The Syndicate

Matthew is a seasoned growth-stage tech investor and career VC and General Partner at Canada based Plaza Ventures, focused on deal flow, ecosystem development and investor relations that sits on the board of numerous companies, accelerators, and charities. Before that, at B.E.S.T. Funds, Matthew oversaw dozens of growth-tech finance investments with consistent double-digit returns and co-created multiple funds. He’s also a Board Member of the Canadian Venture Capital Association, a member of the MaRS IAF Investment Committee, Co-Chair of the CIX Top 20 Awards Committee and Mentor at Techstars Toronto Accelerator and Creative Destruction Lab. Matthew is also an Advisor at NEXT Canada, where he mentors young entrepreneurs in building their own ventures. He is a frequent public speaker and guest lecturer on tech start-ups and Venture Capital, as well as an active angel investor.   Listen and Learn: * Why Plaza Ventures doesn’t do management fees and does WAY more GP infused capital * The effect of Trump’s policy on Canadian startup exits * Why Toronto’s startup ecosystem is skyrocketing * Matthew thoughts on clean tech and why smart cities are a big focus * What are the strengths and challenges of a career VC * How Toronto compares to other tech hubs in terms of talent * The reason Plaza focuses on smaller exits and cashflowing companies * How governments can help rather than hurt innovation * Why Canada’s immigration policy helps attract talent * How much US investors are investing in Canadian startups * Why there haven’t been any massive Canadian exits to date Matthew’s Projects: Plaza Ventures Matthew’s Angellist profile Matthew’s LinkedIn Matthew’s Twitter: @m_leibowitz Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Matthew is a seasoned growth-stage tech investor and career VC and General Partner at Canada based Plaza Ventures, focused on deal flow, ecosystem development and investor relations that sits on the board of numerous companies, accelerators, and charities. Before that, at B.E.S.T. Funds, Matthew oversaw dozens of growth-tech finance investments with consistent double-digit returns and co-created multiple funds. He’s also a Board Member of the Canadian Venture Capital Association, a member of the MaRS IAF Investment Committee, Co-Chair of the CIX Top 20 Awards Committee and Mentor at Techstars Toronto Accelerator and Creative Destruction Lab. Matthew is also an Advisor at NEXT Canada, where he mentors young entrepreneurs in building their own ventures. He is a frequent public speaker and guest lecturer on tech start-ups and Venture Capital, as well as an active angel investor.   Listen and Learn: * Why Plaza Ventures doesn’t do management fees and does WAY more GP infused capital * The effect of Trump’s policy on Canadian startup exits * Why Toronto’s startup ecosystem is skyrocketing * Matthew thoughts on clean tech and why smart cities are a big focus * What are the strengths and challenges of a career VC * How Toronto compares to other tech hubs in terms of talent * The reason Plaza focuses on smaller exits and cashflowing companies * How governments can help rather than hurt innovation * Why Canada’s immigration policy helps attract talent * How much US investors are investing in Canadian startups

Daniel Burrus (@danielburrus) 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 (@danielburrus) 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,

David Orban is an entrepreneur, author, keynote speaker and the Founder and Managing Partner of Network Society Ventures, a seed stage global investment firm focused on innovative startups at the intersection of exponential technologies and decentralized networks. An early adopter of blockchain and an active Bitcoin investor since 2010, he was the first to own Ether during the Ethereum launch in 2014. He also led the adoption of Bitcoin and blockchain in start-ups and is an advisor and investor in numerous blockchain companies and funds, such as Blockchain Capital, Bancor, Swarm Fund, and others. David was the keynote speaker at the first Ethereal Summit in May 2017 in New York and is the Founder and a Trustee of Network Society Research, a London-based global think tank present in over 40 countries focused on decentralized exponential technologies disrupting governments and corporations. He is a mentor for the Thiel Fellowship, a Scientific Advisory Board Member for the Lifeboat Foundation on the Faculty of and an advisor to the Singularity University, an investor in the Singularity University Labs Accelerator Fund (now SU Ventures), President of SingularityU Italy Summit and an advisor to Humanity+. David is a sought-after speaker, he has given over 100 keynote addresses and speeches around the world for organizations including Abbvie, Cisco, Oracle, Roche, Ernst & Young, Accenture, Gilead, TEDx Academy, Alphabet and others and blogs at davidorban.com In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: * The future of blockchains and cryptocurrency * Why David invested in Bitcoin when it was under $10 * Which industries blockchain has the biggest potential to disrupt * The reason government and governance will be radically changed in the coming years * How regulations affect the blockchain industry and are primarily protectionist * Why