FOUNDER/PRINCIPAL at WAVEPOINT

Christian has over 25 years of experience guiding companies to grow through foresight and strategic innovation. Past clients include Clorox, PepsiCo, Diageo, Crown Equipment, Hershey, Disney and Goodyear. He has held foresight, strategy, and growth positions at Toshiba Industrial Corporation, Pitney Bowes, and Kalypso, as well as merchandising and management roles at Hechinger Co., a former $2 billion retailer.

Christian holds a MS in Studies of the Future from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, and a BA in English from the College of William and Mary. He writes the Futures Praxis column for the journal Research-Technology Management and is a speaker at numerous conferences.

FOUNDER of TWOLINE STUDIOS

Heather Willems is a business strategy consultant, graphic facilitator and bestselling co-author of Draw Your Big Idea. Combining her love of fine art and business strategy, she helps top executives operate more efficiently through creativity. She visualizes the biggest ideas of some of the world’s most influential companies.

FOUNDER of LODESTONE INNOVATION

Paul has spent his 25+ year career helping companies drive revenue growth by identifying, developing and commercializing innovation and brand marketing campaigns as well as implementing organizational transformation efforts. He brings perspectives from companies of all sizes, from early stage start-ups to major global corporations, including Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Capital One, Kellogg, Kimberly-Clark, and DDB.

CHIEF FUTURIST at FUTURESPRESENT

Maggie Greyson is a designer, futurist and writer. She has designed interactive experiences for Fortune 100 companies such as Nissan, GE and Shell. Maggie has a Master of Design in Strategic Foresight and Innovation from the Ontario College of Art and Design University. She was an Emerging Fellow of the Association of Professional Futurists 2018 and now serves on the board.

FOUNDER at OUTSIDE INSIGHTS

Jim has 30 years of experience helping large companies use disciplined innovation to bring new businesses and new business models to market. His particular focus is helping industrial firms respond digital disruption through smart IoT and services-led business models. He is the author of Lean Startup in Large Organizations.

PARTNER at SUMA VENTURES

Global innovation leader and ecosystem specialist; author From Stuck to Scale (launch 2024). Andrea Kates is a Silicon Valley-based innovation advisor, former tech CEO, and author of the award-winning book, Find Your Next, a complete guide to cross-industry innovation. She has led strategic innovation initiatives for organizations in virtually every industry and geography including Ford, Mayo Clinic, Siemens, Tata, Shimizu, and Roche. She leads masterclasses on Leading a Culture of Innovation, From Stuck to Scale—overcoming obstacles to drive growth, Building Ecosystems of Profit, Platform and Purpose, and Transforming Trends into Lines of Business.

Seth has worked on a wide range of topics from small organizations to multi-national companies. Research includes the futures of live sports, Alzheimer’s disease, pipeline construction, and pet care, but he has mostly focused on the future of food and packaging technologies. In 2022, the Association of Professional Futurists named Seth as an Emerging Fellow, one of six worldwide and the sole North American to be selected as a featured writer. Seth holds an MS in Foresight from the University of Houston.