EXPLORE PEOPLE
People worth listening to
The people shaping our thinking about leadership, behavior, experience, cities, brands and growth.
Founder of Creative Class GroupRichard Florida
Richard Florida is one of the world’s leading urbanists.
He is a writer and journalist, having penned several bestsellers, including the award- winning The Rise of the Creative Class and The New Urban Crisis. He co-founded CityLab, the world’s leading publication for cities and urbanism.
Leading disruptor & innovatorChip Conley
Chip Conley is one of the world's leading experts at the intersection of business innovation, psychology and spirituality.
As one of the creators of the boutique hotel movement and the "modern elder" to the young Airbnb founders, Chip's been a disruptor and expert on entrepreneurship and business leadership.
Design, identity, creativity and culture.Debbie Millman
Leader in Design Thinking & BrandMarty Neumeier
Brand Consultant & Marketing ProfessorMark Ritson
Cultural FuturistNamed “one of the most creative people in business” by Fast Company, “one of the most influential designers working today” by Graphic Design USA, and a “woman of influence” by Success Magazine, Debbie Millman has built a remarkable career at the intersection of design, storytelling, and cultural commentary.
You want to be a brand genius. You want to build businesses, outmaneuver competitors, even disrupt industries. You’re not happy just to satisfy customers. You want to delight them. Engage them. Empower them. You want to organize them into an army of advocates who’ll spread the word about your product, service, or company, then Marty is the man to learn from.
Mark Ritson is a brand consultant and marketing professor. He has a PhD in Marketing and taught on the MBA programmes of leading business schools including London Business School and MIT. He has written a column on marketing for almost 20 years, winning the PPA Business Columnist of the Year four times. He is clearly not afraid to say it how it is, and his writing is honest and refreshing. He teaches the MiniMBA in Marketing and MiniMBA in Brand Management.
Jasmine Bina
Jasmine Bina is a cultural futurist and strategist shaping the way brands and leaders anticipate what’s next.
As the founder of Concept Bureau, a research and strategy studio, and the co-founder of Exposure Therapy, she helps brands and leaders decode the shifting landscapes of belief systems, emerging psychotechnologies, and evolving generational values. She maps the deep psychological and cultural undercurrents that shape consumer behavior, identity formation, and markets.
Insights that stick with us“People are an economic asset.”
-Richard Florida
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Research
EVIDENCE WORTH EXPLORING
Good strategy needs more than instinct.We follow research that helps us understand changing consumer behavior, economic forces, technology, cities, culture, retail, hospitality and the future of work.
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Places
PLACES THAT MAKE US PAY ATTENTION
A place tells you a lot about what its creators believe about people. We look at streets, neighborhoods, shopping districts, hotels, airports, restaurants, cultural destinations, stadium districts and mixed-use developments. -
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Brands
BRANDS WORTH WATCHING
The best brands don't simply sell something. They create preference. They make an experience easier, more meaningful, more desirable or more memorable. -
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Culture
CULTURE IS COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE
Culture tells us what people are beginning to care about before conventional market research always catches up. -
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Futures & Foresight
A LOOK AHEAD & AROUND THE CORNER
We don't believe anyone can predict the future.But we do believe leaders can become better at seeing the signals. The futurists we follow help us distinguish between a passing trend and a meaningful shift.
