Jonathan Brill: Business Futurist
Jonathan Brill, former Global Futurist at HP, helps executives navigate AI disruption by turning uncertainty into opportunity
Quick Facts:
- Highlights:
- Ranked #1 Futurist in the World by Forbes
- Former Global Futurist at HP
- Author of Rogue Waves: Future-Proof Your Business to Survive & Profit from Radical Change
- Formats: Keynote, Virtual
- Audiences: Strategy teams and leaders (20–150); Conferences (150–1,500)
- Outcomes:
- Surface near-term tech patterns that affect strategy.
- Prototype future scenarios to stress-test plans.
- Align teams on adaptive priorities and actions.
- Travels from: San Francisco, CA
- **Fee range: On Request
Talent Services
Keynote Topics:
AI ON YOUR ORG CHART:
How to Transform to Win
How will AI make you a better leader? ‘Silicon Valley Legend’ Jonathan Brill will take you on a behind the scenes tour of the world’s advanced technology labs to find out. This talk is not about science fiction. It’s about inspiration and action. There’s a reason HBR called Brill, “The world’s foremost transformation architect”.
As HP’s Global Futurist, an AI inventor and the bestselling author on innovation, he has successfully helped both legacy and AI native companies transform to win. In your time together, you’ll have access to the same customized insights as clients like Microsoft and the Secret Service.
In the process, you’ll:
Learn how AI is reshaping your manufacturing.
Invent ways for AI to help you capture value.
Discover how to align your team with a shared vision, values and goals that leverage AI.
Learn to think through complex problems with speed and creativity using AI.
Perhaps, most importantly, you’ll discover that AI isn’t replacing humans. It’s making us more human.
ARCHITECT YOUR FUTURE:
TRANSFORM CHANGE INTO OPPORTUNITY
Don’t just watch your future happen — architect it. Take a thrilling journey to the frontlines of tomorrow, where technology, geopolitics, and society collide to create what’s next. If you know how to turn disruption to your advantage, it’s your biggest opportunity.
There’s no better guide to the changes we face — or coach on how to take advantage of them — than Jonathan Brill, HP Global Futurist, bestselling author, and celebrated inventor. His repeated ability to spot disruption and flip it into opportunity is why Forbes recently ranked him as the #1 Futurist in the world.
Your assumptions will be challenged by hard data. You’ll be inspired by extraordinary people who are changing the world. Your imagination will be ignited as you gain the same exclusive access as the Fortune 50 CEOs and government leaders Brill advises. You’ll discover skills that are equally important, no matter the size of your organization.
In this inspiring talk, you’ll learn how to:
- Navigate Uncertainty — Discover the 10 trends shaping the 2020’s.
- Invent Tomorrow — Leverage AI on your org chart.
- Do What Matters — Learn the ABC’s, the three actionable tools to Architect Your Future.
As Adam Grant said, The ABCs are “an actionable framework for driving change, instead of being blindsided by it.” Which path will you choose?
STRATEGIC LUCK:
The Science of Thriving in Uncertainty
Most people think luck is coincidence, fate or that you make it yourself. It’s none of the above. It is, however, a science-based skill, and your audience can get dramatically better at it — in less than an hour. Luck isn’t chance. It’s a choice. Your audience can have more joy, success and ease with less effort through this science based, interactive keynote — no matter how lucky they are. Brill, an international bestselling author and scholar on decision making, and principal investigator of the largest study on luck, persuasively argues that luck isn’t an option, it’s perhaps the most impactful factor of success. It’s strategic in your business and in your life.
Throughout your time together, he’ll create a sense of wonder and open up a world of practical possibility through hilarious personal stories, intimate interactive moments and hard data. Along the ride, you’ll learn how to find rainbows, dodge riptides, survive meteors and make gold.
More importantly, you’ll learn four science-based methods to turn uncertainty into opportunity in nearly everything you do. Once you understand the science of luck, uncertainty won’t ever paralyze you. You’ll embrace it! Would you like a little more luck in your life?