David thinks on a 1000 year time horizon and might just live to see it happen * How David thinks about isolationism and the future of nation-states * The future of micro-payments and money * How robots will interact with economy and colonize galaxy * The model for a sustainable Mars colony and what needs to happen * Why David is bullish on clean meat and hydroponics for the future of food * How to forecast the future and predict timing * What you need to know about China and cryptocurrency Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.David Orban is an entrepreneur, author, keynote speaker and the Founder and Managing Partner of Network Society Ventures, a seed stage global investment firm focused on innovative startups at the intersection of exponential technologies and decentralized networks. An early adopter of blockchain and an active Bitcoin investor since 2010, he was the first to own Ether during the Ethereum launch in 2014. He also led the adoption of Bitcoin and blockchain in start-ups and is an advisor and investor in numerous blockchain companies and funds, such as Blockchain Capital, Bancor, Swarm Fund, and others. David was the keynote speaker at the first Ethereal Summit in May 2017 in New York and is the Founder and a Trustee of Network Society Research, a London-based global think tank present in over 40 countries focused on decentralized exponential technologies disrupting governments and corporations. He is a mentor for the Thiel Fellowship, a Scientific Advisory Board Member for the Lifeboat Foundation on the Faculty of and an advisor to the Singularity University, an investor in the Singularity University Labs Accelerator Fund (now SU Ventures), President of SingularityU Italy Summit and an advisor to Humanity+.

Byron Reese is the CEO and publisher of Gigaom, an industry-leading technology research company. Byron’s also an award-winning author, speaker, and futurist with a strong conviction that technology will help bring about a new golden age of humanity. Byron holds a number of technology patents and hosts two podcasts about artificial intelligence. He gives talks around the world about how technology is changing work, education, and culture to combined audiences well in excess of 100,000. His newest book, The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity tackle the issues of artificial intelligence, robots, automation, and the future of work. Byron is also the author of Infinite Progress: How the Internet and Technology Will End Ignorance, Disease, Poverty, Hunger, and War. Bloomberg Businessweek credits Byron with having “quietly pioneered a new breed of a media company.” The Financial Times of London reported that he “is typical of the new wave of internet entrepreneurs out to turn the economics of the media industry on its head.” Byron and his work have been featured in hundreds of news outlets, including New York Times, Washington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, USA Today, Reader’s Digest, NPR, and the LA Times Magazine. “The biggest problems of tomorrow will not be a lack of jobs but a shortage of humans to take advantage of all of the opportunities technology will offer.” – byronreese.com Listen and Learn * Why the world is fundamentally improving and Byron is an optimistic realist * How AI will transform the labor market and economy, leading to better jobs * The reason optimism and pessimism are incredibly important to humanity’s survival, and evolution * Why forecasting artificial general intelligence is just silly * Will AI become conscious * Why we’re entering the fourth era of humanity * The reason Byron is a little worried about the prospect of bioterrorism * How 25 years in the internet industry has evolved Byron’s view of the future * Why the news drives fear and separation among us * What to say to naysayers about technological progress * Why social media will ultimately be a net positive to society Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Byron Reese is the CEO and publisher of Gigaom, an industry-leading technology research company. Byron’s also an award-winning author, speaker, and futurist with a strong conviction that technology will help bring about a new golden age of humanity. Byron holds a number of technology patents and hosts two podcasts about artificial intelligence. He gives talks around the world about how technology is changing work, education, and culture to combined audiences well in excess of 100,000. His newest book, The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, Conscious Computers, and the Future of Humanity tackle the issues of artificial intelligence, robots, automation, and the future of work. Byron is also the author of Infinite Progress: How the Internet and Technology Will End Ignorance, Disease, Poverty, Hunger, and War. Bloomberg Businessweek credits Byron with having “quietly pioneered a new breed of a media company.” The Financial Times of London reported that he “is typical of the new wave of internet entrepreneurs out to turn the economics of the media industry on its head.” Byron and his work have been featured in hundreds of news outlets, including New York Times, Washington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, USA Today, Reader’s Digest, NPR, and the LA Times Magazine.

