World's Top 30 Futurist Professionals for 2025

Guru #1

Dr. Mark van Rijmenam

Dr. Mark van Rijmenam is a strategic futurist known as The Digital Speaker. He is a true Architect of Tomorrow, bringing both vision and pragmatism to his keynotes. As a renowned global keynote speaker, a Global Speaking Fellow, and a 5-time author, he captivates Fortune 500 business leaders and governments globally.

He considers himself an optimistic dystopian, and he has a deep understanding of AI, blockchain, the metaverse, and other technologies. He blends academic rigour with technological innovation. Dr Van Rijmenam is celebrated for his candid, independent, and balanced insights.
Recognized by Salesforce as one of 16 must-know AI influencers, he combines forward-thinking insights with a balanced, optimistic dystopian view. With his pioneering use of a digital twin and his next-gen media platform Futurwise, Mark doesn’t just speak on AI and the future—he lives it, inspiring audiences to harness technology ethically and strategically. You can reach his digital twin via WhatsApp at: +1 (830) 463-6967

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Guru #2

Diana Wu-David

Diana Wu-David is a futurist, author, and thought leader focused on the future of work, leadership, and global change. A former Financial Times executive, she has spent her career helping organizations and individuals navigate the complexities of a rapidly evolving workforce. Her book, Future Proof: Reinventing Work in an Age of Acceleration, has inspired readers around the world to rethink their approach to career resilience, adaptability, and purpose. Through her work as a consultant and speaker, Wu-David collaborates with executives, entrepreneurs, and companies to create sustainable strategies for growth in a digital, globalized world.

In addition to her writing and consulting, Wu David is an educator who teaches at institutions like Columbia Business School and the University of Hong Kong. She is passionate about empowering leaders to embrace flexibility, foster innovation, and prioritize work-life balance in their teams and organizations. Known for her accessible and forward-thinking approach, Diana Wu David is recognized as a guiding voice for those seeking to thrive amid the uncertainties of the modern workplace and create a future that values both people and progress.

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Guru #3

Rohit Talwar

Rohit Talwar is a global futurist, award-winning keynote speaker, strategic advisor, author, and the CEO of Fast Future, delivering future insights, provoking radical thinking, and enhancing humanity’s prospects. He helps leaders in global corporations, entrepreneurs, investors, NGOs, and governments in over 70 countries anticipate and respond to future shaping forces and ideas. His core expertise is helping clients understand and shape the emerging future, focusing on advancing business, society, and individual lives by harnessing new thinking, innovation, and disruptive developments such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, the crypto economy, and human enhancement.

Rohit uses cross-disciplinary insights with clients to address challenges such as delivering the Sustainable Development Goals, building systemwide resilience, adapting to the crypto economy, and envisaging business futures in a ‘designed for digital’ world.

 

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Guru #4

Dr. Michio Kaku

Dr. Michio Kaku is a theoretical physicist, NY Times best-selling author, and a prominent futurist who currently holds the Henry Semat Professorship in Theoretical Physics at the City College of New York. In 1974, Dr. Kaku co-authored the first papers describing string theory in field theory form. He has since authored numerous textbooks on string theory and quantum field theory. He is widely recognized for his efforts to popularize science, writing multiple books, appearing in films, and hosting numerous TV science specials and a national weekly science radio show heard in 130 cities. A science policy advocate, Dr. Kaku has publicly discussed issues related to the anthropogenic causes of global warming, nuclear proliferation, and the misuse of science. BOOKS: Physics of the Future, Parallel Worlds, Hyperspace.

Kaku’s newest book, THE FUTURE OF THE MIND was released on February 25, 2014. Michio Kaku tackles the most fascinating and complex object in the known universe: the human brain.

THE FUTURE OF THE MIND brings a topic that once belonged solely to the province of science fiction into a startling new reality.

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Guru #5

John Sanei

John Sanei is a South African futurist, best-selling author, and keynote speaker dedicated to helping individuals and organizations prepare for an uncertain and fast-evolving future. With a focus on psychology, human behavior, and digital transformation, Sanei provides unique insights into how people and businesses can thrive amid disruptive changes. His books, including What’s Your Moonshot? and Magnetiize, explore topics like resilience, adaptability, and the mindset shifts needed to succeed in a volatile world, making him a guiding voice for those seeking to turn challenges into opportunities.

