The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau
A speakers bureau that represents the best original thinkers,
writers, and doers for speaking engagements.
A speakers bureau that represents the best original thinkers,
writers, and doers for speaking engagements.
Generative AI is changing what it means to be human, and that's just the beginning. You can find the opportunity in emerging AI technology today.
Technology like AI is changing everything, but it’s also moving more quickly than we can keep up with—how can we make sure it works for us instead of against us? There is no one better positioned than Nicholas Thompson, former editor-in-chief of WIRED and now CEO of The Atlantic, to show us what AI can (and can’t) do, and how to take advantage of it today. Nick has unparalleled access to the top minds in Silicon Valley, including the senior players at Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Meta. With a unique blend of theory and practice, his dynamic keynotes shows how this technology will change what it means to be human, how to implement it practically in your company, and how you can thrive in a future defined by new values and new possibilities.
“Nick is singular; we’ve seen no one like him. As to leading and supporting Atlantic strategy, Nick brings a surround-sound coverage of relevant experience. Having been an editor, he is committed to the undergirding tenets of our work—superior editorial standards and complete editorial independence.”
— Laurene Powell Jobs and David Bradley
How will the world’s dominant tech corporations—Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft—interact with citizens, help write policy, and redefine privacy and security? How will artificial intelligence and robotics change our devices, the way we work, earn a living, fight wars, solve problems—our very selves? Nicholas Thompson has occupied the most prestigious positions in the world of tech writing and journalism, staking out a bold, optimistic vision for what our future will look like. His bite-sized LinkedIn series, #MostInterestingThingInTech, breaks down what you need to know in the tech world, everyday. His relevant insights have garnered him +1.6 million followers on LinkedIn, and counting. Nick also moderated several talks with tech leaders like Geoffrey Hinton, the “godfather of AI,” drawing powerful insights that he shares in his keynotes and LinkedIn series.
He currently serves as CEO of The Atlantic. Since he joined, the magazine earned the top honor of General Excellence at the National Magazine Awards in 2022 and 2023, and was named Digiday’s Publisher of the Year in 2022. This journalistic excellence has been paired with growth across the company, including record subscriber growth for the third straight year. As the Editor-in-Chief of WIRED, Nicholas broke massive stories about Facebook’s hidden flaws, cyber-warfare, the Robert Mueller investigation, and numerous other topics. His ground-breaking investigative reporting on Facebook was a finalist for a 2020 Loeb Award, and he oversaw work that won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Magazine Award, and has even led to Oscar-winning films.
At The New Yorker, Nicholas served as editor of the magazine’s digital platforms, breaking new ground with stories about his friendship with Joseph Stalin’s daughter, how our lives are forever changed by the consumer drone industry, and arson amid the election cycle.
Nicholas is also an accomplished runner and is currently the American record holder for men over age 45 in the 50k. He is also ranked in the top ten marathoners in the world for his age group. He can show you how the lessons he’s learned from running are also applicable to business, and every other field. The discipline and grit put into this solo sport is undeniably influential on productivity, creativity and purpose. To Nicholas, running is not a matter of physical talent, but a matter of mental strength.
Nicholas is a former Senior Editor at Legal Affairs and a former contributor at CBS. With a massive and vigilant following on social media, he’s one of LinkedIn’s most-followed individuals. He earned the 21st Century Leader Award from The National Committee on American Foreign Policy, was a Future Tense Fellow at the New America Foundation and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He’s also the author of the critically acclaimed biography The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War.
He was unbelievable. Not one person had anything negative to say, in fact, the opposite. Everyone thought he was so entertaining, smart, insightful and compelling. We want to hire him again.
BMO Nesbitt BurnsThere was only one disappointing thing about Nick’s keynote for our event—that we didn’t get to do it in-person! He was fantastic! So perfectly topical for our members. In a time of online event fatigue, he really managed to keep our attention. When we recorded his talk, I was astonished to find out he had been speaking for 30 minutes—it was so riveting that time just flew by.
CSA GroupYour speech was extraordinarily well received and your moderation of the panel was done with great skill. The conversations that followed amongst our senior leadership during the rest of the day's programming proved that the experience was invaluable for everyone in our organization.
Caesars EntertainmentI wanted to extend our heartfelt thanks for your exceptional presentation. Your insights and perspective not only elevated the event, but also left a lasting impression on our audience. I greatly appreciate the time you invested in preparing an inspiring and thought-provoking presentation, and I hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back in the future.
Rockwell AutomationI am fairly certain that was one of the most interesting sponsored events ever. You gave even those of us who are deep into these issues much more to think (and worry) about. Every single client, all of whom deal with these issues on a daily basis, are still talking about your presentation and the importance of understanding the quality of data and potential biases that go into A.I. in the first place. Thank you!
Orrick, Silicon ValleyAside from organizing the call, I wanted to thank you for your time at the conference. Your presentation added to our day, making it full of interesting discussion and topics.
Berenberg Capital MarketsCEO & Co-Founder of XLabs and Ribo One of Forbes’ 30 Women in AI to Watch Artificial Intelligence Pioneer
CEO of Trend Hunter New York Times bestselling author of Create the Future
Bestselling author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism Harvard Business School Professor Emeritus Activist and scholar
WIRED Global Editorial Director
CEO of Wavelo Former Head of Product at Verizon
Professor Author of Atlas of AI Leading scholar of AI and society
Author of Grit, the #1 New York Times Bestseller | Pioneering Researcher on Grit, Perseverance, and the Science of Success
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Creator of The 1619 Project | Executive Producer of The 1619 Project Hulu Docuseries | MacArthur Genius
Nike's Former Chief Marketing Officer | Author of Emotion by Design
New York Times Bestselling Author Of All Boys Aren’t Blue & We Are Not Broken | Emmy Nominee | LGBTQIA+ Activist
CEO of The Atlantic | Former Editor-in-Chief of WIRED
Technology is advancing faster than we can keep up—are the benefits of this fast-paced innovation worth the risks, particularly when it comes to our businesses? In this intellectually thrilling keynote, CEO of The Atlantic and former editor-in-chief of WIRED Nicholas Thompson breaks down the nine trade-offs that all of us should be aware of when it comes to adopting new tech in the workplace.
What should you consider when it comes to security versus privacy? What about social biases embedded in AI? How will data-driven AR in brick-and-mortar outlets affect our perception of reality, let alone how consumers make purchases? With clear takeaways, Nicholas guides us through the trade-offs of an increasingly innovation-driven economy—and helps us find the best priorities for our businesses.
Prior to taking the helm at The Atlantic, Nicholas Thompson was the Editor-in-Chief of WIRED, where he boosted digital subscriptions of the magazine by a whopping 300%, and an editor at The New Yorker, where he spearheaded a radical makeover at NewYorker.com to expand the magazine’s online readership. How did Thompson successfully draw 25% more visitors to the storied magazine’s digital platform? While diversified social media and cutting-edge SEO strategies are all part of the plan, Nicholas’ counterintuitive approach was to resist the trend of fast, disposable online media. “The main strategy for growing audience is to publish more, better stories,” he says. “The stories we’re prouder of, the stories we put more effort into, attract more readers.”
In an age when listicles and clickbait seem to hold court, Nicholas’ illuminating keynote explores the “wonderful value in aligning your business model with your editorial model”—and how consistently excellent content is the first action item in transforming digital platforms.