Dr. Brynn Winegard is neuroscience, psychology and marketing expert, award-winning professor, speaker, and expert. She speaks frequently on the topics of persuasion, productivity, the neuroscience of leadership, motivation and preventing age-related cognitive decline. Coupled with over a decade in corporate marketing working for Pfizer Inc., Nestle Inc., and Johnson & Johnson Inc., she brings an interesting real-world perspective to high-performance brain science. Brynn is on the faculty at Schulich School of Business, DeGroote School of Business, and the University of Guelph but is now more focused on helping others through speaking about ‘Building Better Business Brains’ to clients ranging from the Alberta Canadian government, the largest Canadian telecoms, Coca-Cola, Crayola, Deloitte and dozens more.   Listen and Learn: * The science of brain aging and expertise * Why your brain loses neurons but gain skills * The advances in sensor technology driving neuroscience * What Brynn has learned about differences and brain shape and function * The actual percentage of your conscious brain use * What myths most folks have about the brain * How nutrition and epigenetics affect brain performance and health * The science behind the five closest friends phenomenon * The reason meditation and mindfulness are so valuable * Why it is so hard to change a habit or break an addiction * The 6 types of brain aging and what to know * Why you are what you think Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Dr. Brynn Winegard is neuroscience, psychology and marketing expert, award-winning professor, speaker, and expert. She speaks frequently on the topics of persuasion, productivity, the neuroscience of leadership, motivation and preventing age-related cognitive decline. Coupled with over a decade in corporate marketing working for Pfizer Inc., Nestle Inc., and Johnson & Johnson Inc., she brings an interesting real-world perspective to high-performance brain science. Brynn is on the faculty at Schulich School of Business, DeGroote School of Business, and the University of Guelph but is now more focused on helping others through speaking about ‘Building Better Business Brains’ to clients ranging from the Alberta Canadian government, the largest Canadian telecoms, Coca-Cola, Crayola, Deloitte and dozens more.   Listen and Learn: * The science of brain aging and expertise * Why your brain loses neurons but gain skills * The advances in sensor technology driving neuroscience * What Brynn has learned about differences and brain shape and function * The actual percentage of your conscious brain use * What myths most folks have about the brain * How nutrition and epigenetics affect brain performance and health * The science behind the five closest friends phenomenon * The reason meditation and mindfulness are so valuable * Why it is so hard to change a habit or break an addiction * The 6 types of brain aging and what to know * Why you are what you think Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Venu Pemmaraju is Managing Partner at Wipro Ventures, a $100M fund out of Wipro Ltd. focused on early to mid-stage startups investments that leverage their Global 1000 clients to help startups grow and acquire enterprise-level customers. He also serves as a board observer for Avaamo, CloudGenix, Emailage, and ImanisData and prior to this was an Investment Director at Intel Capital. Listen and Learn: * What it is like building a successful corporate venture arm * What Venu learned living through two boom and bust cycles * Why cybersecurity is always a safe bet for investments * How startups should think about corporate VCs * Are headed for another crash * Why automation is a great trend to ride * Why so many more enterprises are starting investment arms Venu’s Main Projects: Wipro Ventures Twitter: @wipro Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Venu Pemmaraju is Managing Partner at Wipro Ventures, a $100M fund out of Wipro Ltd. focused on early to mid-stage startups investments that leverage their Global 1000 clients to help startups grow and acquire enterprise-level customers. He also serves as a board observer for Avaamo, CloudGenix, Emailage, and ImanisData and prior to this was an Investment Director at Intel Capital. Listen and Learn: * What it is like building a successful corporate venture arm * What Venu learned living through two boom and bust cycles * Why cybersecurity is always a safe bet for investments * How startups should think about corporate VCs * Are headed for another crash * Why automation is a great trend to ride * Why so many more enterprises are starting investment arms Venu’s Main Projects: Wipro Ventures Twitter: @wipro Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Gerd Leonhard (@gleonhard) is a futurist, keynote speaker and author and listed by Wired Magazine as one of the top 100 most influential people in Europe (2015). Gerd’s work focuses on the future of humanity, technology and digital transformation; including big disruptors like artificial intelligence, robotics, the future of content and media and much more. Gerd addresses topics such as what it means to be human in a world of machines and algorithms, the coming redefinition of human-machine relationships, the future of work and jobs and much more. He is a much sought-after speaker, having presented at more than 1700 events in 60+ countries since 2004. His clients include Google, Sony, UBS, Mastercard, Unilever, Lloyds Bank, WWF, Nokia, The Guardian, Siemens, BBC, France