Known for his dynamic presentations, Sanei combines futurist thinking with practical strategies to inspire his audiences to embrace change and foster innovative thinking. He works globally with organizations and leaders, offering guidance on building future-ready cultures that prioritize collaboration, creativity, and adaptability. John Sanei’s work emphasizes the importance of mindset in navigating the modern world, encouraging leaders to cultivate curiosity and emotional intelligence to remain relevant and impactful in a rapidly shifting landscape.

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Guru #6

Calum Chace

For more than a decade, Calum has been a global keynote AI speaker, delivering insightful, entertaining, and inspirational talks, specialising in the future of AI and its impacts on all of us – our societies and our economies.

He is also one of the founders of Conscium, a startup aiming to develop indicators of machine intelligence, and aiming to scale neuromorphic computing.

Calum’s talks cover digital disruption, the future of jobs, the future of health, the impact on various economic sectors, and much more.

Calum has given talks on AI in 18 countries on five continents and is available for speaking engagements worldwide and virtually.

He has written four books on AI – two novels and two non-fiction – and numerous articles, many of which you can find on this website.

He co-hosts the London Futurist Podcast, a weekly series of 30-minute discussions about AI and related subjects like the use of data, longevity research, and the simulation hypothesis. They feature informed, articulate guests talking about a future which is exciting, but not immune to risk and disappointment.

Before becoming a full-time writer and speaker, Calum had a 30-year career in journalism and in business, as a marketer, a strategy consultant and a CEO. His talks are inspirational, but also grounded by the pragmatic realism developed during this career.

Calum studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford University, which confirmed his suspicion that science fiction is actually philosophy in fancy dress.

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Guru #7

Tracey Follows

Tracey Follows is a globally recognized futurist, named in the Global Gurus Top 30 Futurists for 2024 alongside William Gibson and Kevin Kelly, and listed in the Top 50 Female Futurists in Forbes. She is the founder and CEO of Futuremade, a strategic foresight consultancy partnering with brands like Virgin, Amazon, Google, and Coca-Cola to navigate the mega trends shaping tomorrow.

A sought-after keynote speaker, Tracey has engaged audiences at the United Nations, FT’s Global Boardroom and FTTech Live, Cannes Lions, and Fortune’s Brainstorm AI with her stage presence and actionable insights as she advises businesses and policymakers on the global trends transforming society and technology.

Her pioneering book, ‘The Future of You: Can Your Identity Survive 21st Century Technology?’, explores how emerging technologies are reshaping personal identity. Its themes are expanded in her award-winning podcast, which won Best Technology Show at the Independent Podcast Awards 2023.

Tracey has worked extensively with Big Tech including Meta, Amazon, Snapchat and Google – including on wearables with the Advanced Technology Group in MountainView, with Google Creative Labs, and presenting the Future of YouTube alongside Matt Brittin at AdWeek. She also did Future Visions with Richard Branson.

She is a Visiting Professor in Digital Futures & Identity at Staffordshire University and a guest lecturer at London Business School. She is a member of the World Academy of Art & Science, and writes a regular column on AI in Forbes.

Tracey is a trusted commentator for media outlets like the BBC, Times, and FT, and her work connects technological foresight with societal impact, helping organisations navigate uncertainty and seize opportunity.

Highlights:

  • Global Recognition: Top 50 Female Futurists in Forbes, Associate Fellow of World Academy of Art & Science
  • CEO of Futuremade: Guiding global brands and governments on emerging trends in technology, society and identity
  • Award-Winning Communicator: Best Technology Podcast Award, Guest Lecturer London Business School, Columnist at Forbes
  • Author of The Future of You: A groundbreaking exploration of technology and identity

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Guru #8

Ray Kurzweil

Ray Kurzweil is a world class inventor, thinker, and futurist, with a thirty-five-year track record of accurate predictions. He has been a leading developer in artificial intelligence for 61 years – longer than any other living person. He was the principal inventor of the first CCD flat-bed scanner, omni-font optical character recognition, print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, text-to-speech synthesizer, music synthesizer capable of recreating the grand piano and other orchestral instruments, and commercially marketed large-vocabulary speech recognition software. Ray received a Grammy Award for outstanding achievement in music technology; he is the recipient of the National Medal of Technology and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He has written five best-selling books including The Singularity Is Near and How To Create A Mind, both New York Times best sellers, and Danielle: Chronicles of a Superheroine, winner of multiple young adult fiction awards. His forthcoming book, The Singularity Is Nearer, will be released June 25, 2024. He is a Principal Researcher and AI Visionary at Google.

