Jared Cohen

Jared Cohen sees a future filled with unparalleled advances in education, economic empowerment, technology and health – accompanied by unprecedented threats and challenges. To succeed, we must realize that the digital and physical worlds can no longer be viewed as separate domains, but as one world with two fronts. In this electrifying keynote, Cohen leverages his vantage point as the president of the world’s preeminent technology incubator and experience as a State Department strategist to share eye-opening insights into the merged physical/digital world that we’re actually living in today. From the geopolitical and technological big picture, to how this merging of domains has transformed everyday life around the planet, Cohen illustrates his core ideas with case studies and stories gathered during his extensive global journeys. Known as a highly collaborative and imaginative speaker, Cohen “rolls up his sleeves” to work with clients and provide a perceptive view of the issues that affect their organization most. From current trends to anticipating what’s next, Jared Cohen’s remarkable vision will change the way you look at your work, life, organization and the future that lies ahead.

Did you know that over 60 percent of the world's population is under the age of 30? Jared Cohen does, and understands that this generation is the most savvy in connection technology yet, making it also the most individually-empowered generation in the world's history. Yet governments seem to ignore the size and potential influence of this demographic, perhaps failing to understand that the future of the world depends on what happens as this global youth bulge enters adulthood.

Today, young people in democratic societies take full advantage of new technologies, finding it increasingly easy to connect to the new diplomats and change-makers of the 21st century. And where autocracy dominates, the youth of these nations will become the de facto opposition. Cohen deftly articulates this phenomenon, while outlining a path for these young people – from the world's most democratic to its most autocratic societies.

Jared Cohen pioneered the use of technology in America's foreign policy. Using anecdotes and insights gleaned from his years in the State Department, Cohen explains that the technological revolution is not just about new technologies: it is about how individuals use them. For example, it was Cohen who successfully led the charge from the State Department to urge the postponement of the routine scheduled maintenance of Twitter.com during the Iranian election protests in the summer of 2009, recognizing Twitter as the Iranians' only outlet for voicing what was truly happening in their country. It was also Cohen who led dozens of tech CEOs from Silicon Valley into the most turbulent parts of the world in efforts to connect the industry and foreign policy. In this fascinating keynote, Cohen will use stories such as these to broaden your grasp of what technology is capable of, deepening your understanding of how it can be used creatively and strategically to put you – and your business – on the cutting edge.

In the 21st century, statecraft – the art of leading a country, organizations, and companies – will be as much about relationship-building as it is negotiating. Drawing on his experience both in the government and in the private sector, Jared Cohen makes the compelling argument that governments and corporations must partner in order to develop fresh new solutions to traditional problems. This collaboration and exchange of ideas between the private and public sectors provides new and innovative ways to go about solving challenges, and opens up both parties to opportunities not available without the other. As the world changes rapidly around us, the communication and sharing of ideas between private and public has never been more vital. Throughout this keynote, Cohen shares successful examples and explores the vast possibilities that these collaborations can bring about in the future.

We witnessed a physical attack on our nation on 9/11, as terrorists forcefully hijacked aircrafts and flew them into the Pentagon and Twin Towers. We've also experienced cyber attacks on our networks, as hackers on the other side of the world inserted malicious software into systems that operate some of our critical infrastructures. Now imagine a combined physical and cyber attack.

In this gripping keynote, Jared Cohen looks to the future and predicts that in the new digital age, every state will have two foreign policies and two domestic policies: one for the physical world and one for the virtual world. And to make matters even more complicated, these physical and cyber policies will often contradict each other. Cohen shares his insights on what to expect in the future and what we can do to protect ourselves from coordinated physical and cyber attacks.