Telecom, Orange, Deutsche Telekom, MTN, The Financial Times, The EU Commission, VISA, and many others. Gerd is a member of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA, London), an advisory board member of the Indian and Canadian research institutes and the author of Technology vs. Humanity: The Coming Clash Between Man and Machine. Listen and Learn: * The evolution of AI and the dangers of AGI * Why Europe has to lead the way on privacy, data and consumer rights * Why Gerd believes we need a moratorium on the future of artificial general intelligence * The problem with capitalism and creating a better future * How tech giants may end up owning our future * Why Facebook and Zuckerberg didn’t really do anything wrong, at least according to the rules * How Gerd thinks about megashifts and the future of humanity * Why we may all be living a lot longer thanks to biotech * The reason technology isn’t the answer or means to an end * Why the future is more unknowable than ever * The reason Gerd isn’t that excited about space travel * What you need to know robotics and future of work Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Gerd Leonhard (@gleonhard) is a futurist, keynote speaker and author and listed by Wired Magazine as one of the top 100 most influential people in Europe (2015). Gerd’s work focuses on the future of humanity, technology and digital transformation; including big disruptors like artificial intelligence, robotics, the future of content and media and much more. Gerd addresses topics such as what it means to be human in a world of machines and algorithms, the coming redefinition of human-machine relationships, the future of work and jobs and much more. He is a much sought-after speaker, having presented at more than 1700 events in 60+ countries since 2004. His clients include Google, Sony, UBS, Mastercard, Unilever, Lloyds Bank, WWF, Nokia, The Guardian, Siemens, BBC, France Telecom, Orange, Deutsche Telekom, MTN, The Financial Times, The EU Commission, VISA, and many others. Gerd is a member of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA, London), an advisory board member of the Indian and Canadian research institutes and the author of Technology vs. Humanity: The Coming Clash Between Man and Machine. Listen and Learn: * The evolution of AI and the dangers of AGI * Why Europe has to lead the way on privacy, data and consumer rights * Why Gerd believes we need a moratorium on the future of artificial general intelligence * The problem with capitalism and creating a better future * How tech giants may end up owning our future * Why Facebook and Zuckerberg didn’t really do anything wrong, at least according to the rules * How Gerd thinks about megashifts and the future of humanity

Ramez Naam is a computer scientist, futurist, angel investor and award-winning author best known for his Nexus Trilogy: Nexus, Crux and Apex. His other (non-fiction) books include: The Infinite Resource: The Power of Ideas on a Finite Planet and More than Human: Embracing the Promises of Biological Enhancement. He’s currently co-chair of energy and the environment at Singularity University and earlier in his career led teams at Microsoft working on Outlook, Internet Explorer and Bing where he co-patented 20 inventions, many alongside Bill Gates. Ramez has appeared on Sunday morning MSNBC, Yahoo! Finance, The New York Times, WSJ, PopSci, Wired, and many more. Ramez holds more than 20 patents, and many of those are as a co-inventor with Bill Gates. Listen and Learn: * How the Chinese startup ecosystem has evolved in the last 6 years * Why Madrona prefer to invest in the Pacific Northwest * What the mobile-only economy of China means for the rest of the world * The future of the AI/ML talent war and how Matt sees it playing out * How Matt evaluates startup investments and founder motivation * The reason Matt would bet on Amazon over anyone else’s * What were Matt’s biggest takeaways from his trip to China * Why founders should always prefer for an economic downturn   Ramez’s Main Projects: Ramez’ Angellist profile rameznaam.com Twitter: @ramez Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Ramez Naam is a computer scientist, futurist, angel investor and award-winning author best known for his Nexus Trilogy: Nexus, Crux and Apex. His other (non-fiction) books include: The Infinite Resource: The Power of Ideas on a Finite Planet and More than Human: Embracing the Promises of Biological Enhancement. He’s currently co-chair of energy and the environment at Singularity University and earlier in his career led teams at Microsoft working on Outlook, Internet Explorer and Bing where he co-patented 20 inventions, many alongside Bill Gates. Ramez has appeared on Sunday morning MSNBC, Yahoo! Finance, The New York Times, WSJ, PopSci, Wired, and many more. Ramez holds more than 20 patents, and many of those are as a co-inventor with Bill Gates. Listen and Learn: * How the Chinese startup ecosystem has evolved in the last 6 years * Why Madrona prefer to invest in the Pacific Northwest * What the mobile-only economy of China means for the rest of the world * The future of the AI/ML talent war and how Matt sees it playing out * How Matt evaluates startup investments and founder motivation * The reason Matt would bet on Amazon over anyone else’s * What were Matt’s biggest takeaways from his trip to China * Why founders should always prefer for an economic downturn   Ramez’s Main Projects: Ramez’ Angellist profile rameznaam.com Twitter: @ramez Are you an accredited investor?