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Guru #9

Nikolas Badminton

Nikolas is the Chief Futurist for the Futurist Think Tank at futurist.com, a Fellow of The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (The RSA), and works with trillion-dollar companies, central banks, governments, startups and those willing to challenge our poverty of imagination, awaken curiosity and create incredible futures.

He has worked with hundreds of world-leading companies, including NASA, Google, Microsoft, United Nations, United Way, Bayer, Corteva, Bank of Canada,  American Express, AT&T, Thales International, Rolls Royce, Heineken, Procter & Gamble, Government of Canada, UK Home Office, Government of Cayman Islands, IDEO, and many more.

Nikolas has been a mainstay in the media for the past decade talking about our futures. He’s appeared in the ‘Smart Drugs’ documentary, was an advisor to the ‘Age of AI’ series with Robert Downley Jr and appears in the upcoming series ‘The Secrets of Big Data’ on Discovery. He appears regularly on SIRIUSXM, and on CTV’s Future Friday. His essential research has also been featured by the BBC, VICE, The Atlantic, Fast Company, Techcrunch, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Forbes, Sputnik, Venturebeat, and Global News. He also produces and interviews incredible thinkers on the renowned Exponential Minds Podcast.

In Fall 2022 Nikolas’ new book will be released – ‘Facing Our Futures’ provides executives and organizations with the foundations for futures design and the tools to imagine new futures, create bolder visions, anticipate unforeseen risks, and strengthen strategic planning. Nikolas’ thinking can also be seen in the opening chapter of ‘The Future Starts Now’. Both are published by Bloomsbury Business.

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Guru #10

Brett King

Brett King is a world-renowned futurist and speaker, an International Bestselling Author, and a media personality who covers the future of business. President Xi Jinping cited his book Augmented as an influence on the topic of Artificial Intelligence. His book Bank 4.0 was recognized as the Top Foreign Language Book in Russia for 2019. He has spoken in over 75 countries, at TED conferences, given opening keynotes for Wired, Techsauce, Singularity University, Web Summit, The Economist, IBM’s World of Watson, CES, SIBOS and more. He has appeared as a commentator on CNBC, BBC, ABC, Fox, and Bloomberg. He advised the Obama administration on Fintech policy and advises regulators and bank boards around the world on technology transformation.

King hosts the world’s #1 ranked podcast on Futurism called THE FUTURISTS, and the #1 Fintech podcast and Radio Show on FinTech called “Breaking Banks” (11m downloads, 180 countries). He is the Founder of Moven, the world’s first mobile challenger bank that pioneered major first for the industry including the first in-app bank account sign-up, the first real-time receipt, the first contactless payment capability and an app home page design that has been adopted by the industry at large. He sits on the boards of multiple Fintech, Technology and Banking related companies.

Named “King of the Disruptors” by Banking Exchange magazine, King was voted American Banker’s Innovator of the Year, voted the world’s #1 Financial Services Influencer by The Financial Brand and was nominated by Bank Innovation as one of the top 10 “coolest brands in banking”. He was shortlisted for the 2015 Advance Global Australian of the Year Award for being one of the most influential Australians living offshore. His books have been released in more than a dozen languages and he has achieved bestseller status in 20 countries. His book Augmented was a Top 10 Non-Fiction book in multiple markets. His book Bank 4.0 has remained on the Amazon Top-10 Bestseller’s list for Banking Books for five years.

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Guru #11

Daniel Burrus

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 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.

He is the author of seven books, including The New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller Flash Foresight, and his latest book The Anticipatory Organization is an Amazon #1 bestseller.

Burrus is also a featured writer with millions of monthly readers on the topics of disruptive innovation, exponential change and the future for a variety of publications including CNBC, Huffington Post, and Wired Magazine.

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.

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 and the Anticipatory Organization® Business Model now being used by leading organizations worldwide. His award-winning learning systems, Anticipatory Leader® and Anticipatory Organization®, are results driven and are being used by many of the most innovative organizations worldwide.

His accurate predictions date back to the early 1980s where he became the first and only futurist to accurately identify the twenty exponential technologies that would become the driving force of business and economic growth for decades to come. 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.

