The Syndicate

Martin Ford is a futurist and the author of the bestselling, award-winning Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future, Architects of Intelligence: The Truth About AI from the People Building It and The Lights in the Tunnel, as well as the founder of a Silicon Valley-based software development firm. Martin’s written about the implications for future tech for publications including The New York Times, Fortune, Forbes, Harvard Business Review and dozens more and has appeared on shows like NPR, CNBC, CNN, Fox Business and PBS. He’s a frequent keynote speaker on the subject of accelerating progress in robotics and artificial intelligence—and what these advances mean for the economy, job market and society of the future. Listen and Learn: * How will automation affect capitalism, the economy, and society as a whole * Is UBI the answer or a NEEDED solution to an increasingly automated world * Why AI has the possibility to solve so many of the world’s largest problems * Will AI create or destroy more jobs in the long run * Why a universal basic income necessitates a more isolationist world * Could climate change and automation be the recipe for disaster * How do people find meaning in a jobless world * Is China’s social credit system an inevitable future for us all * How should we think about lethal autonomous weapons which save lives * Is AI bias actually a big deal * Which technologies is Martin most worried about Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Martin Ford is a futurist and the author of the bestselling, award-winning Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future, Architects of Intelligence: The Truth About AI from the People Building It and The Lights in the Tunnel, as well as the founder of a Silicon Valley-based software development firm. Martin’s written about the implications for future tech for publications including The New York Times, Fortune, Forbes, Harvard Business Review and dozens more and has appeared on shows like NPR, CNBC, CNN, Fox Business and PBS. He’s a frequent keynote speaker on the subject of accelerating progress in robotics and artificial intelligence—and what these advances mean for the economy, job market and society of the future. Listen and Learn: * How will automation affect capitalism, the economy, and society as a whole * Is UBI the answer or a NEEDED solution to an increasingly automated world * Why AI has the possibility to solve so many of the world’s largest problems * Will AI create or destroy more jobs in the long run * Why a universal basic income necessitates a more isolationist world * Could climate change and automation be the recipe for disaster * How do people find meaning in a jobless world * Is China’s social credit system an inevitable future for us all * How should we think about lethal autonomous weapons which save lives * Is AI bias actually a big deal * Which technologies is Martin most worried about Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Erica Duignan Minnihan is the founder and Managing Partner of 1000 Angels, the world’s largest digital-first, invitation-only elite investor network of curated, high-quality investment opportunities with ZERO carry. SAVE $500 OFF 1000Angels Exclusive Angel Investor Membership with this Link!   For more info about 1000Angels, but not to join, use this link. Erica’s also the founder of Reign Ventures, a VC fund focused on women and minority founders. Prior to 1000 Angels, she was a Managing Partner of CofoundersLab accelerator and a Managing Director of DreamIt Ventures, one of the top early-stage venture investors and accelerators. Erica also was an Executive Director of Golden Seeds, one of the top angel networks with offices in New York City, Boston and San Francisco. Listen and Learn: * What Erica looks for in startup investment * The value of angel networks for accredited investors * Why the product’s not important in investing * The ROI opportunity in underrepresented founders * What Erica learned working for DreamIt * Ways investors can learn the ins and outs of startup investing * How to avoid making the same mistake twice * When secondaries make sense, and when they don’t * Why investors don’t need operating experience * Which industries Erica’s most excited about and why Erica’s Projects: 1000Angels – SAVE $500 on membership with this link! Reign Ventures Erica’s LinkedIn Erica’s Twitter: @ericaminnihan Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Erica Duignan Minnihan is the founder and Managing Partner of 1000 Angels, the world’s largest digital-first, invitation-only elite investor network of curated, high-quality investment opportunities with ZERO carry. SAVE $500 OFF 1000Angels Exclusive Angel Investor Membership with this Link!   For more info about 1000Angels, but not to join, use this link. Erica’s also the founder of Reign Ventures, a VC fund focused on women and minority founders. Prior to 1000 Angels, she was a Managing Partner of CofoundersLab accelerator and a Managing Director of DreamIt Ventures, one of the top early-stage venture investors and accelerators. Erica also was an Executive Director of Golden Seeds, one of the top angel networks with offices in New York City, Boston and San Francisco. Listen and Learn: * What Erica looks for in startup investment * The value of angel networks for accredited investors * Why the product’s not important in investing * The ROI opportunity in underrepresented founders * What Erica learned working for DreamIt * Ways investors can learn the ins and outs of startup investing * How to avoid making the same mistake twice * When secondaries make sense, and when they don’t * Why investors don’t need operating experience * Which industries Erica’s most excited about and why Erica’s Projects: 1000Angels – SAVE $500 on membership with this link!

