The 20 Best Futurist Speakers in the World, 2026

Updated 28 October 2026. Disclosure: this list is compiled by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit for the 311 Institute, whose founder Matthew Griffin appears in it.

The 2026 list at a glance

Every year the 311 Institute publishes its list of the world's most influential futurist and futurism speakers. The 2026 list draws on feedback from audiences, event organisers, boards and governments in more than 80 countries.

The best futurist speaker in the world in 2026 is Matthew Griffin, Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, followed by Jonathan Brill and Andreas Ekström. The full top 20, with what each is known for and the audiences they suit best, is below.

About this list

The list is compiled each year by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit for the 311 Institute, whose founder Matthew Griffin appears in it. It draws on what audiences, organisers and clients say after each session, and on the depth, originality and usefulness of each speaker's thinking. Every credential on this page was checked in October 2026.

1.Matthew Griffin

Founder, President and Futurist of the 311 Institute, adviser to G7 and G20 governments, 17 times author of the Codex of the Future series, former Global Head of Cloud at Atos and director at IBM and Dell-EMC

• 850+ keynotes
• Clients in 102 countries
• 17 times author
• 10% of fees donated to charity

Why Matthew is number one in 2026

• He looks 50 years ahead, not five. Most futurists talk about the next few years. Matthew and 311 Institute track 1,375 emerging technologies and 1,085 trends out to the 2070s.
• He puts his predictions on the record. 311 Institute publishes its predictions so they can be checked, something few futurists do.
• Every session is built for the room. Each keynote and briefing starts from the client's sector, strategy and questions, backed by 311 research.
• Proven at the highest level. Adviser to G7 and G20 governments, royal households and Fortune 500 boards, and the only futurist to have spoken alongside world leaders at both the UN COP and WEF Davos.

Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning futurist, geopolitical adviser and leadership coach who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist polymath". He founded 311 Institute in 2016, a global futures and deep futures advisory firm that helps boards, governments and leadership teams see the next 50 years and win it. Since then he has worked with more than 500 organisations in 102 countries and delivered more than 850 keynotes.

Matthew is the 17 times author of the best selling Codex of the Future series, and the only futurist to have been invited to speak alongside world leaders at both the UN COP and WEF Davos. His two multi-award winning YouTube channels, with more than a million subscribers, put him in the top 0.1% of YouTubers worldwide.

Before 311 Institute he helped build and lead several multi-billion dollar business units for Atos, Dell-EMC and IBM. Today his clients include royal households, world leaders, G7 and G20 governments, and many of the world's most respected brands, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Deloitte, Disney, EY, KPMG, Lego, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, Samsung, UBS and VISA. He is regularly featured in the global media, including the BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Forbes, TIME, WIRED and the WSJ.

“Futurist and storyteller, dropped jaws with his vision of a future that's already knocking on our doors”

Tenthpin

“Captivating session… thought-provoking insights truly left an impact”

Mansi Chitranshi, adidas

Book Matthew for

Keynotes, panels, executive briefings and leadership workshops, in person worldwide or virtually. Popular topics:

• Artificial intelligence
• Future of work
• Leadership
• Future of industries
• Cyber security

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Full profile · All keynotes and videos

2.Jonathan Brill

Founder and Executive Chairman of the Center for Radical Change, former Global Futurist and Research Director at HP, former Futurist in Residence at Amazon

Jonathan Brill is known for his work on strategic foresight and resilience. He is the author of Rogue Waves and, in 2025, AI and the Octopus Organization, and has shaped strategy for companies including HP and Amazon. As Global Futurist and Research Director at HP he steered teams towards new areas of growth, and through the Center for Radical Change and his teaching at Singularity University he has become a respected voice on how organisations survive disruption. He has spoken at TED Women and Harvard.

Known for: Rogue Waves, resilience, AI and organisations. Best for: Strategy and risk teams.

