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Future of Work

We’re already seeing the growing applications of artificial intelligence, the rapid shift to hybrid and remote work, and a deepening understanding of the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. What’s next for the workplace, the workforce, and the nature of work itself? These Lavin speakers will guide you through an ever-evolving landscape and put you on the path to success. 

15
Future of Work
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Minette Norman

Transformative Leadership Consultant | Former VP of Engineering Practice, Autodesk

Being a transformative leader means having a unique perspective. That’s how Minette Norman—a liberal arts major with no engineering background—became a high-powered female executive in the male-dominated tech industry. As the former VP of Engineering at Autodesk, Norman led a team of 3,500 software professionals and transformed the company culture from the inside out. Today, she’s a leadership consultant specializing in building diverse and inclusive cultures across countless organizations. Her talks demonstrate why establishing psychological safety is essential for unlocking creativity, collaboration, and a sense of belonging in the workplace.
Stephanie Mehta

Former editor-in-chief of Fast Company | Former Deputy Editor at Vanity Fair

COVID-19 catalyzed ten years of innovation in just 16 months—where will we go next? Untangling this global flurry of change is Fast Company’s Stephanie Mehta. With razor-sharp insights in technology, leadership, and design, informed by the world’s most creative minds, she shows leaders how they can prepare their business for the pivotal year ahead, and as well as for future disruptions. 
Derek Thompson

Staff writer at The Atlantic | Host of Plain English | Bestselling Author of Hit Makers

How is technology changing the future? What are the economic forces shaping the cultural market? And how does the media manipulate our most valuable resource—our attention—in the twenty-first century? These are the questions that Derek Thompson, staff writer at The Atlantic, author of national bestseller Hitmakers, and host of the podcast Plain English, explores in his captivating, award-winning work. Coupling his dry wit and journalistic insight, Thompson interprets the invisible factors that influence business. 
Alexandra Samuel

Tech writer and data journalist | Author of Remote Inc.

In the post-pandemic world, the time-honored rules of work no longer apply. Thankfully, whether you’re in-office, fully remote, or making the leap to hybrid, Alexandra Samuel can help you carve a path towards a thriving and productive work culture. A technology strategist, data journalist, and author of the timely and practical book Remote Inc., Samuel brings over 25+ years of experience as a remote worker to her presentations, helping audiences conceptualize—and action—new ways of working in the modern age.
Nita Farahany

Legal Scholar & Ethicist | Director of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society

At the intersection of neuroscience and artificial intelligence lies a wealth of opportunity for business, labour, and society at large. Yet along with progress comes a host of ethical dilemmas. As a leading scholar and neuro-ethicist who has advised the United States Congress, Nita Farahany considers what our neurological information is worth, and the  implications of making it available to corporations, workplaces, and government. 
Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman

Editor of The Black Agenda | Co-Founder of The Sadie Collective | Speaker on Diversity and the Future of Work

Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman is the co-founder of the only non-profit organization addressing the pipeline and pathway problem for Black women in fields of economics, finance, and policy. In her upcoming book The Black Agenda, Opoku-Agyeman features Black voices across economics, education, health, climate, and technology, all speaking to the question “What’s next?” as it pertains to centering Black people in policy. Her work is empowering, exciting, and indispensable for the new world we’re building. 
Jessica Nordell

Author of The End of Bias | Science and Culture Journalist

One of the biggest dilemmas of our time? Eradicating unconscious bias—the persistent, unintentional, prejudiced behavior that clashes with our consciously held beliefs. Thankfully, science journalist Jessica Nordell is up for the challenge: in her debut book The End of Bias, she offers us a nuanced, compassionate perspective for how we can change biased behavior and radically remake our world. Those in need of hope or motivation as they embark on the necessary work of building more equitable organizations will benefit greatly from her science-driven talks.
Erin Meyer

INSEAD Professor | Author of The Culture Map and No Rules Rules

How can a company achieve worldwide success in more than 190 countries? Just ask Erin Meyer, a leading expert on the globalization of the workforce. In her new book No Rules Rules, she teams up with Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings to break down the unorthodox work culture that made the streaming titan one of the world’s most innovative companies. And in her previous book The Culture Map, she decodes the cultural differences that could make-or-break an organization’s success. Charismatic, savvy, and whip-smart, Meyer’s talks teach us the secret to effectively working together in a global marketplace.
 