George Church @geochurch) is a professor of genetics at Harvard & MIT, director of the Personal Genome Project, co-author of 509 papers, 143 patent publications and developed methods used for the first genome sequence (1994) & million-fold cost reductions since. It is NO exaggeration to say George’s innovations have contributed to nearly all “next generation” DNA sequencing methods and companies; plus his lab’s work on chip-DNA-synthesis, gene editing, and stem cell engineering resulted in founding additional application-based companies spanning fields of medical diagnostics and synthetic biology/therapeutics (all of which has led to the creation of over 14 biotech companies he’s helped co-found George is the director of the IARPA BRAIN Project and NIH Center for Excellence in Genomic Science and his many honors include election to NAS and NAE and Franklin Bower Laureate for Achievement in Science. George is the author of Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves and now spends his free time trying to revive the Wholly Mammoth to combat climate change and save the world while remaining the foremost pioneer in the future of synthetic biology and genetic engineering. Listen and Learn: * The beginnings of the Human Genome Project and why in a lot of ways George thinks it was a waste of money * The future of genome sequencing and writing and where it’s headed * Why George isn’t hugely worried about genetic engineering leading to greater inequality * What scares George most in a world of synthetic biology * Why the best solutions to climate change are inevitably bio-based * How George’s team is working to revive mammoths to combat climate change * The importance of being guinea pig number one * Why we should be inspired but not limited by nature * The real risk of bioterrorism * How to get benefits from your DNA without exposing your results * The importance of gene editing on getting humanity to space Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.George Church @geochurch) is a professor of genetics at Harvard & MIT, director of the Personal Genome Project, co-author of 509 papers, 143 patent publications and developed methods used for the first genome sequence (1994) & million-fold cost reductions since. It is NO exaggeration to say George’s innovations have contributed to nearly all “next generation” DNA sequencing methods and companies; plus his lab’s work on chip-DNA-synthesis, gene editing, and stem cell engineering resulted in founding additional application-based companies spanning fields of medical diagnostics and synthetic biology/therapeutics (all of which has led to the creation of over 14 biotech companies he’s helped co-found George is the director of the IARPA BRAIN Project and NIH Center for Excellence in Genomic Science and his many honors include election to NAS and NAE and Franklin Bower Laureate for Achievement in Science. George is the author of Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves and now spends his free time trying to revive the Wholly Mammoth to combat climate change and save the world while remaining the foremost pioneer in the future of synthetic biology and genetic engineering. Listen and Learn: * The beginnings of the Human Genome Project and why in a lot of ways George thinks it was a waste of money

Steve Sammartino (@sammartino) is an entrepreneur, futurist, author and public speaker focused on finding the truth and creating the future. He has had multiple tech startups and launched one of the first sharing-economy startups Rentoid.com, before Uber or Airbnb, and sold the company to a public company. Steve now invests in emerging technologies and has multiple advisory board positions. He is heavily involved in the startup scene in Shanghai, a passion for the culture and even speaks Mandarin. Steve collaborated with Raul Oiada to launch the world’s first Lego Space Shuttle into space to an altitude of about 35,000 meters and developed the world’s first life-sized, drive-able Lego car with a compressed air-powered Lego engine. He’s also the author of The Lessons School Forgot and The Great Transition, both books which examine the future of technology, work and jobs., both books which examine the future of technology and work.   Listen and Learn: * How Steve sent a LEGO space shuttle into space on a shoestring budget with help from a random Skype connection * The power of problem-solving and learning on the fly to disrupt education * Why Steve is incredibly bullish on blockchain * What technologies Steve is most excited about and how they’ll transform our world * The importance of Amara’s Law and understanding technological adoption * Why social media is pushing our farther and farther apart and probably the biggest threat of all * Is AI good, bad or indifferent to humanity’s goals * Why space is the next frontier and the proliferation of smartphones makes new things possible * Why venture capital is such a negative and destructive force on the world * How Steve started the first sharing-economy startup and why it ultimately wasn’t a huge success * What Steve’s daughter learned growing a pizza * Which investment will pay the biggest dividends in the long run Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Steve Sammartino (@sammartino) is an entrepreneur, futurist, author and public speaker focused on finding the truth and creating the future. He has had multiple tech startups and launched one of the first sharing-economy startups Rentoid.com, before Uber or Airbnb, and sold the company to a public company. Steve now invests in emerging technologies and has multiple advisory board positions. He is heavily involved in the startup scene in Shanghai, a passion for the culture and even speaks Mandarin. Steve collaborated with Raul Oiada to launch the world’s first Lego Space Shuttle into space to an altitude of about 35,000 meters and developed the world’s first life-sized, drive-able Lego car with a compressed air-powered Lego engine. He’s also the author of The Lessons School Forgot and The Great Transition, both books which examine the future of technology, work and jobs., both books which examine the future of technology and work.   Listen and Learn: * How Steve sent a LEGO space shuttle into space on a shoestring budget with help from a random Skype connection * The power of problem-solving and learning on the fly to disrupt education * Why Steve is incredibly bullish on blockchain