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Guru #12

Michael McQueen

Michael McQueen is an Australian futurist, change strategist and 10-time bestselling author renowned for his expertise in navigating change and staying relevant in an era of rapid transformation. With over two decades of research and experience, McQueen has become a trusted advisor to leaders of Fortune 500 brands, helping them anticipate shifts and adapt to emerging trends. His books, including Mindstuck, Winning the Battle for Relevance, and Preparing Now for What’s Next, explore the mindset and strategies necessary to stay at the cutting edge and have become essential resources for leaders seeking to future-proof their businesses.

As a highly sought-after keynote speaker, McQueen has presented to over 500,000 people across 5 continents sharing the stage with the likes of Bill Gates, Mel Robbins and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. Having previously been named Australia’s keynote speaker of the year, Michael has been inducted into the professional speaker’s Hall of Fame. Known for his engaging style and actionable advice, he equips leaders with practical tools to foster resilience, innovation, and adaptability within their teams. Michael McQueen’s work continues to empower individuals and organizations to evolve with confidence and embrace opportunities in an ever-changing landscape.

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Guru #13

Dion Chang

Dion Chang will make you think differently. He is a professional cage rattler, a strategic thinker, a keynote speaker, and a walking ideas bank.

He is one of South Africa’s most respected trend analysts and founder of Flux Trends which takes the unique view of “trends as business strategy”. Flux Trends specialises in identifying unexpected business opportunities within shifting trends, and specifically the impact of disruptive technologies across all industries, ensuring that global trends have relevance when translated for African, and South African businesses.

Dion is passionate about assisting companies to embrace change and embedding a culture of innovation into corporate operating systems. Businesses facing change and struggling to adapt to a new world order turn to him to help them navigate the complex terrain.

These qualities serve him well in the new role he has added to his portfolio, that of ‘an end-of-life companion doula’. As such he will provide the terminally ill and their families with support, guidance and companionship. This new role aligns with his business practice – after all end-of-life is not necessarily about physical death but the death of old ideas and the birth of new ones. For businesses struggling to re-invent themselves, Dion will help identify the blind spots and ask the difficult and uncomfortable questions that growth requires.

He lectures and has conducted Foresight and Innovation Implementation modules for executives and senior management at various business schools, including GIBS, UCT’s Graduate School of Business and Duke CE. He has devised and hosted three trend conferences, published three trend books and continues to sit on the advisory board of the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment at WITS.

Apart from being an information source for cross-industry trends for many journalists, he also writes columns for City Press and Acumen (a C-suite business quarterly for GIBS).

His 20-year experience in the media industry, as a journalist and media spokesperson, enables him to provide insights into the ever-changing relationship between brands, consumers and the communication channels that bind them.

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Guru #14

Liselotte Lyngso

Liselotte Lyngsø is a Founding Partner in Future Navigator. She is likely to be one of the most inspiring and enthusiastic persons you will ever meet. Her ability to create powerful images and inspire people to align towards shared goals is mind-blowing. She will spin your head around and show you possibilities, that you never even dreamed of. Yet she will never leave you in the unknown – if you are honest about building a better tomorrow. Her big passion in life is to train people to visualise the future.

For more than 18 years, Liselotte has travelled the world as a keynote speaker and moderator. Liselotte is a valued consultant for several global organizations and companies. She has recently been appointed to the Lifeboat Foundation – Safeguarding Humanity as a futurist advisor. Also, she is in the prestigious group of international thought leaders who will select the topics and inform the production of the NMC Technology Outlook. She is a Board Member of Specialisterne – enabling a million jobs for people with autism.

Liselotte Lyngsø is working with systematic trendspotting via strategic partnerships with Supertrends, and The Futures Agency

Visiting New Zealand Ministry of Transport – When will Smart Cities and cars be smart?

As a moderator, she offers follow-up interviews with the speakers. Listen to this debate on autonomous cars in Radio New Zealand -the country which is now experimenting with flying cars!

In her previous life, Liselotte was the Managing Director of Fahrenheit 212 – An Ideas Company owned by Saatchi & Saatchi. Before that, she worked at IKEA’s scenario planning division and for 8 years she was Director of Research at the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies (CIFS). Before that, Liselotte worked at the European Commission’s Forward Studies Unit.