 
Sukhinder Singh Cassidy

Founder of theBoardlist | Former President of StubHub | Author of Choose Possibility

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy is one of the most well-respected female tech executives in Silicon Valley. Named one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, she’s served as president of StubHub, helped scale companies like Google and Amazon, and founded theBoardlist: a premium talent marketplace for diverse leaders. But despite her many successes, she’s the first to admit her path hasn’t always been linear. In her new book Choose Possibility, Singh Cassidy reveals the many poor choices, misfires, and unexpected headwinds she’s encountered along her path—providing a thoughtful new perspective on risk-taking: what it is, what it isn’t, and how to master it to achieve lasting success. 
Alex Kantrowitz

Reporter and Founder of Big Technology | Author of Always Day One

How do the tech titans—Facebook, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft—stay on top? Alex Kantrowitz, one of the world’s most prolific tech reporters, has made it his mission to find out. In his debut book Always Day One, he explores the precedent-setting culture and leadership practices these companies have built to spark invention and move beyond the status quo. In his talks, Kantrowitz reveals how you, too, can use the tech titan playbook to invent and reinvent in a rapidly-changing economy.
Jonathan Brill

Futurist | Author of Rogue Waves: Future-Proof Your Business to Survive and Profit from Radical Change

Why do some companies handle radical systemic changes better than others? They have a strategy in place for making sense of the future, says Jonathan Brill. During his time as the Global Futurist at HP, Brill helped the iconic company prepare for the possibility of a pandemic, a takeover attempt, and a sudden market decline. The result was an excellent 2020 in the face of all three, while their competitors suffered huge blows. In his book Rogue Waves, Brill draws from his experience, using an evidence-based framework to help you capitalize on the economic, technological, and social undercurrents most likely to reshape the business world.
Ajay Agrawal

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning Expert | Founder of the Creative Destruction Lab | Co-Author of Prediction Machines

Humans are only so good at making predictions. But the AI we make to predict on our behalf, using all the perfect information we’ve trained into it? That’s on the brink of greatness, says economist Ajay Agrawal. Co-author of the definitive AI book Prediction Machines and founder of the Creative Destruction Lab, Agrawal’s talks illuminate the incoming realities of AI: how machine prediction presents us with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to optimize the way we do business, run governments, and provide healthcare.
Martin Ford

New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Robots and Rule of the Robots

How did AI advance from the realm of science fiction to today’s reality? And how should we prepare for its future? Martin Ford—a McKinsey award-winning author, software entrepreneur, and TED mainstage speaker—explains why our current plans for the robotics revolution fall short. In his new book Rule of the Robots, a follow-up to his New York Times bestseller Rise of the Robots, Ford shows us how AI, much like electricity before it, will soon become an essential mainstay in our lives—remaking every sphere of human activity in the process.
Dr. Helen Papagiannis

Augmented Reality Speaker and Author of Augmented Human

The power of AR resides in its capacity to amplify human possibility, says Dr. Helen Papagiannis. A world-leading expert in the field, and the bestselling author of Augmented Human, Papagiannis studies the cross-realities emerging in the world today. Augmented reality is no longer about technology—it’s about living in the real world. The coming metaverse is the next major platform where 3D environments, including AR, will amplify today’s Internet and offer alternative digital spaces for us to work, play, and socialize. Papagiannis’ talks lucidly explain these far-reaching implications, as well as show us how to design enriching, human-centered experiences for the future.
Adam Alter

New York Times Bestselling Author of Drunk Tank Pink and Irresistible

What makes us obsessively scroll through our phones, or binge-watch Netflix? There’s a fascinating psychology behind our addictive, tech-based behaviors, says Adam Alter. A New York Times bestselling author and Associate Professor of Marketing at NYU, Alter investigates the hidden forces shaping our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In the face of our current crisis, he shows us how we can navigate a radically different world—whether that’s through building consumer relationships in digital form, or using tech to our advantage in the new hybrid workplace.