Robin Hanson (@robinhanson)is an associate professor of economics at George Mason University, and research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute of Oxford University with a doctorate in social science from CalTech, master’s degrees in physics and philosophy from the University of Chicago. He has spent nine years as a research programmer, at Lockheed and NASA, has 3500 citations, 60 publications, 700 media mentions, and he blogs at OvercomingBias. Robin is also the author of The Elephant in the Brain – Hidden Motives in Everyday Life and co-authored The Age of Em – Work, Love and Life when Robots Own the World. Hanson is credited with originating the concept of the Policy Analysis Market, a DARPA project to implement a market for betting on future developments in the Middle East. Hanson also created and supports a proposed system of government called futarchy, where policies would be determined by prediction markets. Hanson is a man willing to challenge conventional wisdom/norms and has lately drawn criticism for his unconventional economics positions on sex, gender dynamics and problems with today’s society.   Listen and Learn: * Unconventional approaches to legal reform which just might work * How Robin proposes we fix America’s immigration problem * The sadistic yet serious future where your insurance company enforces the law * Ways to use prediction markets to create better outcomes * Why governments are outdated and often need a reset switch * The reason social signaling is one of the biggest problems in society * Separating facts and values and why it’s almost impossible * How true libertarianism could lead to Soviet-like surveillance and oppression * The truth about isolationism and innovation * Why governmental structure is making society more ineffective * An interesting approach to end the prison system Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Robin Hanson (@robinhanson)is an associate professor of economics at George Mason University, and research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute of Oxford University with a doctorate in social science from CalTech, master’s degrees in physics and philosophy from the University of Chicago. He has spent nine years as a research programmer, at Lockheed and NASA, has 3500 citations, 60 publications, 700 media mentions, and he blogs at OvercomingBias. Robin is also the author of The Elephant in the Brain – Hidden Motives in Everyday Life and co-authored The Age of Em – Work, Love and Life when Robots Own the World. Hanson is credited with originating the concept of the Policy Analysis Market, a DARPA project to implement a market for betting on future developments in the Middle East. Hanson also created and supports a proposed system of government called futarchy, where policies would be determined by prediction markets. Hanson is a man willing to challenge conventional wisdom/norms and has lately drawn criticism for his unconventional economics positions on sex, gender dynamics and problems with today’s society.   Listen and Learn: * Unconventional approaches to legal reform which just might work * How Robin proposes we fix America’s immigration problem * The sadistic yet serious future where your insurance company enforces the law * Ways to use prediction markets to create better outcomes

Jarl Jensen (@jarljensen) is an inventor, entrepreneur and best selling author. He served as President and CEO of EuroMed, Inc. from 2004 to 2009, has nine issued patents, with many more pending for medical devices which have grossed over $500 million dollars. Jarl’s the author of Optimizing America where he applied his out of the box thinking to America’s economy in the book and he’s also written various other non-fiction books examining the origins of power, wealth and democracy in the American political system. He’s now the CEO of Inventagon, an outsourced R&D company working to partner with tech players to license and development intellectual property and help bring them to market.   Listen and Learn: * The big problem with a Fed-controlled interest rate and economy * How to incentivize solutions to climate change while increasing the cost of pollution as well * Why debt-based banking is such a damaging and unsustainable model for our future * The cause of economic recessions and how we can engineer our economy to avoid it * Why the US wins with today’s debt-based USD banking system * What Jarl thinks about the future of healthcare and how to fix it * How banks have come to create a self-destructing model where they always win * Jarl’s unconventional approach to universal basic income and why it just might work * Why Jarl isn’t optimistic about blockchain * How automation will affect jobs and economic growth * Why greed is a result of the system and not an inherent human quality * The probable causes of the impending recession if we don’t change things fast Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Jarl Jensen (@jarljensen) is an inventor, entrepreneur and best selling author. He served as President and CEO of EuroMed, Inc. from 2004 to 2009, has nine issued patents, with many more pending for medical devices which have grossed over $500 million dollars. Jarl’s the author of Optimizing America where he applied his out of the box thinking to America’s economy in the book and he’s also written various other non-fiction books examining the origins of power, wealth and democracy in the American political system. He’s now the CEO of Inventagon, an outsourced R&D company working to partner with tech players to license and development intellectual property and help bring them to market.   