<p>One of <em>Forbes</em>’ Top Futurists, Heather E. McGowan brings fresh energy and actionable insights to the future of work.</p><p> A sought-after strategist, keynote speaker, and 2x bestselling author, she equips organizations to navigate relentless change by activating their most critical resource: their people. Heather’s audiences range from startups to publicly traded Fortune 500 companies, including Google, JPMorgan Chase, Mastercard, and Kaiser Permanente. Through data-driven insights and powerful visual frameworks, she helps leaders and teams transform their distinctly human capabilities— adaptability, empathy, and curiosity—into strategic advantages. Often quoted in <em>The New York Times,</em> with Thomas Friedman calling her an “oasis” for her insights, Heather’s bestselling books include <em>The Adaptation Advantage</em> and T<em>he Empathy Advantage, </em>which was named a Top 10 Business Book of 2023. By teaching people to ask better questions, she enables them to adapt at the speed of possibility to Solve Tomorrow’s Problems™.</p>
Future-of-Work Strategist; One of <i>Forbes'</i> Top Female Futurists
<ul><li><strong>Solve Tomorrow's Problems™</strong></li><li>Harness Human Ingenuity to Navigate What's Next</li><li>Think organizations can't change quickly? History proves otherwise. When naysayers said "it can't be done," humans accomplished the impossible—in weeks, not years. Each pivotal moment reminds us of humanity’s most underestimated asset: our ability to adapt in the face of seemingly impossible odds.</li><li>In this perspective-shifting keynote, Heather challenges the myth that we resist change using unforgettable stories about a mop, a burrito, and a hermit crab to demonstrate how we can tap into our natural curiosity and hardwired drive to collaborate to see and shape what’s next. </li><li><strong>The Augmented Advantage</strong></li><li>Unleashing Human Potential in the AI Era</li><li>Think you can't remember phone numbers like you used to? You're not alone. As we hand off more tasks to technology, some of our more-human capabilities will naturally fade. Yet while automation may lead to atrophy in some areas, augmentation opens doors to entirely new human capabilities—if we are intentional. The key isn’t only using AI to replace what we currently do by automating it, but transforming work as we know it. </li><li>In this eye-opening presentation, Heather cuts through the AI hype to demonstrate why thriving alongside AI isn't about having the right answers. Instead, it's about asking better questions, framing new challenges, and treating AI as our partner—enhancing our capabilities and expanding our cognitive horizons.</li><li><strong>The Curiosity Advantage</strong></li><li>Leading in the Age of Uncertainty Remember when being a leader meant having all the answers? Today's most successful leaders are asking better questions. In a world of unprecedented opportunity, they’re not the most certain, but the most curious. According to research, this shift in profile—from know-it-alls to learn-it-alls—means we may be overlooking the very leaders we need right now. </li><li>In this paradigm-shifting talk, Heather reveals why the future belongs to forward-thinking leaders who can navigate relentless change by activating their team’s innate potential to learn, adapt, and grow.</li></ul>