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Guru #15

William Gibson

William Gibson is a renowned American-Canadian speculative fiction writer, often hailed as the father of “cyberpunk.” Born in South Carolina in 1948, Gibson moved to Canada during the Vietnam War and eventually settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he began writing his groundbreaking works. In 1984, he published Neuromancer, a novel that defined cyberpunk as a genre and introduced concepts like “cyberspace,” a term he coined and which has since become integral to discussions of digital culture and technology. His work has influenced not only science fiction literature but also fields like technology, design, and pop culture.

Throughout his career, Gibson has explored themes of dystopia, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality, often examining the intersections between humanity and the ever-evolving digital landscape. His novels, including Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, and later works like Pattern Recognition, delve into the effects of technology on society and individual identity. Gibson’s forward-thinking perspectives on digital culture have made him an influential figure, inspiring generations of writers, filmmakers, and technologists to envision futures shaped by the interplay of humanity and machine.

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Guru #16

Peter Diamandis

Peter is a serial entrepreneur, futurist, technologist, New York Times Bestselling Author, and the founder of over 25 companies. Fortune magazine has named Peter ‘one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders’. He is the Founder and executive chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation which has launched over $400 million of incentive competitions, driving more than $4 billion in R&D (most recently launching the $100 million Gigaton Carbon XPRIZE funded by Elon Musk to combat climate change). Peter’s venture fund, BOLD Capital Partners is deploying $600M+ into exponential technologies and health-biotech. Diamandis has written six books including four New York Times bestsellers, and his life’s mission is to empower entrepreneurs to create a hopeful, compelling and abundant future for humanity. Diamandis received his B.S. and M.S. from MIT and his MD from Harvard Medical School.

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Guru #17

Ross Dawson

Ross Dawson is an internationally recognized futurist, strategy advisor, and author known for his expertise in helping organizations navigate change and anticipate the future of business and society. With over two decades of experience, Dawson has worked with leading corporations and governments around the world, offering insights on digital transformation, the future of work, and emerging technologies. His best-selling books, including Living Networks, explore the power of connected technologies and the social and economic shifts they drive, establishing Dawson as a thought leader in networked organizations and future trends.

As a sought-after keynote speaker, Dawson is known for his engaging, forward-thinking presentations that combine practical advice with visionary insights on what lies ahead. He frequently shares his expertise on topics such as artificial intelligence, platform economics, and organizational agility, equipping leaders with the tools to stay competitive and resilient in a rapidly evolving world. Ross Dawson’s work emphasizes the importance of embracing change and cultivating strategic foresight, making him a trusted guide for organizations seeking to harness future possibilities and thrive in an era of transformation.

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Guru #18

Gerd Leonhard

Gerd Leonhard

As humanity rushes headlong into a world first served and soon dominated by technology, futurism has become a burning issue for everyone, not just visionaries and geeks. Gerd Leonhard blends humanism with futurism to create manifestos and creative non-fiction that dramatically widens the franchise and audience for near-future exploration. His new book – Technology vs. Humanity – is a breakthrough work of provocation that alerts the world to the imminent ethical and moral choices we will all have to confront much sooner than expected.

A musician and creative by background, Leonhard has spent fifteen years living in the future, applying his insights and practical wisdoms to present-day dilemmas from the erosion of work life to the epidemic of digital obesity that threatens to destroy a generation. Founder of The Futures Agency, Gerd Leonhard travels the world delivering customized advice to enterprise and public organizations of all kinds – helping them to both understand their future choices and discover their ‘true future’.

Gerd’s books and essays are supported by an increasing array of multi-media features, including films and webisodes from his own boutique film studios. Together with the The Futures Agency advisory and speaking tours, these media properties constitute a unique quarry of groundbreaking insights for individuals and organizations in transformation. Besides Technology vs. Humanity, Gerd’s other books include The Future of Content, Friction is Fiction, and the bestselling title The Future of Music. He also contributed a key chapter to The Future of Business, edited by Rohit Talwar.

A member of the Royal Society for the Arts (London) as well as the World Future Society, Gerd’s client list includes Consumers International, YouTube, Nokia, The Guardian, Google, Sony-BMG, Telkom Indonesia, Siemens, RTL, ITV, the BBC, France Telecom, Orange, Deutsche Telekom, MTN, The Financial Times, DDB / TribalDDB, Ogilvy, Omnicom, the European Commission along with many other notable organizations.

