David Sax

Award-winning author and business journalist David Sax argues that a digital future can augment our real, analog lives, but it can never truly replace them. The analog aspects of real life are so valuable—in the office, on campus, and in society—and David can show you how to build around them to innovate without losing sight of the human experiences that really matter. He presents a vision of the future where technology serves humans first and foremost, and where we can reject the downsides of technology while still embracing change. In funny, engaging talks, David draws on his new book The Future Is Analog—which Kirkus called “approachable” and “witty”—to make the case for taking hold of the best parts of our digital and analog worlds, so that we can build a future where technology frees us to be human.

In his #1 Washington Post bestseller The Revenge of Analog, David explores the cultural shift that occurred when digital upended every industry—and enabled a comeback for analog in the process. With common sense and uncommon charm, he’s a chief chronicler of this resounding shift both on stage and in this acclaimed book, named one of the best of the year by The New York Times’ Chief Book Critic, Michiko Kakutani. Retailers and tech giants the world over are fusing digital with analog to boost creativity and outsmart the competition—and David has his finger on the pulse of what this means for the future of innovation. In a starred review, Booklist called The Revenge of Analog “essential reading,” saying that David “thoughtfully, wisely, and honestly points out how analog experiences enhance digital creativity and how humans benefit from what both have to offer.”

The Soul of an Entrepreneur, David shows that becoming a successful entrepreneur doesn’t mean you have to be the next Steve Jobs or Elon Musk. Instead, he tells the real stories of everyday entrepreneurs —the local barbers, restaurants, family-owned factories, and businesses small and large that hold our communities and economies together. He reveals how we can ensure entrepreneurship is open and accessible to all—restoring the essential promise of our economy that anyone can be an entrepreneur. In his talks, he offers lessons and stories from a diverse group of entrepreneurs to teach us how we can build the emotional and spiritual resilience needed to withstand crisis.

A sophisticated analyst of major trends for consumers—and wider culture—David is also the author of two other fascinating accounts of pop culture and business. In The Tastemakers: Why We’re Crazy for Cupcakes But Fed Up with Fondue, he argues that food trends are not only a collection of photos on Instagram—they have an everlasting effect on our culture, workforce, economy, health, and day-to-day lives. The New York Times calls it “a romp” through the food industry that will “leave readers wondering about how susceptible we are to the charms of any new food.” His first book, Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen, won the James Beard Award for Writing and Literature. His other writing appears regularly in The New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, The New Yorker’s business blog, and LA Times, and he is a regular feature on CBC Radio and NPR.