Alec serves as an advisor to investors, corporations and government leaders to help them understand the implication of factors emerging at the intersection of geopolitics, markets and increasingly disruptive network technologies and is on the board of directors (or advisors) for companies in the fields of technology, media, telecommunications, education, health care and cybersecurity. He recently served for four years as Senior Advisor for Innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and acted as the diplomatic lead on issues including cybersecurity, Internet Freedom, disaster response and the use of network technologies in conflict zones. Previously, Alec served as the Convener for the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Policy Committee on Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and served on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team. In 2000, he and three colleagues co-founded the technology-focused nonprofit organization One Economy and grew it from modest origins in a basement into a global organization serving millions of low-income people, with programs on four continents. His many awards include: Top 100 Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy Magazine, U.S. Department of State Distinguished Honor Award, Oxford University Internet and Society Award, Huffington Post’s 10 Game Changers in Politics and Tribeca Film Festival Disruptive Innovation Award. Alec has served as a guest lecturer at numerous institutions including the United Nations, Oxford University, Harvard Law School, Stanford Business School and a number of parliamentary bodies and his writing has appeared in academic publications including the Johns Hopkins SAIS Review of International Affairs and the NATO Review.   Listen and Learn: * The reason Obama was such a special, charismatic leader and what other leaders can learn from him * Why Alec left a successful entrepreneurial career to help Obama on his first campaign * The possibly existential problem with social media * How politics changes post-Trump and where we are headed * Why Alec isn’t that worried about tech monopolies * How the US government thinks about and promotes innovation, here and abroad * Which industries Alec believes become $1T markets * Why biotech and human enhancement are inevitable * The big difference between CEOs and politicians * Why health, genomics and personalized medicine as passions of Alec * The reason the US trumps China in long term innovation and growth * Why Hiliary’s loss felt inevitable and drawn out Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Alec serves as an advisor to investors, corporations and government leaders to help them understand the implication of factors emerging at the intersection of geopolitics, markets and increasingly disruptive network technologies and is on the board of directors (or advisors) for companies in the fields of technology, media, telecommunications, education, health care and cybersecurity. He recently served for four years as Senior Advisor for Innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and acted as the diplomatic lead on issues including cybersecurity, Internet Freedom, disaster response and the use of network technologies in conflict zones. Previously, Alec served as the Convener for the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Policy Committee on Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign and served on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team. In 2000, he and three colleagues co-founded the technology-focused nonprofit organization One Economy and grew it from modest origins in a basement into a global organization serving millions of low-income people, with programs on four continents. His many awards include: Top 100 Global Thinkers by ...

Dr. Bertalan Meskó (@berci) is The Medical Futurist, one of the world’s leading biotech thinkers and keynote speakers. A self-described geek physician with a Ph.D. in genomics, Bertalan is an Amazon Top 100 author and host of the popular Youtube channel The Medical Futurist (TMF).Bertalan envisions the impact of digital health technologies on the future of health, and helps patients, doctors, government regulators and companies make it a reality.With 500+ presentations including courses at Harvard, Stanford and Yale Universities, Singularity University’s Futuremed course at NASA Ames campus and organizations including the 10 biggest pharmaceutical companies, he is one of the top voices globally on healthcare technology.Dr. Meskó has been featured by dozens of top publications, including CNN, the World Health Organization, National Geographic, Forbes, TIME magazine, BBC, and the New York Times. In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: * The future of digital health and medical technology in the next 10 and 25 years * What Bertalan does when it comes to biohacking and quantified self to live longer and healthier * How Google, Amazon and the other tech giants are trying to own healthcare * Why Bertalan thinks immortality is a sci-fi dream * The future of personalized medicine and self-managed health * Why Bertalan wants to prevent disease, not catch it early * How genetic testing and microbiome samples shape Bertalan’s actions and future health * Why AI is such a scary and unstoppable technology * What under the table experiments are happening on human augmentation and enhancement * How 3D