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Guru #19

Amy Webb

Amy Webb is a prominent futurist, professor, and author known for her work in strategic foresight and predictive analysis. As the founder of the Future Today Institute, she advises governments, businesses, and institutions on how to anticipate and prepare for emerging technologies and trends that will shape the future. Webb’s best-selling books, including The Signals Are Talking: Why Today’s Fringe Is Tomorrow’s Mainstream, provide frameworks for identifying and understanding signals of change, helping leaders navigate uncertainty and make informed decisions. Her expertise has earned her recognition as a thought leader in artificial intelligence, biotech, and digital media.

In addition to her consulting and writing, Webb teaches at New York University’s Stern School of Business, where she guides the next generation of leaders in developing a forward-thinking approach to innovation. Known for her rigorous, data-driven methodologies, she has become a trusted advisor to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies around the world. Amy Webb’s work emphasizes the importance of strategic thinking in a world of rapid change, inspiring audiences to adopt a proactive mindset toward technology and the future.

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Guru #20

Ramez Naam

Ramez Naam is a futurist, technologist, and best-selling author recognized for his work on energy, climate change, and the future of technology. With a background in computer science and a career spanning over a decade at Microsoft, where he contributed to projects in artificial intelligence and search technology, Naam brings a scientific and technical perspective to his work on global challenges. His acclaimed science fiction series, including Apex: Nexus Trilogy Book 3 (Nexus Arc), explores the possibilities and ethical dilemmas of human augmentation and biotechnology, blending thrilling narratives with insights into the potential impacts of emerging technologies on society.

In addition to his writing, Naam is a sought-after speaker and consultant, advising organizations and governments on the future of energy, biotechnology, and environmental policy. His visionary approach is grounded in optimism, encouraging audiences to embrace the possibilities that technology offers for addressing humanity’s most difficult problems. Through his talks and writing, Ramez Naam inspires leaders to consider forward-thinking, sustainable strategies that harness technology’s power to create a more resilient and prosperous future.

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Guru #21

Kevin Kelly

Kevin Kelly is a renowned futurist, author, and co-founder of Wired magazine, known for his influential insights into technology, digital culture, and the future of human-technology interaction. With a career spanning several decades, Kelly has explored the impact of emerging technologies on society and has become a thought leader in fields like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the internet’s evolution. His best-selling books, including The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future, examine the ways in which technological advancements will continue to reshape our lives, offering readers a roadmap for navigating the future.

Kelly’s work emphasizes the symbiotic relationship between humans and machines, encouraging readers and audiences to view technology as an empowering force for creativity and innovation. Through his writings, talks, and contributions to Wired, he has inspired countless entrepreneurs, thinkers, and creators to consider the broader implications of technology on personal and professional life. Known for his optimistic yet realistic perspective, Kevin Kelly has become a guiding voice for those eager to understand and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

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Guru #22

Faith Popcorn

Faith Popcorn, best-selling author of EVEolution, Clicking, The Popcorn Report, and most recently Dictionary of the Future, is founder of Faith Popcorn’s BrainReserve, the futurist marketing consultancy she established in 1974. The New York Times has called her “the trend oracle,” and she is recognized as America’s foremost Trend expert.

As key strategist for Faith Popcorn’s BrainReserve, Faith applies her insight into cultural and business Trends to help BrainReserve clients reposition established brands or companies, develop new products, and define areas of new business opportunity. She is a trusted advisor to the Fortune 500 including such companies as American Express, Bel Group, Campbell’s Soup, CitiBank, Discovery Communications, Dunkin’ Donuts, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg’s, KFC, PepsiCo, Mars, SC Johnson, and Tylenol. With a documented 95% accuracy rate Faith predicted the demand for fresh foods and four-wheel drives, as well as the spiritual tenor of the millennium (Trend: “Anchoring”).

Faith is a graduate of New York University and New York’s High School of Performing Arts. She has two adopted daughters from China, a 13-year-old and 7-year-old.

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Guru #23

Rafael Popper

Rafael is our foresight guru – a powerhouse of intellect, creativity, and leadership, whose impact is felt far beyond the walls of the company. A true trailblazer in his industry, a big-picture thinker, but also a master of the details. His mind is as sharp as a freshly sharpened pencil, and his unwavering confidence allows him to fearlessly navigate any challenge. However, beneath his formidable exterior lies a delightful sense of humour, making him an absolute joy to collaborate with. With an ethos of “work hard, play hard,” he seamlessly balances his fierce ambition with a light-hearted approach, creating an inspiring and enjoyable work environment.

