Kevin Ashton
Kevin Ashton is a visionary technologist and an expert in digital transformation. He coined the term "the Internet of Things."The European Commission, the Chinese government, and the US National Intelligence Council all describe the Internet of Things as one of the major technologies of the 21st Century. In 2013, the term was added to the Oxford Dictionaries. He has been called "the father of the Internet of Things" by Newsweek; "a modern-day Johnny Appleseed" by Wired and "a man who will change the world" by RFID Journal.
He is the author of the How To Fly A Horse: The Secret History of Creation, Invention, and Discovery, which was described by the Toronto Post as "the last book about creativity you’ll ever need to read," and named the 800-CEO-READ Business Book of the Year for 2015. His writing about innovation and technology has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Politico, and Quartz.
Ashton doesn’t only talk about creativity and transformation he creates it. Kevin has a unique, real-world perspective on what it takes to build organizations that are innovative and how to achieve that in organizations that aren't.He co-founded the Auto-ID Center at MIT and took it from a converted broom closet to a global organization with six labs around the world,103 corporate sponsors, and over a hundred researchers. He has led three highly successful tech start-ups, most recently Zensi, which he co-founded and sold to Belkin.
He makes the complicated clear and simple using compelling, engaging true stories and case studies; always makes his audience laugh; and is always willing to tailor his lively, practical lectures to the specific needs of his audience.
Topics
The Future of the Internet of Things
The Internet of Things is the new era of computing, already worth tens of billions of dollars, soon to be worth trillions of dollars. It is a topic of fascination, controversy, and sometimes controversial worldwide. As the person who coined the term, and one of the founders of the field, Kevin is widely regarded as the world’s leading authority on the subject. In this talk he explains exactly what the Internet of Things is and why it is so important, discusses case studies of current successes from around the world, and describes what to expect in the immediate future. It’s an insightful, inspiring story grounded in the realities of modern business and technology that leaves audiences feeling informed and motivated about to use or develop Internet of Things technologies.
The Beautiful Future: What to Expect in the 21st Century
Kevin’s forthcoming book, “The Beautiful Future,” makes nine concrete predictions about amazing, positive things that will happen between now and 2099. At at time of growing pessimism about progress in almost all areas of life, he shows why hope and optimism are not only justified — they are rational, high probability responses. He describes some of the technologies being invented now, shows where they will lead us and how they will change society for the better, and uses examples and case studies from human history to demonstrate why the predictions are plausible, and perhaps even inevitable. This is an invigorating talk that leaves audience feeling positive, hopeful, and energized to be playing a part in what will likely be one of the most transformational, exciting eras of human history.
How To Fly A Horse: The Secrets of Creating, Inventing, and Discovering
Kevin’s book “How to Fly a Horse” has been described as “the most creative book about creativity” and "a book that will leave a positive, lasting impact on the life of a lone creative striver, on the thinking of the most traditional business practitioner, and on everyone in-between.” This is the talk based on the book. Kevin uses thoroughly researched, and often previous untold, true stories of creations and creators to show how creative behavior in science, technology, arts, engineering, and business all follow similar — and unexpected — patterns, before drawing practical conclusions that are valuable to individuals and organizations alike. It’s a validating talk that helps audiences better understand their own experiences of creating, and leaves them feeling empowered and inspired to go and make new things.
Custom Talks Focused On Technology and Innovation In Specific Industries and / or Nations
Kevin’s broad experience in technology and business around the world, coupled with the deep research skills he demonstrates as an author and journalist, means he can create compelling, insightful custom talks tailored for almost any industry and / or nation. If you really need a powerful, marquee-name keynote speaker to deliver a talk focused on your industry, region, or theme, he excels at creating a powerful, one-of-a-kind presentations to give your audience a fresh, outside, expert perspective on their business or local area.