printed tissues and organs affect all of us * Why the DIY citizen science/healthcare movement is changing the landscape of healthcare Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Dr. Bertalan Meskó (@berci) is The Medical Futurist, one of the world’s leading biotech thinkers and keynote speakers. A self-described geek physician with a Ph.D. in genomics, Bertalan is an Amazon Top 100 author and host of the popular Youtube channel The Medical Futurist (TMF).Bertalan envisions the impact of digital health technologies on the future of health, and helps patients, doctors, government regulators and companies make it a reality.With 500+ presentations including courses at Harvard, Stanford and Yale Universities, Singularity University’s Futuremed course at NASA Ames campus and organizations including the 10 biggest pharmaceutical companies, he is one of the top voices globally on healthcare technology.Dr. Meskó has been featured by dozens of top publications, including CNN, the World Health Organization, National Geographic, Forbes, TIME magazine, BBC, and the New York Times. In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: * The future of digital health and medical technology in the next 10 and 25 years * What Bertalan does when it comes to biohacking and quantified self to live longer and healthier * How Google, Amazon and the other tech giants are trying to own healthcare * Why Bertalan thinks immortality is a sci-fi dream * The future of personalized medicine and self-managed health * Why Bertalan wants to prevent disease, not catch it early * How genetic testing and microbiome samples shape Bertalan’s actions and future health * Why AI is such a scary and unstoppable technology * What under the table experiments are happening on human augmentation and enhancement * How 3D printed tissues and organs affect all of us

Scott Klososky (@sklososky) is a technologist, entrepreneur and thought leader that specializes in helping leaders see the world in new ways. He has built and sold multiple companies, the largest being webcasts.com which was ultimately acquired by iBEAM for approximately $115 million in stock in April of 2000. After the acquisition, he served as VP of Production for iBEAM and led a 150-person team that had innovations including being the first music CD to launch to the Internet, the first interactive CD-ROM to be used to lobby Congress, and the first CD-ROM/Web-based product designed to generate donations for a non-profit organization. Their clients included IBM, Compaq, AOL, Hewlett-Packard, Conoco Inc., and BMG Music, among others. In 1988, at the age of 26, Scott founded one of the first profitable Soviet/American joint ventures, ParaGraph, Inc., with Russian partners including Garry Kasparov, the world chess champion. ParaGraph designed the original handwritten text-recognition software for the Apple Newton and was later sold to Silicon Graphics. The ParaGraph software standard is now commonly used in personal digital assistants. Prior to founding webcasts.com’s predecessor company in 1994 Scott work with former Nixon’s protege and chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, on “The Haldeman Diaries,” a New York Times bestseller which was also one of Sony’s first profitable CD-ROM products in 1994. Scott is the author of several books, including Did God Create the Internet?: The Impact of Technology on Humanity and The Velocity Manifesto: Harnessing Technology, Vision, and Culture to Future-Proof your Organization and today runs TriCorp Technologies, a strategic advisory firm for the Fortune 500. Listen and Learn: * The reason Scott went to the USSR during the Cold War and how he teamed up with chess champion Gary Kasparov * What Scott learned about capitalism, communism and building businesses * Why Scott “invented” TV on the internet, a tad bit too early * The reason AI and cybersecurity are the two most important/interesting technologies in Scott’s mind * How regulations can help save our cybersecurity problem * What Scott does to understand his place in the world * How working with Nixon’s Chief of Staff led to a transformation in the publishing industry * Why cyberwarfare is so freaking scary and hard to fight * The things to look for when creating disruptive innovation * Why things are looking up and Scott is an optimist * How we can reinvent education for the future Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Scott Klososky (@sklososky) is a technologist, entrepreneur and thought leader that specializes in helping leaders see the world in new ways. He has built and sold multiple companies, the largest being webcasts.com which was ultimately acquired by iBEAM for approximately $115 million in stock in April of 2000. After the acquisition, he served as VP of Production for iBEAM and led a 150-person team that had innovations including being the first music CD to launch to the Internet, the first interactive CD-ROM to be used to lobby Congress, and the first CD-ROM/Web-based product designed to generate donations for a non-profit organization. Their clients included IBM, Compaq, AOL, Hewlett-Packard, Conoco Inc., and BMG Music, among others. In 1988, at the age of 26, Scott founded one of the first profitable Soviet/American joint ventures, ParaGraph, Inc., with Russian partners including Garry Kasparov, the world chess champion. ParaGraph designed the original handwritten text-recognition software for the App...

