Jesse Hirsh

• What’s Next for You? A Look through the Lens of a Futurist
  Jesse applies his perspective as a technology expert and futurist to your industry. In these presentations, he brings forward themes of leadership and innovation while offering up practical solutions for any organization. Jesse integrates his remarks into the broader threads of the event, while also supporting the message you want the talk to relay.
  
  
• The Future of Authority and the Role of Education in Innovation
  Who we listen to and who we trust is changing, and this is having a massive impact on the education sector. In a world of “alternative facts” where anyone can broadcast to a global audience, the ability to provide a signal amidst that noise directly influences who has authority and why. How can formal education better engage students and society? When attention is fleeting and distractions abound, innovation becomes a challenge for society. Jesse explores new approaches to innovative-focused education where original critical research can be brought forward within the fast-paced global marketplace. With one eye on the big picture and another eye on the challenges we face in the present, he provides audiences with the insights to make education more accessible and increase future opportunities for students.
  Key Takeaways: 
  • How to use open source technology for education and innovation. 
  • A future-focused understanding of the impact of automation and AI on education. 
  • Engagement strategies for students and society.
    
    
• Blockchain - The Future of Authority and Decentralization
  Technology is changing our relationship with authority: who we trust, who we listen to, and how we plan for our future. Technologies that enable and reward decentralization are returning the Internet to its original potential, creating opportunities for agile organizations and individuals who are willing to pay attention and adapt accordingly. Driving this shift is the concept of the blockchain. The free and open source evolution of the distributed database that not only enables the rise of cryptocurrencies, but more importantly offers a medium of trust and collaboration that will revolutionize every sector and industry. In this customized industry-specific presentation, audiences will learn how decentralization, transparency, and accountability are increasingly an essential part of our society, and how adopting distributed technologies like blockchain can set your organization up for success in the years to come.
  
  
• The Economy of the Future
  The Economy of the Future is smart, fast, exciting, and full of opportunity, provided you’re willing to pay attention and be prepared. As the Internet Era reaches maturity, and the rise of Artificial Intelligence accelerates, we can see glimpses of what the Economy of the Future entails. Automated corporations, open source technology, rapidly evolving markets, and strong/vibrant communities are some of the features we can bank on. What kind of impact will robots, automation, and multiple internets have on your business? What kind of society can we build using citizen science and learning resources like Minecraft? 3d printers that print 3d printers, and a hyper-reality that helps us lead long and healthy lives… The potential is certainly there… What will it take for you to make the most of it?
  
  
• The Future of Health: From eHealth to singularity!?
  As the emergence of eHealth stabilizes and normalizes across Canada, a new era of healthcare is emerging. What shape this takes is up to us to define. We need to articulate a vision to help make it happen. In particular, the explosion of “Big Data” and mobile technology encourages a significant shift towards a patient-centric, customized, distributed and preventative healthcare system. Yet the obstacles that stand between us and a new era of health and longevity are substantive. This presentation will look at our relationship to privacy, the use of surveillance technology, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology. Institutional change is never easy, and the need for speed when it comes to research, testing and deployment will provide unique challenges.
  
  
• The Future of Money: From MagicBands to CryptoCurrency 
  Smartphones are making it easier for consumers to be more strategic when it comes to their purchasing habits. Jesse believes real transformation is imminent with diversification and expansion of our daily technology use. In this presentation, he explores what’s next for money and how organizations can take advantage of this impending change.
  
  We’ve seen consumers slowly but surely trust mobile payments and witnessed the rise of wearable technology like Disney’s MagicBands. These technologies not only make consumer purchasing easier but create a wide range of data and insights for merchants and venue operators.
  
  Audiences will get a futurist’s take on the next phase of payment technology, one that is driven by cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. Jesse will explore the opportunities around data collection, security, ‘ambient commerce’ and analytics. He will inspire you to embrace the impending future frontier, where intelligent assistants and algorithms engage the marketplace at the speed of the web, empowering consumers to be smart, fast, and secure.
  
  
• The Future of Authority and the Rise of AI
  Who we listen to and who we trust is changing. Smarter systems and machines are emerging – ready and willing to make decisions on our behalf. AI and machine learning are having a transformative effect on every sector and industry. In some areas automation is increasing capacity and capability, while in others, it will lead to dramatic consolidation and disruption, especially with regard to employment.
  
  Jesse will explore the significant ethical issues to consider as we embrace these smart systems, especially when algorithms are wrong or exhibit prejudice. Privacy and security pose unique challenges as we place more trust in systems that depend upon massive amounts of data. This presentation explores at the impact AI and Blockchain technology will have on your industry. Jesse discusses the ongoing role of humans will play in an era of autonomous and intelligent machines. His insights will help individuals and organizations not only survive this turbulent era, but more importantly, to thrive in the age of entanglement.
  
  

Platform Plus

• Learning at the Speed of Light: How Technology Accelerates Education
  Workshop or Keynote
  The challenge for organizations and educators in the face of rapidly evolving technology is not only how to keep up with changing tools, but also how to keep up with your employees and students themselves. How do you do more with less, while operating at a speed that makes critical thinking difficult? How do we bridge the digital divide and ensure that everyone has access to the education and empowerment our emerging society requires?
  
  
• Technology, Leadership, and Authority: What it Takes to be Taken Seriously in an Era of Rapid Change
  Workshop or Keynote
  Jesse Hirsh has been engaged in a major research project focusing on the future of authority. The premise being that in a society that is constantly changing it is increasingly difficult to establish legitimate authority and provide the kind of leadership that is in great demand. Technology continues to have a disruptive impact on how and who people trust, leading to an unstable environment that requires a reconfiguration of how we relate to our leaders.
  
  
• Video / Online Program
  As a freelance journalist, Jesse's been doing radio and television work for a decade and a half, having worked for CFRB, Jazz FM, TVO, Global TV, Citytv, Rogers, OMNI, and MuchMusic. He knows what keeps audiences engaged with on-screen content.
  
  
• Event Moderator
  A researcher and broadcaster, Jesse Hirsh is a great moderator for discussions on a wide array of topic matter.
  
  He comes prepared with interesting facts and current events related to the subject at hand. Jesse keeps the conversation flowing, posing specific questions that bring out unique insights from each panelist. He makes sure the conversation is balanced and brings forward various opinions and points of view.