Jimmy Wales

One of the most sought-after visionaries in business and technology, Jimmy Wales led a community that built the world's largest and most popular encyclopedia - the 5th most popular website in the world - and did it all by working from home. In these engaging and actionable remarks, Wales provides lessons from the Wikipedia experience on remote work, and also bold inspiration on how even amid the current crisis there's opportunity for innovation and re-invention.

An optimistic, forward-looking leader whose work directly shapes society for the better - Wikipedia has emerged as a trusted source of medical information amid the coronavirus pandemic, with millions of hits daily - Wales draws on his personal experiences at the forefront of his industry, providing pragmatic lessons on how organization's can embrace change, and lean into new tech in order to become more agile and resilient.

Jimmy Wales speaks on a wide range of issues surrounding the future of technology, shedding light on the opportunities and threats for businesses and organizations in a globally connected world. Speaking fluidly about artificial intelligence, automation, and other new technologies that lie at the heart of disruption, Mr. Wales illuminates how open-source, open-content technology is changing the face of the internet and how businesses can adapt in order to compete and innovate. He reveals opportunities in tapping into new technologies—whether implementing new collaborative tools, or cutting-edge ways to interact with customers, distributors, and suppliers—to ultimately reveal what is needed to thrive in a Wiki future.

One of the most sought-after visionaries in business and technology, Jimmy Wales has been in-demand at the biggest blockchain and AI conferences worldwide, including BlockShow Europe, the Digital Innovation Forum and Blockchain Institute. A bold and optimistic tech entrepreneur, Wales sheds light on the opportunities and threats of blockchain technology and automation, highlighting how organizations can adapt to compete and take advantage of the next wave of business disruption. His insightful commentary on the limitations of blockchain, and where the technology proves most helpful, regularly make headlines as he remains at the vanguard of innovation.

Jimmy Wales launched WT.Social, a collaboratively editable social networking platform, in an effort to reclaim social media platforms from the corporate behemoths that only care about clicks, likes, and “engagement,” even if it comes at the cost of truth and democracy. In this fascinating, forward-looking talk, Wales shares his optimistic vision of how technology can actually help us change the way we digest news and shape society for the better. Highlighting where current social networks have failed by amplifying bad actors around the globe and allowing fake news to influence global events, Wales provides a roadmap for a better alternative: where data is never sold, where users have the power, and where the bottom-line is never a top priority. Fusing commentary on world affairs, technological advancements, business innovation, and the current media landscape, Wales offers eye-opening, timely insight into our world today, and where we’re going tomorrow.

In this insightful speech, Jimmy Wales tackles the topic of cybersecurity and how it poses a threat to his vision of a globally connected world with free access to the sum of human knowledge. He addresses the dangers of government snooping, the value of encryption, and the negative impact of cybersecurity failures on freedom of expression and democracy.