Listen and Learn: * The big problem with a Fed-controlled interest rate and economy * How to incentivize solutions to climate change while increasing the cost of pollution as well * Why debt-based banking is such a damaging and unsustainable model for our future * The cause of economic recessions and how we can engineer our economy to avoid it * Why the US wins with today’s debt-based USD banking system * What Jarl thinks about the future of healthcare and how to fix it * How banks have come to create a self-destructing model where they always win * Jarl’s unconventional approach to universal basic income and why it just might work * Why Jarl isn’t optimistic about blockchain * How automation will affect jobs and economic growth * Why greed is a result of the system and not an inherent human quality * The probable causes of the impending recession if we don’t change things fast Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Gabriel Licina is a Molecular Biologist, Research Consultant, hardcore biohacker and the Chief Research Officer of Scihouse, a research-focused makerspace working to make science and technology accessible for everyone with a variety of classes on topics from programming and computer skills, to botany, chemistry, 3d printing and more. In 2015 Gabriel chemically induced night vision in his eyes with a controversial, yet successful experiment and is very active in the self-DIY movement. He’s also been very involved in the ecology and sustainable development spaces, serving as Biologist in Residence at Exosphere HQ. Listen and Learn: * Why CRISPR’s overhyped and still has a long way to go * The reason genetic engineering is so hard and yet so promising * Why Gabriel is hopeful, respectful and somewhat scared of gene drives * Where we are headed with gene editing and designer babies * How Gabriel and his team chemically induced night vision by studying deep-sea fish * A CRISPR solution to climate change and why all the tech in the world may not be enough * What Gabriel thinks about bioterrorism and its risks * How venture capital pollutes hobbyists and innovation * The problem with open-source biology and funding * What the future of healthcare looks like and where the power will rest * Why the FDA helps and hurts innovation and progress * How biohackers drive biotech and health science * The problem with the university route to fundamental science Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Gabriel Licina is a Molecular Biologist, Research Consultant, hardcore biohacker and the Chief Research Officer of Scihouse, a research-focused makerspace working to make science and technology accessible for everyone with a variety of classes on topics from programming and computer skills, to botany, chemistry, 3d printing and more. In 2015 Gabriel chemically induced night vision in his eyes with a controversial, yet successful experiment and is very active in the self-DIY movement. He’s also been very involved in the ecology and sustainable development spaces, serving as Biologist in Residence at Exosphere HQ. Listen and Learn: * Why CRISPR’s overhyped and still has a long way to go * The reason genetic engineering is so hard and yet so promising * Why Gabriel is hopeful, respectful and somewhat scared of gene drives * Where we are headed with gene editing and designer babies * How Gabriel and his team chemically induced night vision by studying deep-sea fish * A CRISPR solution to climate change and why all the tech in the world may not be enough * What Gabriel thinks about bioterrorism and its risks * How venture capital pollutes hobbyists and innovation * The problem with open-source biology and funding * What the future of healthcare looks like and where the power will rest * Why the FDA helps and hurts innovation and progress * How biohackers drive biotech and health science * The problem with the university route to fundamental science Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Eric Cole (@drericcole) is arguably the #1 cyber security expert in the US with a resume including the Obama administration, the CIA, the Gates Foundation and CTO of McAfee and was inducted into the 2014 InfoSecurity Hall of Fame. Eric is an expert in information technology, with a focus on secure network design, perimeter defense, penetration testing, vulnerability discovery, and intrusion detection systems. He has also authored many books, including Online Danger, Advanced Persistent Threat and many more, an inventor with more than 20 patents and the founder of Secure Anchor, an elite cybersecurity consulting firm.   Listen and Learn: * The importance of cybersecurity and why hacking always gets easier * What the CIA does when it comes to cyberwarfare * Why the US is actually one of the biggest perpetrators of hacking worldwide * What is the future of politics in a post-Trump world * Which monopoly scares Eric the most and why * How Alexa and smart home devices drive even greater surveillance and tyranny * Why Eric is terrified of autonomous vehicles and thinks they’re overhyped * How Eric views social media and our future * Why politicians probably can’t fix the cybersecurity threat * How to think about increased polarization * What Russia taught us about social media and influence * Is Huawei actually a threat to US infrastructure Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Eric Cole (@drericcole) is arguably the #1 cyber security expert in the US with a resume including the Obama administration, the CIA, the Gates Foundation and CTO of McAfee and was inducted into the 2014 InfoSecurity Hall of Fame. Eric is an expert in information technology, with a focus on secure network design, perimeter defense, penetration testing, vulnerability discovery, and intrusion detection systems. He has also authored many books, including Online Danger, Advanced Persistent Threat and many more, an inventor with more than 20 patents and the founder of Secure Anchor, an elite cybersecurity consulting firm.   