one of the world's 100 most influential people in 2004. In 2008 he was named one of the 50 people who could save the planet by the UK Guardian; one of the top 100 public intellectuals by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazine in 2010 and 2011; and one of the world's 75 most influential people of the 21st century by Esquire.

Besides working as the director of Copenhagen Consensus and as adjunct professor at the Copenhagen Business School, Lomborg is the author of the best-selling The Skeptical Environmentalist and Cool it in which he challenged mainstream concerns about the environment and pointed out that we need to focus attention on the most important problems first.

The Skeptical Environmentalist had its genesis in 1998, when Lomborg worked as an associate professor of statistics at the Department of Political Science at the University of Aarhus in Denmark. He published four lengthy articles about the state of the environment in a leading Danish newspaper, which resulted in a firestorm debate spanning over 400 articles in major metropolitan newspapers. The articles led to the publication of The Skeptical Environmentalist in 2001, which has now been published in every major language in the world.

Since the publication of The Skeptical Environmentalist, Lomborg has been a frequent participant in public debate. His commentaries have appeared regularly in such prestigious publications as the New York Times, Wall St. Journal, Globe & Mail, The Guardian, The Daily and Sunday Telegraph, The Times, The Australian, the Economist, the LA Times and Boston Globe. He has appeared on TV shows such as Politically Incorrect and ABC 60 minutes, Larry King, 20/20, 60 minutes and BBC Newsnight along with shows on CNN, BBC, CNBC, and PBS. In November 2001, Lomborg was selected "Global Leader for Tomorrow" by the World Economic Forum.

From February 2002 to July 2004 Lomborg was director of Denmark's national Environmental Assessment Institute. During this period he was named one of the 50 stars of Europe (as one of the 9 agenda setters in Europe) in Business Week. In April 2004, Lomborg was named one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time Magazine.

Lomborg organized Copenhagen Consensus in 2004, a project which brought together some of the world's top economists to prioritize the best solutions to the world's biggest challenges. Essentially, he asked these experts to tackle the question: With limited resources, how can we do the most good possible?

In June 2006 Lomborg repeated the Copenhagen Consensus project with top United Nations ambassadors instead of economists. He managed to bring together representatives from China, India and the USA, representing about half the world's population. Their ranking of solutions to the world's challenges was the first of its kind for the United Nations. These two conferences and their results have resulted in two books: Global Crises, Global Solutions and How to Spend $50 Billion to Make the World a Better Place. The last global Copenhagen Consensus project was held in May 2008.

In September 2007, Lomborg published Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Climate Change, a groundbreaking book that is transforming the debate about global warming by offering a fresh perspective based on human needs as well as environmental concerns. It has already been translated into 17 languages.

In October 2010 Cambridge University Press released Smart Solutions to Climate Change, edited by Bjorn Lomborg. The highly anticipated collection presents a very wide range of climate policy options including ones that are not well covered in the media, making it highly relevant to climate policy debates in search for a new treaty to succeed Kyoto. Also in November 2010, Lomborg released the documentary film, Cool It.

In his most recent offering, How to Spend $75 Billion to Make the World a Better Place, Bjorn presents the costs and benefits of the smartest solutions to twelve global problems. Featuring cutting-edge research of more than sixty eminent economists, four Nobel Laureates, and produced for the Copenhagen Consensus, this book will inform, enlighten and motivate actions to make the world a better place.

Bjorn is also the editor of How Much have Global Problems Cost the World? and Global Problems, Smart Solutions, out in the fall of 2013.

Terence Mauri

Innovation & Disruptive Leadership Speaker

About

TERENCE MAURI - Global Authority on the Future of Leadership | AI & Disruption Expert | MIT Entrepreneur Mentor | Thinkers50 Author:

Lead What’s Next

Terence Mauri helps leaders think boldly, act decisively and turn uncertainty into opportunity. The founder of Hack Future Lab, an MIT Entrepreneur Mentor and a five-time bestselling author, he combines provocative insights, compelling stories and practical frameworks that prepare organizations to lead from the future.