Dr. Popper is Founder, Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA), and Co-Director of Futures Capacity at Futures Diamond Ltd (UK). He is also Adjunct Professor in Futures Studies, Foresight and Innovation Management at the Finland Futures Research Centre of the University of Turku (Finland), and has been Director of several Executive Education courses on Foresight at the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (MIOIR) of the University of Manchester (UK).

Dr. Popper is also Co-Founder and Director of the Centre for Foresight and Internationalisation at Technology Partners in Poland (TP-CFI). This new Research Centre, established in an independent non-profit RTO with over two decades of track record in successful collaborative research at European and global levels, succeeds the pilot and award-winning Łukasiewicz – Centre for Foresight and Internationalisation (CFI), which was also founded and led by Dr. Popper for the mainly government-funded Łukasiewicz Research Network until May 2023.

Dr. Popper was also Principal Scientist in Business, Innovation and Foresight at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. (2016-2021) and Principal Investigator in several research and technology development (RTD) projects while working at the University of Manchester from 2002-2017. He has won a few awards, including two Emerald Literati Awards for Outstanding and Highly Commended Papers and one Economics Award on ‘Breakthrough Solution’ for creating the Centre for Foresight and Internationalisation in Poland.

Dr. Popper has over 20 years of experience working as foresight and innovation policy consultant for several international organizations including the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), European Commission, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank, and for several public and private organisations in Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Middle East.

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Guru #24

Gihan Perera

Gihan Perera is a business futurist, conference speaker, AI researcher, and author who shows you how to be fit for the future in a fast-changing world.

For more than 25 years, he has worked with organisations and leaders throughout Australia and the world, helping them to lead in uncertainty, act with clarity and confidence, and thrive in a fast-changing world.

He is the author of DisruptedDisruption By DesignThe Future of Leadership, and ten other books.

Through his keynote presentations, interactive masterclasses, and in-depth leadership programs, he shares future trends and thought-provoking insights – delivered with interaction, engagement, and humour – that leave people feeling positive, empowered, and optimistic about their future.

He has always taken the lead in embracing emerging technologies and trends, from his university thesis in AI more than 30 years ago, to leading a software development team building the infrastructure for the early Internet, founding one of Australia’s first Web development companies in 1996, teaching thought leaders how to create e-learning platforms, and helping business leaders with scenario planning to lead their teams into the future.

Gihan is one of Australia’s leading online presenters, and has been delivering online presentations since 2009. Citrix (the company behind GoToWebinar) engaged him to teach their clients around the world how to run better online presentations. Garr Reynolds, author of the world-renowned bestseller Presentation Zen, asked him to write the online presentations section for the book.

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Guru #25

Ian Khan

Ian Khan, a.k.a “The Futurist”, is an emerging technology futurist featured on CNN, BBC, Bloomberg, Fast Company. Ian is the author of the highly anticipated “Metaverse for Dummies” the first comprehensive explainer for the Metaverse. Ian also created the Future Readiness Operating System (FROS™) and the Future Readiness Score(FRS™), used by leading organizations as a tool for Future Readiness.

Ian is an authority on Web3, Metaverse Security and speaks about Digital Transformation through Algorithms, Robotics, Automation and Blockchain. Ian has also produced several critically acclaimed documentaries available on Prime Video, Emirates Airlines and leading streaming platforms. A highly sought after Future Readiness pioneer, Ian is an energetic keynote speaker sharing his insights with audiences worldwide ,virtually and in person.

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Guru #26

Braden Kelley

Braden Kelley is a distinguished author, speaker, and consultant specializing in human-centered design, innovation, and transformation. He serves as the Customer Experience and Innovation Solution Director at HCL Technologies, where he guides organizations in navigating change and fostering innovation.

As the creator of the FutureHacking™ methodology, Braden empowers individuals and organizations to anticipate and shape future trends. This approach demystifies futurology, making strategic foresight accessible to professionals across various industries.

Braden is also the author of two influential books: “Stoking Your Innovation Bonfire” and “Charting Change,” which offer practical guidance on building innovative cultures and managing organizational transformation.

Through his engaging keynotes, workshops, and publications, Braden Kelley continues to inspire leaders to embrace change and proactively design their futures.