George Dvorsky (@dvorsky) is a Canadian futurist, science writer, and ethicist that has written and spoken extensively about the impacts of cutting-edge science and technology—particularly as they pertain to the improvement of human performance and experience. He is also a senior staff reporter at the popular tech blog Gizmodo, a contributing editor at io9 where he writes about science, culture, and futurism and blogs at sentientdevelopments.com George is a founding member of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, he is Chair of the Board and is the founder and program director for its Rights of Non-Human Persons program. In addition, George is the co-founder and president of the Toronto Transhumanist Association and has served on the Board of Directors for Humanity+ for two terms. George’s work has been featured in such publications as The Guardian, the BBC, CBC, Forbes, the New York Times, Slate, Radio Free Europe, and al-Jazeera. Outside of work he is also an avid CrossFitter, an ancestral health enthusiast, and an accomplished music performer, composer, and recording engineer.     Listen and Learn: * How life extension and longevity affect society and the technologies ending aging * The dangers of AI and problems with containment * Why consciousness is such a hard problem and what it means for all of us * How George’s study of the past influences his views on the future * Why mutually assured destruction could become a thing again * The reason AI regulation is harder than it seems * Which technologies have George most excited today and why * Why tech ethics are so important going forward * What happens if and when we invent AGI * The problems and possibilities of exponential technology in today’s world Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.George Dvorsky (@dvorsky) is a Canadian futurist, science writer, and ethicist that has written and spoken extensively about the impacts of cutting-edge science and technology—particularly as they pertain to the improvement of human performance and experience. He is also a senior staff reporter at the popular tech blog Gizmodo, a contributing editor at io9 where he writes about science, culture, and futurism and blogs at sentientdevelopments.com George is a founding member of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, he is Chair of the Board and is the founder and program director for its Rights of Non-Human Persons program. In addition, George is the co-founder and president of the Toronto Transhumanist Association and has served on the Board of Directors for Humanity+ for two terms. George’s work has been featured in such publications as The Guardian, the BBC, CBC, Forbes, the New York Times, Slate, Radio Free Europe, and al-Jazeera. Outside of work he is also an avid CrossFitter, an ancestral health enthusiast, and an accomplished music performer, composer, and recording engineer.     Listen and Learn: * How life extension and longevity affect society and the technologies ending aging * The dangers of AI and problems with containment * Why consciousness is such a hard problem and what it means for all of us * How George’s study of the past influences his views on the future * Why mutually assured destruction could become a thing again * The reason AI regulation is harder than it seems * Which technologies have George most excited today and why * Why tech ethics are so important going forward

Sam Watts is one of the foremost thinkers on VR and the Director of Immersive Technologies at MakeReal, a company that believes that immersive digital products are transforming the way we work, play and learn. MakeReal makes virtual reality experiences, augmented reality devices, collaborative ‘serious games’ and other tools that support new types of work, play and learning. Sam’s passion for VR shows throughout his previous work with BBC, Channel 4, Sky and PlayStation. He has 20+ years in software and game development and project management and now spends his days focused on creating the epic immersive experiences of the future.   In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: * How psychedelics started the virtual reality movement * Why dystopian VR is unlikely in Sam’s opinion * What areas are advancing rapidly and causing VR’s progress * The reason a single company probably won’t own the VR market * Why immersive experiences change the equation for the entertainment of the future * The problem with consumer VR today and what needs to change to spur adoption * What is the experience escape velocity and why is it so important? * When we can expect to see consumer VR takeoff * The chicken and the egg problem of content and cost * Why 5G will drive the adoption of VR * The reason the future is likely mixed reality Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Sam Watts is one of the foremost thinkers on VR and the Director of Immersive Technologies at MakeReal, a company that believes that immersive digital products are transforming the way we work, play and learn. MakeReal makes virtual reality experiences, augmented reality devices, collaborative ‘serious games’ and other tools that support new types of work, play and learning. Sam’s passion for VR shows throughout his previous work with BBC, Channel 4, Sky and PlayStation. He has 20+ years in software and game development and project management and now spends his days focused on creating the epic immersive experiences of the future.   