Listen and Learn: * The importance of cybersecurity and why hacking always gets easier * What the CIA does when it comes to cyberwarfare * Why the US is actually one of the biggest perpetrators of hacking worldwide * What is the future of politics in a post-Trump world * Which monopoly scares Eric the most and why * How Alexa and smart home devices drive even greater surveillance and tyranny * Why Eric is terrified of autonomous vehicles and thinks they’re overhyped * How Eric views social media and our future * Why politicians probably can’t fix the cybersecurity threat * How to think about increased polarization * What Russia taught us about social media and influence * Is Huawei actually a threat to US infrastructure Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Rahaf Harfoush is a digital anthropologist, bestselling author and speaker researching the impacts of emerging technologies on our society and is focused on deep (and often hidden) behavioral shifts that are taking place within organizations and individuals in this digital era. She also teach Innovation and Disruptive Business Models at SciencePo’s Masters of Finance and Economics Program in Paris and is the author of Hustle & Float, The Decoded Company and Yes We Did! (an inside look at how Obama used social media to win in 2008. Rahaf’s also the Executive Director of the Red Thread Institute of Digital Culture, a thinktank and special projects agency focused on intersection of technology and culture. Listen and Learn: * The polarizing problem of social media and sharing * Why inequality is such a big deal * What Obama and Trump did effectively in their campaigns * The reason ADD is killing creativity * Why social media’s perfect for information warfare * How billionaires are breaking the world * Why protesting and media mobs may be the new norm * How to think about worker rights * What’s wrong with the gig economy and where it heads * How privacy is eroding faster than we realize * Why AI and automation could ruin society Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Rahaf Harfoush is a digital anthropologist, bestselling author and speaker researching the impacts of emerging technologies on our society and is focused on deep (and often hidden) behavioral shifts that are taking place within organizations and individuals in this digital era. She also teach Innovation and Disruptive Business Models at SciencePo’s Masters of Finance and Economics Program in Paris and is the author of Hustle & Float, The Decoded Company and Yes We Did! (an inside look at how Obama used social media to win in 2008. Rahaf’s also the Executive Director of the Red Thread Institute of Digital Culture, a thinktank and special projects agency focused on intersection of technology and culture. Listen and Learn: * The polarizing problem of social media and sharing * Why inequality is such a big deal * What Obama and Trump did effectively in their campaigns * The reason ADD is killing creativity * Why social media’s perfect for information warfare * How billionaires are breaking the world * Why protesting and media mobs may be the new norm * How to think about worker rights * What’s wrong with the gig economy and where it heads * How privacy is eroding faster than we realize * Why AI and automation could ruin society Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Ben Hammersley is a technologist, futurist author and Editor-at-Large of UK’s WIRED magazine. Ben explores the effects of the internet and the digital network on the world’s business, political and social atmospheres. His latest book, 64 Things You Need to Know Now For Then gives us the essential guide to the things we need to know for life in the 21st century. He’s the writer, host and narrator of Netflix and BBC television series Cybercrimes with Ben Hammersley that was shot in over six countries across the globe. As the first specialist correspondent on the internet for The Times and The Guardian, he became the inventor of the popular term, ‘podcast.’ Ben’s been called upon to advise three governments and countless tech organizations, including a seat on the European Commission High Level Group on Media Freedom of the European Union. He has a private pilot’s license, is a Rescue Diver, and is a nationally registered Emergency Medical Technician in the USA, with an additional wilderness medicine diploma, and he holds qualifications in genomic science, disaster response, and advanced cardiac life support   Listen and Learn: * How societal norms and social media breakdown without problem guidance * The future of publishing and media in an age of outreach * Why Ben thinks we can change politics and we’re both excited about the future for millenials * What it’s like as a futurist and why most companies are living in the past * The effect of GDPR and Europe’s rules and regulations * Why internet censorship is important and key to democracy * Is democracy or authoritarianism a better model going forward * Why Ben isn’t worried about AI and thinks blockchain is overrated * What happens when China becomes THE economic powerhouse of the world * How Ben accidentally invented the term podcast and why it’s haunted him ever since * What it’s like working with Netflix and the future of solo-media companies * Why Ben believes digital advertising is an enormous bubble Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Ben Hammersley is a technologist, futurist author and Editor-at-Large of UK’s WIRED magazine. Ben explores the effects of the internet and the digital network on the world’s business, political and social atmospheres. His latest book, 64 Things You Need to Know Now For Then gives us the essential guide to the things we need to know for life in the 21st century. He’s the writer, host and narrator of Netflix and BBC television series Cybercrimes with Ben Hammersley that was shot in over six countries across the globe. As the first specialist correspondent on the internet for The Times and The Guardian, he became the inventor of the popular term, ‘podcast.’ Ben’s been called upon to advise three governments and countless tech organizations, including a seat on the European Commission High Level Group on Media Freedom of the European Union. He has a private pilot’s license, is a Rescue Diver, and is a nationally registered Emergency Medical Technician in the USA, with an additional wilderness medicine diploma, and he holds qualifications in genomic science, disaster response, and advanced cardiac life support   Listen and Learn: * How societal norms and social media breakdown without problem guidance * The future of publishing and media in an age of ou...