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Guru #27

José Luis Cordeiro

José Luis Cordeiro Mateo, born on April 1, 1962, in Caracas, Venezuela, is a Venezuelan-Spanish engineer, economist, futurist, and transhumanist. He has worked in areas including economic development, international relations, Latin America, the European Union, monetary policy, comparison of constitutions, energy trends, cryonics, and life extension.

Cordeiro studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, USA, where he received his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) and Master of Science (M.Sc.) degrees in Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in Economics and Languages.

He is the founder of the International Longevity Summit, vice-chair of HumanityPlus, and a director of The Millennium Project. He has also served as a founding faculty member and energy advisor at Singularity University in NASA Research Park, Silicon Valley.

Cordeiro has authored several books, including “The Great Taboo,” “Constitutions Around the World: A Comparative View from Latin America,” and “La Muerte de la Muerte” (“The Death of Death”).

Through his extensive work and publications, José Luis Cordeiro continues to influence discussions on future studies, technological advancement, and human enhancement.

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Guru #28

Mike Walsh

Mike Walsh is the CEO of Tomorrow, a global consultancy on designing companies for the twenty-first century. He advises leaders on how to thrive in the current era of disruptive technological change.

A true global nomad, Mike travels over 300 days a year worldwide, researching trends, collecting case studies, and presenting on the future of business. Mike’s clients include many of the global Fortune 500, and as a sought-after keynote speaker he regularly shares the stage with world leaders and business icons alike. Mike previously founded Jupiter Research in Australia, and has also held senior strategy roles at News Corporation in the Asia Pacific region.

Mike’s books include The Algorithmic Leader, Futuretainment and The Dictionary of Dangerous Ideas. Each week he interviews provocative thinkers, innovators, and troublemakers on his podcast, Between Worlds.

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Guru #29

David Houle

David Houle is a futurist, thinker and speaker. Houle spent more than 20 years in media and entertainment. He has worked at NBC, CBS and was part of the senior executive team that created and launched MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1 and CNN Headline News

Houle has won a number of awards. He won two Emmys, the prestigious George Foster Peabody award and the Heartland award for “Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream”. He was also nominated for an Academy Award.

Houle is consistently ranked as one of the top futurists and futurist keynote speakers on the major search engines and in the world today. In the last three years he has delivered keynotes on six continents and twelve countries. He is often called “the CEOs’ Futurist” having spoken to or advised 2,000+ CEOs and business owners in the past four years.

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In February 2010 he also became a featured contributor to Oprah.com and his column can be found at www.oprah.com/davidhoule

His first book, the influential and highly acclaimed “The Shift Age” was published in 2008. His second book, “Shift Ed: A Call to Action for Transforming K-12 Education” was published in April 2011 by Corwin. His third book, “The New Health Age: the Future of Healthcare and Medicine in America” was published by Sourcebooks in December 2011 and became a #1 category best seller on Amazon. . His fourth book, “Entering the Shift Age” was published by Sourcebooks in January 2013 and reached #1 best seller in the category of Business Planning and Forecasting. He published a short eBook “Is Privacy Dead? The Future of Privacy in the Digital Age” in November 2013

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Guru #30

Christopher Ahlberg

Christopher Ahlberg is a renowned futurist, entrepreneur, and cybersecurity expert known for his innovative work in intelligence analytics and data visualization. Originally from Sweden, Ahlberg earned his Ph.D. in computer science from Chalmers University, specializing in human-computer interaction. He went on to establish his first company, Spotfire, in 1996, which revolutionized data visualization across industries and was later acquired by TIBCO Software in 2007.

In 2008, Ahlberg founded Recorded Future, a cybersecurity firm that uses machine learning and natural language processing to provide real-time threat intelligence. Under his leadership, Recorded Future became a major player in threat detection, helping organizations anticipate risks with proactive insights. The company’s technology has been widely adopted by intelligence agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and government organizations. In 2019, Recorded Future was acquired by Insight Partners for $780 million.

Ahlberg is also a thought leader in cybersecurity and predictive analytics, frequently speaking at industry events and advocating for the responsible use of technology. His vision centers on the integration of AI to transform cybersecurity and data privacy, emphasizing transparency and resilience in a rapidly digitizing world. Ahlberg’s contributions have influenced global digital security, and he continues to drive innovation in the tech community as a mentor and investor, shaping the future of intelligence and analytics with a focus on ethical, actionable insights.

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