November 4, 2018 – November 6, 2018

Sunday, November 4 · Café ArtScience

Fun food tech and networking—meet the event speakers and attendees.

From urban farming to edible packaging, technologies around food and beverages are impacting our environment and dining experiences. Which areas are food-tech entrepreneurs and investors focusing on for the future? How are advances in materials and automation starting to transform the industry?
(Sunday-only tickets are also available.)

5:00 – 5:45

Registration & Networking

5:45 – 5:50

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Bob Buderi, Xconomy

5:50 – 6:10

The Future of Food

David Edwards, Harvard University; Le Laboratoire

6:10 – 6:30

Robotic Kitchens & Automation

Michael Farid, Spyce

6:30 – 7:00

Networking Reception

7:00 – 8:30

Dinner

Monday, November 5 · Institute of Contemporary Art

Understand the big trends transforming business across tech, healthcare, and education—and participate in discussions about shaping the future.

(Monday-only tickets are also available.)

8:30 – 9:30

Registration & Breakfast

9:30 – 9:40

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Bob Buderi, Xconomy

9:40 – 10:05

The Changing Face of Innovation

Eveline Buchatskiy, One Way Ventures (immigrant-focused venture firm)
Clement Cazalot, Techstars (leading startup accelerator)
Greg Huang, Xconomy (moderator)

10:05 – 10:35

Technology Policy & Society: Where Are We Headed?

Mohamad Ali, Carbonite (leading data protection company)
Diane Hessan, C Space (enterprise marketing and communications)
Ari Glantz, New England Venture Capital Association (moderator)

10:35 – 11:00

Time for Meaning: A Different View of What’s Behind Society’s Biggest Problems

Esther Dyson, Way to Wellville
Bob Buderi, Xconomy (moderator)

11:05 – 11:20

Data Visualization for A.I. Insight

Fernanda Viégas, Google

11:20 – 11:50

Startups That Could Transform Business

Christopher Savoie, Zapata Computing (quantum computing)
Shimon Elkabetz, ClimaCell (advanced weather analytics)
Nabiha Saklayen, Cellino Biotech (cell therapy delivery)
Reed Sturtevant, The Engine (moderator)

12:00 – 1:15

Lunch & Gallery Tours

Breakouts

Each of the breakout sessions below will be facilitated by 2-3 experts, who will talk briefly about their work and then pose a question or challenge to the whole group and the audience for discussion. Sessions will conclude with final thoughts from each of the facilitators.

1:15 – 2:15

Breakout Sessions 1 (two parallel tracks)

Human Augmentation:
Imagine using new technology to live longer, enhance your brain, or perform superhuman feats of skill or strength. Recent developments in interfaces, robotics, and gene editing suggest some of that may become possible soon. Who is leading the way in developing such technologies? What are some of the cutting-edge companies and business strategies involved? And what are the ethics and regulations around creating superhumans? Join this special session to hear a variety of approaches and viewpoints on the future of human enhancement.

Sophie Vandebroek, IBM
Michael Schrage, MIT
Emilia Javorsky, Sundots
Greg Huang, Xconomy (moderator)

Education & Jobs 2028:
What should students be studying now to prepare for 10 years from now? With changes accelerating in technology and the job market, our kids may need to think differently to succeed. For example, there is a lot of emphasis on STEM education, like coding, but what about non-STEM skills, like Mandarin? What will new models of online and blended learning look like, and how can they best be applied? Join our experts for a far-ranging discussion on which aspects of education will matter most.

Mohamad Ali, Carbonite
Nina Huntemann, edX
Eileen Rudden, LearnLaunch
Andrea Hoffman, Culture Shift Labs (moderator)

2:15 – 2:30

Transition between breakouts

2:30 – 3:30

Breakout Sessions 2 (two parallel tracks)

Health 4D: Drugs, Data, Devices, Delivery (Sponsored by Providence Ventures)
Faster and cheaper genome sequencing is ushering in a new era of personalized medicine and healthcare. What many people don’t fully realize, however, is how the confluence of biology and the digital world is opening huge opportunities for innovative startups and established players alike—spanning the health continuum from drugmaking to patient monitoring and consumer wellness.

Joseph Frassica, Philips
Michael Greeley, Flare Capital Partners
Charles Teague, Lose It
Cyril Philip, Providence Ventures (moderator)

Smart Cities & Energy:
The cities of the future should be smarter and stronger, thanks to advances in artificial intelligence, sensors, and materials. Self-driving vehicles could reshape transportation and urban design. Cybersecurity systems need to better protect corporate networks and critical infrastructure such as the energy grid, and, who knows, smart roadways. And new approaches to renewable energy and storage could alleviate the impact of global warming. How are business leaders and technologists tackling these big problems? What progress can be made in the next few years? Join us for a deep dive into these questions, and many more.

Christina Lampe-Onnerud, Cadenza Innovation
Mariana Matus, Biobot Analytics
Carmichael Roberts, Material Impact
Jeff Engel, Xconomy (moderator)

3:30 – 4:00

Networking Break

4:00 – 4:25

Human Dynamics & the Future of Society

Sandy Pentland, MIT Media Lab

4:25 – 5:00

Tech’s Cartography

Juan Enriquez, Excel Venture Management

5:00 – 6:00

Networking Reception

Tuesday, November 6 · Google

Deeper dives from startups and enterprise companies into A.I., robotics, security, and the Internet—with fun demos.

(Tuesday-only tickets are also available.)

8:00 – 9:00

Breakfast & Registration

9:00 – 9:10

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Greg Huang, Xconomy

9:10 – 9:40

A.I. Rising in Business

John Bruce, Inrupt (new startup co-founded by Tim Berners-Lee)
Rob May, Talla (A.I. agents for enterprise businesses)
Rudina Seseri, Glasswing Ventures (moderator)

9:40 – 10:10

The View From Big Companies

Matt Baker, Dell EMC
Sophie Vandebroek, IBM
Michael Troiano, G20 Ventures (moderator)

10:10 – 10:25

Demo: Robotic Hand for Logistics

Lael Odhner, RightHand Robotics

10:25 – 10:55

Networking Break

10:55 – 11:00

Demo: Robots in Retail

Miriam Bilac, SoftBank Robotics

11:00 – 11:15

The Future of Consumer Finance

Naeem Ishaq, Circle (leading cryptocurrency startup)
Jeff Engel, Xconomy (moderator)

11:15 – 11:30

Demo: Throwable Defense Robots

Sean Bielat, Endeavor Robotics

11:30 – 12:00

Closing Chat: Future of A.I. & Security

Bob Brennan, Veracode (acquired by CA Technologies)
Michael Leland, McAfee (largest independent cybersecurity firm)
Yonatan Striem-Amit, Cybereason (leading cybersecurity startup)
Greg Huang, Xconomy (moderator)

Register Now