Douglas Rushkoff is an author, teacher, and documentarian who studies human autonomy in a digital age. He has been named one of the “world’s ten most influential intellectuals” by MIT. Douglas’ work explores how different technological environments change our relationship to narrative, money, power, and one another. He coined such concepts as “viral media” and “social currency,” and has been a leading voice for applying digital media toward social and economic justice. Douglas is the author twenty books including bestsellers Present Shock, Throwing Rocks and the Google Bus, Program or Be Programmed, Life Inc, and Media Virus and is releasing his new book Team Human based off his podcast. He has written and hosted three award-winning PBS Frontline documentaries – The Merchants of Cool looked at the influence of corporations on youth culture, The Persuaders, about the cluttered landscape of marketing, and new efforts to overcome consumer resistance, and Digital Nation, about life on the virtual frontier. Most recently, he made Generation Like, an exploration of teens, marketers, and social media. Douglas is also a research fellow of the Institute for the Future, and founder of the Laboratory for Digital Humanism at CUNY/Queens, where he is a Professor of Media Theory and Digital Economics. His novels and comics, Ecstasy Club, A.D.D, and Aleister & Adolf, are all being developed for the screen. Douglas also served as an Advisor to the United Nations Commission on World Culture and regularly appears on TV shows from NBC Nightly News and Larry King to the Colbert Report and Bill Maher. Listen and Learn: * The reason billionaires are planning for the “inevitable” apocalypse and why that’s a big problem * How broken the US political system is and how we can fix it * The big issue with the stock market and venture capital and how we can reinvent business for the 21st century * Why our future is in our hands and what we can do about it * Which tech giants will get broken up and which will reign * The problems with social media and plans to fight back * How regulations affect business and monopolies and where we are headed * Why people are pushing back against tech and how it impacts our world * What Google’s walkout means for the future of tech * Why Douglas thinks companies are the key to changing our world * The reason Douglas is very worried about growing inequality * Why capital is the only thing that counts today * How to redesign our education system for the modern era Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Douglas Rushkoff is an author, teacher, and documentarian who studies human autonomy in a digital age. He has been named one of the “world’s ten most influential intellectuals” by MIT. Douglas’ work explores how different technological environments change our relationship to narrative, money, power, and one another. He coined such concepts as “viral media” and “social currency,” and has been a leading voice for applying digital media toward social and economic justice. Douglas is the author twenty books including bestsellers Present Shock, Throwing Rocks and the Google Bus, Program or Be Programmed, Life Inc, and Media Virus and is releasing his new book Team Human based off his podcast.