Why Book Terence Mauri?

Terence does more than explain emerging trends. He challenges leaders to rethink how they make decisions, build trust and create value when the rules are changing.

Drawing on his experience advising Fortune 500 leaders and billion-dollar startups, Terence translates complex issues—including AI, disruption and the future of work—into clear choices audiences can act on immediately. His energetic presentations create urgency without fear and leave leaders ready to move forward with greater courage and confidence.

What Makes Terence Different?

A powerful combination of global research and practical business experience
Fresh thinking on AI, leadership, trust and organizational change
Provocative ideas that challenge conventional assumptions
Actionable frameworks leaders can use immediately
A message that can be customized around the organization’s priorities

Why Is Terence Right for Your Audience?

Terence is an excellent choice when leaders need to anticipate what is next while delivering results today. He is particularly effective for leadership conferences, executive meetings, innovation events, client programs and organizations navigating AI or major transformation.

Book Terence when your audience needs to:

Lead confidently through uncertainty and disruption
Turn AI from a technology conversation into a leadership opportunity
Challenge outdated thinking and accelerate better decisions
Build trust, resilience and agility across the organization
Translate emerging trends into strategic priorities
Find the courage to act before every answer is known

Audience Takeaways

Attendees will leave:

Better prepared to lead from the future rather than react to it
Equipped to identify opportunity within disruption
Ready to replace outdated assumptions with future-ready thinking
Clearer about where human judgment creates an advantage in an AI-first world
Motivated to think boldly, act decisively and play to win

Keynote Programs

Lead What’s Next

Terence shows leaders how to build future readiness, learn at the speed of change and make courageous decisions before certainty arrives. Ideal for organizations navigating transformation, competitive pressure or a major new strategic direction.

The Human Edge

In an AI-first world, technology alone is not the advantage—how people lead, decide and build trust is. Terence explores how courage, unlearning and radical trust help organizations unlock the upside of disruption. Ideal for AI, culture, leadership and future-of-work events.

Future IQ

Terence helps audiences turn megatrends into meaningful milestones. Leaders learn how to strengthen strategic courage, team resilience and agility while solving tomorrow’s challenges with new thinking. Ideal for executive audiences, innovation conferences and strategy meetings.

Why Contact The Sweeney Agency Now?

The right speaker must do more than talk about the future. They must understand your audience, connect their message to your business priorities and create momentum beyond the event.

Confirm Terence’s availability and current fee
Identify the keynote that best supports your objectives
Discuss customization, format and event logistics
Receive comparable recommendations if another speaker may be a stronger fit

Is Terence Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the disruption they are facing and what you want them to think, feel or do differently. We will provide an honest assessment of Terence’s fit, confirm availability and fees, and help you move forward with confidence.

Contact The Sweeney Agency to discuss booking Terence Mauri.

Heather McGowan

Top Futurist and Speaker on the Future of Work, Best-selling Author

About

Heather E. McGowan: Future-of-Work Strategist | Bestselling Co-Author of The Adaptation Advantage | Speaker on Leadership, AI and Change

Why Book Heather E. McGowan?

Heather makes complex shifts understandable through data, stories, and visual frameworks. Her presentations connect the future of work with practical leadership questions: How do we help people adapt? How should AI change the work we do? And how can leaders create the conditions for teams to contribute their best?

Why Is Heather E. McGowan Right for Your Audience?

Heather is a strong fit for leadership conferences, executive meetings, HR events, and company gatherings focused on change. She is particularly relevant when an organization wants its people to approach new technology and unfamiliar challenges with greater confidence and curiosity.

Book Heather when your audience needs to:

Strengthen its ability to learn and adapt
Understand the human implications of AI
Reconsider leadership habits that limit team potential
Build trust and encourage thoughtful questions
Connect daily work with a shared purpose
Prepare for changing roles and expectations

Audience Takeaways

Depending on the program selected, attendees will leave:

With a clearer understanding of the forces changing work
Better able to frame questions that reveal new possibilities
Ready to examine where AI can extend human capabilities
More aware of how leadership behavior shapes learning and contribution
Prepared to connect team priorities with meaningful outcomes

Keynote Programs

Solve Tomorrow’s Problems™: Harness Human Ingenuity to Navigate What’s Next
Heather explores how curiosity and collaboration help teams discover opportunities and adapt to new conditions. Ideal for company events, innovation conferences, and audiences preparing for change.

