Article
The Future of Education and Entrepreneurship | MISK, Riyadh | Matthew Griffin | Innovation Keynote Speaker
Today one entrepreneur can impact the lives of billions, and do it at a speed that was previously unimaginable.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2021) 'The Future of Education and Entrepreneurship | MISK, Riyadh | Matthew Griffin | Innovation Keynote Speaker', 311 Institute, 20 January. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/futurist-virtual-keynote-saudi-arabia-the-future-of-education-and-entrepreneurship-misk/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Firstly, thank you to the MiSK Foundation and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, for asking me to be this year’s MiSK Talks keynote - albeit virtually because of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic.
Held every year to promote entrepreneurship and futures thinking across the kingdom with a special focus on how new technologies can help the kingdom realise their Vision 2030 strategy, the events drive in format is one of the most unique I’ve experienced - and that’s saying something bearing in mind that in the past I’ve shared stages with everything from military helicopters and Abrhams tanks to big brass bands and self-driving cars.
See the keynote in full (in Arabic)
The English version (Post event edit)
Nestled between two of Riyadh’s busiest highways in the middle of a sand covered parking lot next to the Expo center the audience used their FM car radios to listen in to the speakers as they watched their presentations on the giant screens that straddled the giant stage, and as you can see from the video the effect is very distinctive.
With over 800 people in the audience, all socially distanced in the comfort of their cars, and more people watching the live streams, I discussed the Future of Education and Entrepreneurship and the impact new technologies and thinking will help reform today’s industrial age education systems so it’s future fit, and how entrepreneurs will be able to develop and grow their businesses at a speed and scale that would have been almost unimaginable even just a decade ago.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Today one entrepreneur can impact the lives of billions, and do it at a speed that was previously unimaginable.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on articles and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
- MiSK Foundation misk.org.sa
- Misk talks 2020 impact hub.misk.org.sa
- Vision 2030 strategy vision2030.gov.sa
- Data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x3e2efd9f28bb6011:0x2957677d27c68d1c!8m2!3d24.8359307!4d46.7300265 google.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 20 January 2021. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2021). The Future of Education and Entrepreneurship | MISK, Riyadh | Matthew Griffin | Innovation Keynote Speaker. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/futurist-virtual-keynote-saudi-arabia-the-future-of-education-and-entrepreneurship-misk/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.