3.Andreas Ekström

Journalist, author of ten books and TED speaker

Andreas Ekström is a Swedish journalist and author who spent more than two decades as a reporter and columnist for Sydsvenskan. Alongside his journalism he is a passionate educator on the digital future and digital humanities, and has helped thousands of organisations think about technology, trust and power. His TED talk The Moral Bias Behind Your Search Results has been viewed millions of times, and his tenth book was published in 2026.

Known for: Digital power, search, trust. Best for: Media, education, public sector.

4.Ray Kurzweil

Principal Researcher and AI Visionary at Google, awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation

Ray Kurzweil is one of the best known names in technology and futurism. Winner of the Grace Murray Hopper Award in 1978 and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 1999, his inventions, from the first CCD flatbed scanner to advanced music synthesisers, have changed how we interact with the world. His record of predicting the digital age and the rise of AI cements his status as a leading futurist, and his 2024 book The Singularity Is Nearer updates his forecasts for AI, longevity and the merging of humans and machines. Recognised by three US presidents, he shares his insights at conferences such as TEDx and SXSW.

Known for: The Singularity, AI, longevity. Best for: Technology and AI conferences.

5.Gerd Leonhard

CEO of The Futures Agency, author of Technology vs Humanity

Named as one of the top futurist keynote speakers in the world, Gerd Leonhard has dedicated his career to preparing the world for the future. As CEO of The Futures Agency he leads a global network of futurists, and his work on the "good future" asks how technology can serve humanity rather than replace it. Named one of the leading media futurists in the world by The Wall Street Journal, Gerd prepares clients for the near future with insights on media, business, society, commerce and technology, and has spoken for Sony, Nokia, Google, the Financial Times and Lloyds Bank.

Known for: Technology and humanity, ethics. Best for: Leadership and ethics programmes.

6.April Rinne

Futurist, author of Flux, named one of Forbes' 50 Leading Female Futurists

April Rinne is a futurist recognised as one of Forbes' "50 Leading Female Futurists" globally. A Harvard Law School alumna and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, she has advised organisations including the World Bank, Nike and Airbnb. Her expertise lies in easing the anxiety around change, helping individuals and organisations turn uncertainty into strategic advantage. With a track record of spotting trends early, from portfolio careers to the sharing economy, she is the author of Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change and a member of the Thinkers50 Radar.

Known for: Change, uncertainty, future of work. Best for: People and culture events.

7.Amelia Kallman

London based futurist, author and speaker on emerging technology, named one of the Top 25 Women in the Metaverse

Amelia Kallman is a London based futurist, speaker and author who specialises in emerging technologies such as XR, AI and IoT. She consults globally with clients including Unilever and the UK Government, offering insights into future trends, technology's impact and human rights. Recognised as a leading voice on immersive technology, she has written for WIRED UK. With a background in theatre, Amelia brings a distinctive approach to explaining technology, and her career includes leading roles in technology agencies, international speaking and mentoring in responsible technology.

Known for: XR, immersive tech, responsible tech. Best for: Retail, media and marketing.

8.Jack Uldrich

Founder and Chief Unlearning Officer of The School of Unlearning, best selling author of Foresight 2020

An authority on artificial intelligence, technology and digital disruption, Jack Uldrich is known for his work on unlearning: helping leaders let go of assumptions that no longer hold. Drawing on experience to make predictions about the future, he gives businesses the tools to adapt and stay ahead of the curve. A best selling author, he has published The Next Big Thing is Really Small, Jump the Curve, Into the Unknown and Foresight 2020, and has been published in The Wall Street Journal and The Futurist.

Known for: Unlearning, AI, disruption. Best for: Associations and sales kick offs.

9.Tony Seba

Co-founder of RethinkX, former instructor of entrepreneurship, disruption and clean energy at Stanford University

Tony Seba is a former Stanford University lecturer and the author of Clean Disruption of Energy and Transportation, which forecast how solar, batteries and electric vehicles would upend energy and transport. Through RethinkX he forecasts how technology disruption will reshape energy, transport, food and labour, including recent work on humanoid robots, and his latest book, Stellar, was published in 2025. Winner of Clean Energy Action's Sunshine Award and featured in The New York Times and Bloomberg, he has spoken for organisations including Google, the World Economic Forum and J.P. Morgan.