The Augmented Imperative: Unleashing Human Potential in the AI Era
Heather examines how organizations can use AI to expand capabilities while preserving human judgment and responsibility. Ideal for leadership and technology audiences rethinking how work gets done.

Leading in the Age of Uncertainty: The Curiosity Advantage
Heather shows why leadership increasingly depends on learning, questioning assumptions, and enabling others. Ideal for executives, managers, and emerging leaders navigating unfamiliar challenges.

Clear on Purpose: Turning Purpose into Performance Through a Shared Vision
Heather explores how shared purpose, constructive dialogue, and belonging can strengthen motivation and teamwork. Ideal for organizations seeking greater alignment and engagement.

Is Heather E. McGowan Right for Your Event?

Tell us about your audience, the changes affecting its work, and the leadership behaviors you want to encourage. We can help select Heather’s most relevant program, discuss customization, and confirm her availability and fee.

Contact The Sweeney Agency 1-866-727-7555 or [email protected] for more information on this speaker.

Jacob Morgan

4x Best-selling Author, Keynote Speaker, Futurist, and Co-founder of The Future of Work University

About

Jacob talks about why employee experience is the next big area of investment, what the top companies are doing – and how you can go about creating an Experiential Organization.
Audiences leave understanding what some of the world’s most forward thinking organizations are doing and how leaders can create strategies to design and create employee experiences based around three environments: culture, technology, and the physical workspace.
Jacob Morgan is a trained futurist and one of the world’s leading authorities on the leadership, employee experience - and the future of work. He is a best selling author of 4 books on leadership.
Past clients include: Unilever, Cisco, MasterCard, Nestle, Best Buy, SAP, KPMG, T-Mobile, and Schneider Electric.

Jacob Morgan is a trained futurist and one of the world’s leading authorities on the leadership, employee experience - and the future of work. He speaks in front of tens of thousands of people each year and his content is seen over a million times a year.

After graduating with honours in business management economics and psychology from the University of California Santa Cruz, Jacob was excited to join the corporate world. At his first job he was told that he’d be travelling the country, meeting with executives and entrepreneurs - and doing all sorts of exciting work. A few months in, he was stuck doing data entry, cold calling - and PowerPoint presentations. One day the CEO came out of his nice corner office, handed Jacob a $10 bill and said “I’m late for a meeting, go grab me a cup of coffee - and get something for yourself as well.” That was the last corporate job he ever had.

Jacob is the best-selling author of four books: The Future Leader (2020), The Employee Experience Advantage (2017), The Future of Work (2014), and The Collaborative Organization (2012). He speaks at over 50 conferences a year including TED Academy - which is one of the largest TED events in the world. In addition, Jacob provides advisory and thought leadership services to various organizations around the world.

Jacob created “The Future If” a global community of business leaders, authors and futurists - who explore what our future can look like IF certain technologies, ideas, approaches and trends actually happen. The community looks at everything from AI and automation to leadership and management practices to augmented reality and virtual reality, the 4th industrial revolution - and everything in between.

His work has been endorsed by the CEOs of: Unilever, Cisco, MasterCard, Nestle, Best Buy, SAP, KPMG, T-Mobile, Schneider Electric - and many others.

In addition, Jacob hosts The Future of Work Podcast - a weekly show where he speaks with senior executives, authors, and business leaders about how the world of work is changing. His Youtube channel explores the latest concepts and ideas around the future of work - with inspiring and educational 2-3 minute videos.

He has also contributed to - and been cited in publications such as Cosmopolitan, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, CNN, Glamour, the MIT Sloan Management Review, USA Today - and The Harvard Business Review.