Kevin Surace (@kevinsurace) is a futurist and disruptive innovation speaker, creator of the first smartphone and digital assistant and innovator of the decade. Surace has disrupted every industry he has entered from communications to A.I. to clean energy, been named Inc. Magazine’s 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year, CNBC’s Innovator of the Decade, and inducted into RIT’s Innovation Hall of Fame. He helped develop soundproof drywall with lower carbon footprints and more energy-efficient windows to completely retrofit the Empire State Building and NYSE in record time and under budget, was the co-inventor of multivariate reverse auctions and has now turned his attention back to AI As CEO of Appvance.ai, Surace’s company is now disrupting the software testing industry by eliminating the need for human testers. He has a life outside technology as well and in his latest project “Big, Bold, and, Brassy,” Surace serves as conductor for a 28-piece orchestra featuring international jazz star Nicole Henry where they play selections of broadway and pop tunes for corporate events. Surace’s work has been featured in Businessweek, Time, Fortune, Forbes, CNN, ABC, MSNBC, and FOX News. He has keynoted hundreds of events, from INC5000 to 15 TED Talks to the US Congress and even been awarded 28 patents. Listen and Learn * How artificial intelligence will actually impact work * The earliest forms of digital assistants and why they weren’t entirely successful * Why Kevin is passionate about reducing construction emissions, and why it is literally 1/2 the problem * Where we are headed with respect to climate change * The reason we’re both worried about social media and political polarization * What is the future of work and will we have jobs * How to think about tariffs and trade * Who owns the autonomous vehicles of the future * Which companies win the autonomous vehicle race * Why AI will actually make our lives awesome * Why you may soon have a robotic chef in your kitchen Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Kevin Surace (@kevinsurace) is a futurist and disruptive innovation speaker, creator of the first smartphone and digital assistant and innovator of the decade. Surace has disrupted every industry he has entered from communications to A.I. to clean energy, been named Inc. Magazine’s 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year, CNBC’s Innovator of the Decade, and inducted into RIT’s Innovation Hall of Fame. He helped develop soundproof drywall with lower carbon footprints and more energy-efficient windows to completely retrofit the Empire State Building and NYSE in record time and under budget, was the co-inventor of multivariate reverse auctions and has now turned his attention back to AI As CEO of Appvance.ai, Surace’s company is now disrupting the software testing industry by eliminating the need for human testers. He has a life outside technology as well and in his latest project “Big, Bold, and, Brassy,” Surace serves as conductor for a 28-piece orchestra featuring international jazz star Nicole Henry where they play selections of broadway and pop tunes for corporate events. Surace’s work has been featured in Businessweek, Time, Fortune, Forbes, CNN, ABC, MSNBC, and FOX News. He has keynoted hundreds of events, from INC5000 to 15 TED Talks to the US Congress and even been awarded 28 patents...

Rebecca D Costa is an American sociobiologist and futurist and a recipient of the prestigious Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Technology Award. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, The Guardian, and other leading publications and here weekly column, THE FIX, is presently featured on Newsmax and on her site: rebeccacosta.com Costa was the founder and CEO of one of the largest technology marketing firms in California, where she developed an extensive track record of introducing disruptive, bleeding edge technologies for industry leaders like HP, Apple Computer, Oracle, Siebel Systems, General Electric, 3M, and others. Rebecca spent six years researching and writing the international bestseller The Watchman’s Rattle: A Radical New Theory of Collapse and her follow-on book On the Verge shot to the top of Amazon’s #1 New Business Releases. The success of The Watchman’s Rattle led to a popular weekly news program called The Costa Report which was syndicated throughout the United States until 2018. Listen and Learn: * How AI and predictive analytics shifts the balance of power * Why the future is becoming increasingly knowable * The truth about complexity and what it means for all of us * How evolution has primed people to fail today’s challenges * The big problems facing society and how to solve them * Why terrorism inevitably leads to Minority Report * The effect of CRISPR on human nature * How nano-bots will impact the future of healthcare and pharma * The reason Rebecca isn’t that worried about the existential risk * How to think about the future of politics and governments * Why we basically bonobos monkeys with better tech Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Rebecca D Costa is an American sociobiologist and futurist and a recipient of the prestigious Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Technology Award. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, The Guardian, and other leading publications and here weekly column, THE FIX, is presently featured on Newsmax and on her site: rebeccacosta.com Costa was the founder and CEO of one of the largest technology marketing firms in California, where she developed an extensive track record of introducing disruptive, bleeding edge technologies for industry leaders like HP, Apple Computer, Oracle, Siebel Systems, General Electric, 3M, and others. Rebecca spent six years researching and writing the international bestseller The Watchman’s Rattle: A Radical New Theory of Collapse and her follow-on book On the Verge shot to the top of Amazon’s #1 New Business Releases. The success of The Watchman’s Rattle led to a popular weekly news program called The Costa Report which was syndicated throughout the United States until 2018. Listen and Learn: * How AI and predictive analytics shifts the balance of power * Why the future is becoming increasingly knowable * The truth about complexity and what it means for all of us * How evolution has primed people to fail today’s challenges * The big problems facing society and how to solve them * Why terrorism inevitably leads to Minority Report * The effect of CRISPR on human nature * How nano-bots will impact the future of healthcare and pharma * The reason Rebecca isn’t that worried about the existential risk