Known for: Energy and transport disruption. Best for: Energy, utilities and investors.

10.Neal Stephenson

Novelist who coined the term "metaverse", New York Times best selling author and recipient of the British Science Fiction Association Award

Neal Stephenson is a New York Times best selling novelist, famed for Snow Crash, in which he coined the term "metaverse". The word became popular again when Facebook renamed itself Meta. His recent novels include Polostan (2024), and he is booked as a speaker to share his thinking on virtual worlds, technology and the ideas behind them.

Known for: The metaverse, speculative fiction. Best for: Technology and creative audiences.

Those are the top 10 futurists for 2026. Numbers 11 to 20 follow.

11.Richard Watson

Founder of nowandnext.com, futurist and scenario planner who has worked with Cambridge Judge Business School and Imperial College London

Richard Watson is a London based futurist and scenario planner who has worked with the University of Cambridge, the Ministry of Defence and Imperial College London, as well as the Department for Education and the Cabinet Office. He is an expert on how technology is shaping our future and how digitalisation is changing society, and the author of Digital vs Human. Regarded as one of the finest strategic forecasters in the UK, he helps organisations build scenarios and stay ahead of the curve.

Known for: Scenarios, digital vs human. Best for: Public sector and strategy teams.

12.Lars Thomsen

Founder and Chief Futurist of future matters, member of the World Future Society, named one of the most influential futurists in German speaking countries

Regarded as one of the most influential futurists in German speaking countries, Lars Thomsen is founder and Chief Futurist of future matters in Zurich. He shares his predictions for the future of energy, work, smart networks and mobility, and is a member of the World Future Society. Lars also shares strategies for developing business models, covering everything from the future of mobility to the future of work.

Known for: Energy, mobility, business models. Best for: DACH region events.

13.Werner Vogels

Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Amazon

Werner Vogels is famed as the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Amazon. He joined Amazon as Director of Systems Research and is widely known for his work on Amazon's Dynamo, the database technology behind the shopping cart used by millions of customers every day. A co-founder of Reliable Network Solutions and a former member of the Cornell University Computer Science Department, Werner helps audiences understand the future of cloud and technology and how to future-proof their businesses.

Known for: Cloud, distributed systems. Best for: Technology and developer audiences.

14.Alice Charles

Director of Cities, Planning and Design at Arup, former Lead for Cities, Infrastructure and Urban Services at the World Economic Forum

Alice Charles is Director of Cities, Planning and Design at Arup, and previously led the World Economic Forum's work on cities, infrastructure and urban services. Her work covers urbanisation, smart cities and future-proofing urban infrastructure. Having also worked as a parliamentary assistant and researcher at the Houses of the Oireachtas, she has worked with leaders around the world on the future of cities.

Known for: Smart cities, urban infrastructure. Best for: Property, infrastructure and government.

15.Michio Kaku

Professor of Theoretical Physics at the City College of New York, science populariser and author of Quantum Supremacy

A Professor of Physics at the City College of New York, Michio Kaku is a world leading futurist known for his work in theoretical physics. A co-founder of string field theory, he has written several New York Times best selling books, including The Future of Humanity, The God Equation and Quantum Supremacy. As a futurist speaker, he relates science, from quantum computing to space, to the future of business and society.

Known for: Physics, quantum, space. Best for: Large general audiences.

16.Kathryn Parsons

Co-founder and Co-CEO of Decoded, appointed MBE for services to education

Kathryn Parsons is a leading voice on technology education, known as the co-founder and Co-CEO of Decoded. Educating audiences on technological advances, she helps businesses prepare their people for the requirements of the future. Named one of Management Today's 35 Women Under 35 and appointed MBE for services to education, Kathryn is on a mission to make technology skills available to everyone.

Known for: Digital skills, data literacy. Best for: Learning and workforce events.