Blake Morgan

Customer Experience Futurist, Keynote Speaker and Author

About

Blake Morgan was called “The Queen of CX” by Meta. She is a customer experience futurist and author of three books on customer experience. Her newest book is called “8 Laws of Customer-Focused Leadership: The New Rules For Building Business Around Today’s Customer” coming out July of 2024. Her bestselling second book is called “The Customer Of The Future: 10 Guiding Principles For Winning Tomorrow’s Business” (HarperCollins), identified by Business Insider as one of the top 20 books executives are reading. In 2021 the book won a top 5 spot on Book Authority’s list of the “Top 100 Future Of Technology Books of All-Time.”

She was called one of the top 40 female keynote speakers by Real Leaders Magazine. Blake is a guest lecturer at Columbia University, the University of California, San Diego as well as adjunct faculty at the Rutgers executive education MBA program. She has worked with companies like Coca-Cola, AT&T, The Federal Reserve Bank and many more. Blake contributes to Forbes and is the host of The Modern Customer Podcast.

She lives in the Southern California with her husband, their two children and two dogs.

Natalie Nixon

Strategy, Foresight, and Innovation Expert, Award-winning Author

About

Natalie Nixon, PhD is "the creativity whisperer to the C-Suite". She is a creativity strategist who advises leaders on achieving transformative business results by applying wonder & rigor. She is a highly sought after global keynote speaker, valued for her accessible expertise on creativity, the future of work and innovation.

Natalie was selected for Thinkers50 Radar Class of 2024; Real Leaders' "Top 50 Keynote Speakers in the World for 2022" list; and has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company and INC. She is the author of the award-winning The Creativity Leap—an honoree in the creativity category of Fast Company's 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards. Her firm, Figure 8 Thinking, was named among the top 20 women-led innovation firms in 2021 by Core 77. Clients have included Microsoft, Salesforce, Comcast, Citrix, Morrison & Foerster, Living Cities, VaynerMedia and Bloomberg.

A hybrid thinker, Natalie consistently applies her background in cultural anthropology, fashion, design thinking and dance. She is an early-stage investor at two social impact ventures, valued for her ability to work at the intersection of commercial value and stakeholder equity.

Natalie is a trustee of the Smithsonian's Cooper Hewitt Design Museum; and a former trustee of Vassar College and Leadership+Design. She has lived in Germany, Brazil, Portugal, Israel, and Sri Lanka and is proficient in Portuguese and Spanish. She is certified as a Foresight Practitioner by the Institute for the Future. She received her BA (honors) from Vassar College, and her PhD from the University of Westminster in London.

When she's not dancing up a storm in hip-hop class, Natalie is fine-tuning her salsa, foxtrot and tango on the ballroom floor. She lives in her hometown of Philadelphia with her husband, John Nixon, and is the proud stepmother of Sydney.

Angela Oguntala

Global Authority on Foresight and Innovation

About

Named a Future Innovator by the United Nations, Angela Oguntala is a futurist and global authority on foresight and innovation.

She is a founding partner at Greyspace, a foresight consultancy. Across the globe, she helps organizations understand and innovate for a world in transition. Her clients have included IKEA, Hermès, Philips, Sky, Deloitte, The World Economic Forum, The World Trade Organization, Microsoft, Bayer and Swiss Life.

Over the past decade, Angela has been asked to speak on a wide range of future-facing topics. She has delivered hundreds of keynotes worldwide on themes including: innovating through uncertainty, emerging technology impacts, purpose driven innovation, leadership & organizational foresight, creativity, sustainability, as well as on specific domains from the future of work to futures of healthcare.

Angela leaves audiences with insights, inspiration, and actionable tactics to engage with significant shifts ahead, and to critically question what needs to shift to meet future demands. She is a Salzburg Global Fellow for leaders challenged to shape a better worldand has been featured as an expert on futures thinking on outlets including Sky, TED, and NPR.

Angela is an American who shares her time between the US (Atlanta, Georgia) and Copenhagen, Denmark.