Talent Short Bio
Jonathan Brill is a futurist, innovation strategist, and author ranked the number one futurist in the world by Forbes. He helps organizations prepare for disruption and turn uncertainty into growth. Jonathan previously served as the Global Futurist at HP, where he advised leadership on long-term strategy and emerging opportunities in technology and markets.
He is the author of Rogue Waves: Future-Proof Your Business to Survive and Profit from Radical Change, a highly regarded guide to thriving amid disruption. Jonathan’s expertise lies in helping organizations build resilience by identifying potential disruptions, testing future scenarios, and aligning teams around adaptive strategies. His approach combines foresight, economics, and behavioral science, making his insights both visionary and practical.
As a keynote speaker, he engages audiences with clarity, humor, and thought-provoking stories that challenge them to view the future not as something to predict, but as something to actively shape. His work has helped organizations across industries design innovation pipelines and growth strategies that thrive in times of turbulence. Jonathan Brill equips leaders with the tools to embrace disruption as a driver of opportunity and to create organizations capable of succeeding in a rapidly changing world.
Read Full Bio
Jonathan Brill is a globally recognized futurist, innovation strategist, and thought leader, ranked as the #1 Futurist in the World by Forbes. Renowned for his ability to foresee and navigate complex business landscapes, he has advised Fortune 500 companies, governments, and leading organizations on how to anticipate disruption and leverage emerging opportunities. His insights on strategic foresight and innovation have reshaped industries, making him a sought-after keynote speaker and consultant worldwide.
With a career spanning decades in technology, business strategy, and artificial intelligence, Brill delivers compelling presentations that equip audiences with actionable tools to thrive in an uncertain future. His thought-provoking keynotes explore the intersection of AI, automation, and human ingenuity, offering a roadmap for leaders to drive innovation and adaptability in the face of rapid change.
Jonathan Brill’s expertise lies in helping organizations make sense of the accelerating forces of change and disruption. As a former Global Futurist at HP, he has played a critical role in shaping innovation strategies for some of the world’s most influential technology companies. His deep understanding of artificial intelligence, automation, and human-centered design enables businesses to prepare for the future with confidence.
As a frequent keynote speaker, Jonathan Brill has presented at some of the most prestigious conferences and executive summits, captivating audiences with his engaging storytelling and data-driven predictions. His ability to translate complex future scenarios into practical strategies has made him a favorite among CEOs, policymakers, and innovators looking to stay ahead of the curve.
Jonathan Brill is the ideal speaker for organizations seeking to gain a competitive edge in an unpredictable world. His reputation as the #1 Futurist in the World makes him an invaluable asset to any conference or corporate event.
His sessions inspire leaders to rethink the status quo, embrace innovation, and develop strategies that position them for success in the face of rapid change.
Hashtags: #JonathanBrill #Futurist #Innovation #ArtificialIntelligence #BusinessStrategy #FutureOfWork #Leadership #Disruption #StrategicForesight
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Talent Videos
Jonathan Brill | Thriving in the Next AI Age
Business futurist Jonathan Brill explains how leaders, organizations, and individuals can adapt to AI-driven disruption by rethinking power, leadership skills, and networks of opportunity.
Video Summary & Key Moments
AI is transforming business, culture, and society at breakneck speed. Jonathan Brill—author, futurist, and transformation architect—argues that success in this new era isn’t about working harder or faster, but about changing mindset, relationships, and organizational design.
Key points:
- The future is visible. For the first time in history, we can see where technology is heading, which allows us to invest and prepare differently.
- Luck isn’t random. Career breakthroughs come from others opening doors—leaders must flip their networks to create more of these opportunities.
- Develop senior skills earlier. Tomorrow’s junior leaders must learn to operate without playbooks, adapting when there are no standard procedures.