Daniel Burrus is considered one of the world’s leading futurist speakers on global trends and innovation and The New York Times has referred to him as one of the top three business gurus in the highest demand as a speaker. Daniel is a strategic advisor to executives from Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft, GE, American Express, Google, Deloitte, Procter & Gamble, Honda, and IBM etc…, helping them to develop game-changing strategies based on his proven methodologies for capitalizing on technology innovations and their future impact. He is the author of seven books, including The New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller Flash Foresight, as well as the international best-seller Technotrends. His latest book, The Anticipatory Organization: Turn Disruption and Change Into Opportunity and Advantage is an Amazon #1 Hot New Release for Business Daniel has been the featured subject of several PBS television specials and has appeared on programs such as CNN, Fox Business, and Bloomberg, and is quoted in a variety of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Fortune, and Forbes and is a featured writer with millions of monthly readers on the topics of innovation, change and the future. His work has appeared in Harvard Business Review, Wired, CNBC, and Huffington Post to name a few. Daniel has founded six businesses, four of which were national leaders in the United States 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. Listen and Learn: * How hard and soft trends change the world * Why Daniel was able to predict major consumer tech breakthroughs decades before they happened * What areas of technology Daniel is most excited about and why * The reason Daniel is somewhat worried about CRISPR * How to think about disruption and positive disruption specifically * The reason some companies die and others thrive * How to spot big tech trends * Why Daniel avoids competition to crush it * Why not all trends pan out * The biggest mistake big companies make * Why Daniel thinks Apple has something big planned soon   Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Daniel Burrus is considered one of the world’s leading futurist speakers on global trends and innovation and The New York Times has referred to him as one of the top three business gurus in the highest demand as a speaker. Daniel is a strategic advisor to executives from Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft, GE, American Express, Google, Deloitte, Procter & Gamble, Honda, and IBM etc…, helping them to develop game-changing strategies based on his proven methodologies for capitalizing on technology innovations and their future impact. He is the author of seven books, including The New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller Flash Foresight, as well as the international best-seller Technotrends. His latest book, The Anticipatory Organization: Turn Disruption and Change Into Opportunity and Advantage is an Amazon #1 Hot New Release for Business Daniel has been the featured subject of several PBS television specials and has appeared on programs such as CNN, Fox Business, and Bloomberg, and is quoted in a variety of publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Fortune,

  Donald Hoffman (@donaldhoffman) is a cognitive scientist, popular author and Professor of Cognitive Science at UC Irvine. He studies how our visual perception, guided by millions of years of natural selection, authors every aspect of our everyday reality. Don has co-authored two technical books: Observer Mechanics: A Formal Theory of Perception which offers a theory of consciousness and its relationship to physics and Automotive Lighting and Human Vision which applies vision science to vehicle lighting. His newest book Visual Intelligence: How We Create What We See presents the modern science of visual perception to a broad audience. His new book, tentatively titled Do We See Reality?, to appear at the end of 2017, expands on his 2015 TED Talk and explains how our perceptions have evolved to hide reality from us. Hoffman has won the Distinguished Scientific Award from the American Psychological Association, the Troland Research Award of the National Academy of Sciences and the Rustum Roy Award of the Chopra Foundation. Listen and Learn: * How our perception differs from reality, big time * The nature of consciousness * Why we are what we see and believe * How your brain constructs an alternate universe * Possible problems with Darwin’s Theory of Evolution * Don’s mathematical definition of god * Why evolution doesn’t optimize for intelligence * How psychedelics actually impact our subjective reality * The hard problem and how to maybe solve it * Understanding the inner workings of science * Why physics is probably wrong and confusing * What we can learn from VR about real life * Why Don believed humans were just machines, and what he thinks now Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.  Donald Hoffman (@donaldhoffman) is a cognitive scientist, popular author and Professor of Cognitive Science at UC Irvine. He studies how our visual perception, guided by millions of years of natural selection, authors every aspect of our everyday reality. Don has co-authored two technical books: Observer Mechanics: A Formal Theory of Perception which offers a theory of consciousness and its relationship to physics and Automotive Lighting and Human Vision which applies vision science to vehicle lighting. His newest book Visual Intelligence: How We Create What We See presents the modern science of visual perception to a broad audience. His new book, tentatively titled Do We See Reality?, to appear at the end of 2017, expands on his 2015 TED Talk and explains how our perceptions have evolved to hide reality from us. Hoffman has won the Distinguished Scientific Award from the American Psychological Association, the Troland Research Award of the National Academy of Sciences and the Rustum Roy Award of the Chopra Foundation. Listen and Learn: * How our perception differs from reality, big time * The nature of consciousness * Why we are what we see and believe * How your brain constructs an alternate universe * Possible problems with Darwin’s Theory of Evolution * Don’s mathematical definition of god * Why evolution doesn’t optimize for intelligence * How psychedelics actually impact our subjective reality * The hard problem and how to maybe solve it