Our conference, now in its third year, aims to make sense of a world in transformation. We believe there is no better lens through which to see the future than technology. Technology is changing everything, but our project is not to look at tech itself but rather at its impact. We plant ourselves firmly at the intersection of technology and the economy because we think that’s where leaders ought to plant themselves. We also seek to turn more people into leaders. We invite a select few to our retreat in the desert, but broadcast the proceedings to the world, because we think anyone can benefit from hearing the thinkers we convene.

The conference will feature Ray Kurzweil, a leading thinker, inventor, and futurist known for his track record of accurate predictions. Kurzweil sees machines and brain science inexorably converging towards the day when we get machines that are smarter than we are.  The session is a one on one conversation between Ray Kurzweil and David Kirkpatrick entitled, “Humanity Enhanced: A Conversation with Ray Kurzweil”.

The core topic is his new book, How to Create a Mind, which applies neuroscience research to the possibilities of super-intelligence. It will run from 3:50 – 4:15 pm MT on 11/11. Techonomy will live stream Ray Kurzweil’s plenary talk with David Kirkpatrick on Sunday, 11/11 at 3:50 pm Mountain Time on their website homepage, www.techonomy.com.

Here is a link to a filmed interview with Ray: http://techonomy.com/2012/11/ray-kurzweil-on-using-exponential-thinking-to-predict-the-future/.

Techonomy focuses on how the exponential pace of technology progress makes possible a new world. A wave of accelerating change driven by technology’s advance is washing over our lives, bringing great potential for business and social progress.

We believe business in every industry has the potential to grasp hold of the transformative changes happening because of the network and other tech innovations. And we know the world requires transformation–that a planet with billions of uneducated, malnourished, unhealthy, disenfranchised people cannot be sustained. Tech-driven innovation, driven by business, can help address those inequities.

Our goal at Techonomy is to help leaders and innovators better understand how to anticipate and harness this power rather than be blindsided by it. Tech-driven change demands different ways of thinking, different kinds of management, and new pathways to profit and wealth.

Social, mobile, and cloud technologies, along with a vast accumulation of measurable and actionable data, are opening new arenas of human endeavor. Meanwhile, we see an unstoppable empowerment of the individual, with implications for government, business, product development, education, and even finance. The Techonomy conference convenes discussions among leaders about these challenges and opportunities. We believe every leader must focus on the implications of technology change.

We gather a diversity of expert voices for a multidisciplinary dialogue about creating a better future. We encourage active participation by all.