Future

About

Simon Anderson: Futurist | Applied Foresight Expert | Founder of Venture Foresight

Be Ready for What Comes Next

Why Book Simon Anderson?

What Makes Simon Different?

Why Is Simon Right for Your Audience?

Audience Takeaways

Keynote Programs

Beyond Resilient: How to Be Future Ready® in an Age of Constant Change

The Future Is Here. Now What?

Leading into the Future of Your Industry

Why Contact The Sweeney Agency Now?

Is Simon Right for Your Event?

About

Nikolas Badminton: Futurist | Chief Futurist and Hope Engineer™ | Author of Facing Our Futures

Help Your Audience Imagine—and Prepare for—What Comes Next

Why Book Nikolas Badminton?

What Makes Nikolas Different?

Why Is Nikolas Right for Your Audience?

Audience Takeaways

Keynote Programs

Facing Our Futures: Looking to 2035 and Beyond

The A.I. Leader: Create Incredible Productivity, Profit & Growth

Energy Transitions: Explore Renewable Energy Futures

Geopolitical Technology Futures: Looking to 2035 and Beyond

Why Contact The Sweeney Agency Now?

Is Nikolas Right for Your Event?

About

Lisa Bodell: Keynote Speaker on Simplification, Innovation & Leadership | Founder & CEO of FutureThink | Bestselling Author of Why Simple Wins

Simplify Work. Unlock Better Thinking. What could your people accomplish if they stopped wasting time on unnecessary work and focused their energy on what actually matters?

Why Book Lisa Bodell?

What Makes Lisa Bodell Different?

Why Is Lisa Right for Your Audience?

Audience Takeaways

Lisa Bodell Keynote Programs

Unleash the Power of Simple. What if the fastest way to improve performance isn't adding something new—but eliminating what no longer matters?

Let Leaders Lead. How much time do your leaders actually spend leading?

Unleashing Innovation: AI-Enabled, Human-Led. As AI becomes more capable, what becomes more important for humans to do exceptionally well?

Why Book Lisa Bodell Through The Sweeney Agency?

Is Lisa Bodell Right for Your Event?

About

Did last year's speaker knock your socks off? Not sure where to go next? Let our team of experienced professionals help you find your next great speaker.

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About

Jonathan Brill: Business Futurist | AI Strategist | Speaker on Innovation and What Comes Next

Make the Next Five Years Work for You

Why Book Jonathan Brill?

What Makes Jonathan Different?

Why Is Jonathan Right for Your Audience?

Audience Takeaways

Keynote Programs

AI & the Octopus Organization

Strategic Luck: The Science of Thriving in Uncertainty

Architect Your Future

Win the Next Five Years: Spot, Lead, Win

Why Contact The Sweeney Agency Now?

Is Jonathan Right for Your Event?

About

Trusted by Industry Leaders – Advisor to Google, Microsoft, Deloitte, and top global organizations.

Disruptive Innovation Expert – A leading authority on AI, automation, and exponential technologies shaping the future.

Strategic Foresight & Innovation – Actionable insights to anticipate disruption and create competitive advantages.

Author of seven books, including The New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller Flash Foresight; One of the world's leading futurists who the New York Times called “…one of the top three business gurus in the highest demand as a speaker…”

Master of Hard Trends – Navigate uncertainty with confidence using proven anticipatory strategies.

About

Andrew Busch: Economic Futurist | Former Chief Market Intelligence Officer at the CFTC | Speaker on the Economy, AI and Growth Opportunities

Why Book Andrew Busch?

Why Is Andrew Busch Right for Your Audience?

Audience Takeaways

Keynote Programs

Is Andrew Busch Right for Your Event?

About

Dan Chuparkoff: CEO of Reinvention Labs | Former Technology Leader at Google, McKinsey and Atlassian | Speaker on AI, Innovation and the Future of Work

Why Book Dan Chuparkoff?

Why Is Dan Chuparkoff Right for Your Audience?

Audience Takeaways

Keynote Programs

Is Dan Chuparkoff Right for Your Event?

About

WHO is your audience?