- Crisis response requires pause, not panic. When the “rogue wave” of disruption hits, the right first step is to step back, gain perspective, and act intentionally.
- Power shifts when relationships change. AI is redefining the balance between people, processes, and machines—organizations must evolve accordingly.
Trillion-dollar opportunities are everywhere. The winners will be those who view AI not as a threat, but as a platform for reimagining their org chart and strategy.
Key Moments
0:00 – Opening: AI is reshaping business and culture faster than we’re ready for.
0:45 – Jonathan Brill introduced as Silicon Valley futurist and transformation architect.
1:30 – “The scary thing isn’t that we don’t know the future—it’s that we do.”
2:15 – Career progress depends less on working harder, more on networks and doors opened by others.
3:00 – Junior leaders must learn senior-level adaptive skills: leading when no SOP exists.
3:45 – The rogue wave metaphor: in crises, don’t just swim harder—step back, assess, and redirect.
4:30 – Audience engagement highlights: Brill’s conversational, one-on-one style.
5:15 – Changing relationships between people, processes, and machines = shifting organizational power.
6:00 – Customers openly discussing technology and AI futures together for the first time.
6:45 – Outlook: AI disruption creates more trillion-dollar opportunities than ever before.
7:15 – Closing challenge: “How are you going to put AI on your org chart?”
Jonathan Brill | Creating the Best Possible Future
Disruption strategist Jonathan Brill shows how leaders can turn volatility into opportunity, create luck by design, and future-proof organizations with resilient growth strategies.
Video Summary & Key Moments
Jonathan Brill, transformation architect and author of Rogue Waves, explains how volatility is not a threat but an opportunity for the prepared. Drawing on his experience as HP’s global futurist and advisor to the Fortune 50, Secret Service, and startups, Brill outlines how leaders can thrive during radical change.
Brill closes with a challenge: Luck isn’t chance, it’s a choice. What future do you want to create?
Key Moments
0:00 – Opening: Volatility as opportunity, not danger.
0:40 – Brill’s work with HP, Secret Service, and Fortune 50—researching 10 waves of change.
1:30 – Defining luck: collision of probability, timing, and rules of the game.
2:15 – Rogue Framework: Awareness, behavior, and culture as the foundation of resilient growth.
3:10 – Case study: Farmer Lee Jones turns crisis into opportunity, doubling sales post-pandemic.
4:10 – Automation in call centers saves 95% costs but raises hidden challenges.
5:00 – The danger of automating low-income work vs. opportunities in higher-level expertise and management.
6:15 – Closing reflection: Luck isn’t chance—it’s a choice. What does it mean to be human in the AI era?
Jonathan Brill | Thriving in Times of Radical Change with AI
Business futurist Jonathan Brill reveals how leaders can turn disruption into opportunity, leverage AI, and create “strategic luck” to future-proof organizations.
Video Summary & Key Moments
Jonathan Brill, one of the world’s foremost disruption strategists, explores how businesses can adapt to radical global change. With insights drawn from conversations with startup CEOs, policy leaders, AI researchers, and innovators worldwide, he argues that AI is the key driver of the next trillion-dollar opportunities.
Brill leaves audiences with a challenge: Adapt, innovate, and empower people or risk being left behind.
Key Moments
0:00 – Opening: AI and radical change—why old tools won’t solve future problems.
0:40 – Global perspective: Insights from Silicon Valley, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and policy councils.
1:20 – History lesson: From $350/year average income in 1800 to today’s global prosperity.
2:00 – Why AI matters—accelerating automation and innovation.
2:40 – The next generation: Junior leaders need senior leadership skills.
3:20 – Findings from 1,000 leader interviews & 2.7M manager surveys—how top leaders succeed in uncertainty.
4:10 – The four traits that create “strategic luck.”
6:00 – Reframing luck: not chance, but choice.
6:40 – The future of business: shifting from physical capital to employee-focused systems.
7:15 – Closing challenge: Thriving in times of change means investing in people.
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