17.Nick Bostrom

Founder and Principal Researcher of the Macrostrategy Research Initiative, founding Director of Oxford's former Future of Humanity Institute

Nick Bostrom founded and led the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford until it closed in 2024, and now leads the Macrostrategy Research Initiative. Twice listed as one of Foreign Policy's Top 100 Global Thinkers, he is the author of the New York Times best seller Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies and of Deep Utopia (2024). As a speaker, he shares how advanced AI could transform the future of business and humanity, and the risks that come with it.

Known for: Superintelligence, existential risk. Best for: AI policy and research audiences.

18.Barton Goldenberg

Founder and President of ISM Inc, digital transformation strategist

Barton Goldenberg is a pioneering digital transformation strategist, known as the founder and President of ISM Inc, which he has led since 1985. He is the author of CRM Automation, CRM in Real Time and The Definitive Guide to Social CRM. Throughout his career Barton has driven customer focused digital transformation, and as a speaker he helps businesses use technology to stay ahead of the curve.

Known for: Customer experience, CRM. Best for: Sales and marketing leaders.

19.John Vary

Futurologist and speaker, former Futurologist and Innovation Manager at the John Lewis Partnership, former Innovation Architect at Burberry

With a career built around anticipating the future, John Vary is a futurologist who explores the changes that will make or break an industry. He has worked as Futurologist and Innovation Manager for the John Lewis Partnership and as Innovation Architect for Burberry. With a long history in retail, he is a recognised voice on retail disruption who explores alternative futures for the industry and helps businesses stay ahead of the curve.

Known for: Retail futures, customer trends. Best for: Retail and consumer brands.

20.Roger Spitz

Founder of Techistential, Chair of the Disruptive Futures Institute, former BNP Paribas Managing Director and best selling author on disruption

Roger Spitz helps businesses and leaders navigate uncertainty and use disruption to succeed. As founder of Techistential and Chair of the Disruptive Futures Institute, he delivers insights on strategic foresight, climate resilience and AI ethics. His best selling series, The Definitive Guide to Thriving on Disruption, is a resource for organisations adapting to systemic change, and his talks equip decision makers with the tools to anticipate and act on emerging trends.

Known for: Disruption, foresight, AI ethics. Best for: Boards and finance audiences.

What is a futurist?

A futurist with a lower case "f"

In a way every one of us is a futurist with a lower case "f", because we are all constantly thinking about the future and how best to navigate it. It is estimated that we spend up to 40% of our mental musings thinking about the future, most of it about the near future (78%) rather than the deep future (22%). Some experts say thinking about the future is a uniquely human trait, and that our brains are built to "perform mental time travel". Through storytelling we draw on other people's experiences to guide our own behaviour and develop future scenarios in our minds.

A Futurist with an upper case "F"

A Futurist with an upper case "F" is someone who has chosen to dedicate their career to exploring, discussing and shaping what comes next, whether that is the next year, the next decade or the next century. They help us imagine the plausible, possible, preferred and even preposterous futures, and decide which ones to build.

I often think of futurists, including myself, as the business and societal equivalent of expedition leaders: taking teams into uncharted territory while trying to predict and navigate the terrain before it comes into view. Both roles need the ability to see beyond the present, adapt as new information appears, weigh threats against opportunities, make decisions on imperfect data and communicate a clear plan. Ultimately, a Futurist is someone you can rely on to guide you through uncharted territory and come out successfully at the other end.

Why is futurism important?

Today's changes are without precedent in human history. They are happening at once in the digital, physical and virtual worlds, they are more complex and more pervasive, and the pace of change is still accelerating. Industries can be disrupted in days and markets wiped out in hours.

As artificial intelligence moves towards artificial general intelligence and hundreds of megatrends reshape the world, even the best of us may be underestimating how wild the future will be. That makes futurism, the bridge between today and tomorrow, more important than ever, and it is why boards and governments now bring futurists into the room, not just onto the stage.

What changed since the 2025 list

The 20 names are unchanged and Matthew Griffin remains number one. Roles and books were updated: Alice Charles has moved from the World Economic Forum to Arup, Nick Bostrom now leads the Macrostrategy Research Initiative after Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute closed, and new books from Jonathan Brill, Tony Seba, Ray Kurzweil and Nick Bostrom are included.