In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: * How psychedelics started the virtual reality movement * Why dystopian VR is unlikely in Sam’s opinion * What areas are advancing rapidly and causing VR’s progress * The reason a single company probably won’t own the VR market * Why immersive experiences change the equation for the entertainment of the future * The problem with consumer VR today and what needs to change to spur adoption * What is the experience escape velocity and why is it so important? * When we can expect to see consumer VR takeoff * The chicken and the egg problem of content and cost * Why 5G will drive the adoption of VR * The reason the future is likely mixed reality Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Bruce Schneier (@schneierblog) is an internationally renowned security technologist, called a “security guru” by The Economist. He is the author of 13 books–including: * Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World * Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyper-connected World In addition to his books, Bruce has hundreds of articles, essays, and academic papers, his influential newsletter “Crypto-Gram” and his blog “Schneier on Security” is read by over 250,000 people. Bruce has testified before Congress, is a frequent guest on television and radio, has served on several government committees, and is regularly quoted in the press. Schneier is a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University; a Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School; a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, AccessNow, and the Tor Project; an Advisory Board Member of the Electronic Privacy Information Center and VerifiedVoting.org; and a special advisor to IBM Security and the Chief Technology Officer at IBM Resilient. Listen and learn: * The difference between the US, Europe and Asia when it comes to privacy and data, and what it all means * Why IoT internet security is one of the biggest problems no one is talking about * Which tech giants will get broken up and which will reign * The problem with social media and ideas on how to solve it * How regulations affect business and monopolies and where we are headed * Why voting and elections are so susceptible to manipulation * How Bruce thinks about privacy in a surveillance capitalism economy * Why your car could kill you and your fridge won’t feed you * The reason Bruce is optimistic and pessimistic about the future * Why things are going to get worse before they get better * The sad truth GDPR and data privacy * What you need to know about China, Huawei and surveillance Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Bruce Schneier (@schneierblog) is an internationally renowned security technologist, called a “security guru” by The Economist. He is the author of 13 books–including: * Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World * Click Here to Kill Everybody: Security and Survival in a Hyper-connected World In addition to his books, Bruce has hundreds of articles, essays, and academic papers, his influential newsletter “Crypto-Gram” and his blog “Schneier on Security” is read by over 250,000 people. Bruce has testified before Congress, is a frequent guest on television and radio, has served on several government committees, and is regularly quoted in the press. Schneier is a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University; a Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School; a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, AccessNow, and the Tor Project; an Advisory Board Member of the Electronic Privacy Information Center and VerifiedVoting.org; and a special advisor to IBM Security and the Chief Technology Officer at IBM Resilient. Listen and learn: * The difference between the US, Europe and Asia when it comes to privacy and data, and what it all means * Why IoT internet security is one of the biggest problems no one is talking about

Garry Golden is a professionally trained futurist who writes, speaks, and consults on complex issues shaping society and business in the 21st century. He has consulted for Fortune 500 companies, governmental agencies and the US Army on issues related to transportation and mobility, food safety and health, the future of portable power, financial services and much more. Garry teaches an online course on The Future of Energy & Environment through the University of Houston Futures Studies program, and was Founding Editor of The Energy Roadmap.com Garry is co-author of Designing Your Future (2008) a Fast Futures / ASAE publication, and has co-written several business white papers including the Future of the Social Web and the Future of Green as a Business Strategy published by Future Think.   Listen and Learn: * The future of energy consumption and the grid * Why Garry isn’t sold on electric vehicles and battery technology * The 4 types of futures and what they mean for society * How we save the planet while still using fuel * Why consciousness could be a problem with AI * The reason politicians pull progress backward * How futurists help society evolve * Why Garry is quite enthusiastic about automation and AI * Where the US is falling behind the rest of the world Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Garry Golden is a professionally trained futurist who writes, speaks, and consults on complex issues shaping society and business in the 21st century. He has consulted for Fortune 500 companies, governmental agencies and the US Army on issues related to transportation and mobility, food safety and health, the future of portable power, financial services and much more. Garry teaches an online course on The Future of Energy & Environment through the University of Houston Futures Studies program, and was Founding Editor of The Energy Roadmap.com Garry is co-author of Designing Your Future (2008) a Fast Futures / ASAE publication, and has co-written several business white papers including the Future of the Social Web and the Future of Green as a Business Strategy published by Future Think.   Listen and Learn: * The future of energy consumption and the grid * Why Garry isn’t sold on electric vehicles and battery technology * The 4 types of futures and what they mean for society * How we save the planet while still using fuel * Why consciousness could be a problem with AI * The reason politicians pull progress backward * How futurists help society evolve * Why Garry is quite enthusiastic about automation and AI * Where the US is falling behind the rest of the world Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.