Parag is a brilliant, energetic, and mesmerizing speaker who carried the opening day at our recent symposium, the largest annual gathering of geospatial intelligence practitioners in the world. Our almost 4,000 attendees bring wide-ranging areas of expertise regarding myriad emerging technologies, including remote sensing, data analytics, and intelligence for national security. They were universally blown away by Parag’s talk, and the concepts he raised were grist for superb conversations and debates during the entirety of our event.
Speaking Topics
Geopolitical Economy: Winners and Losers in the New Global Macro
Today’s global macro landscape features a volatile mix of geopolitical upheaval, economic fragmentation, market gyrations, technological disruptions, demographic headwinds and climate shocks. What new regime is likely to emerge and how can investors find alpha across geographies and asset classes? In a world beset by complexity, Dr. Khanna offers something rare: clarity. While headlines fixate on instability, He delivers high-conviction predictions that can anchor your strategic decisions. For the past quarter century, Parag has been a highly sought-after adviser to the largest and most prestigious institutional investors and asset managers from sovereign wealth funds and pensions to investment banks, private equity and family offices. His data-rich analysis paints an interdisciplinary picture of key megatrends, confidently forecasting which markets and sectors will outperform in the turbulent years ahead. A globally renowned futurist with real-world experience in more than 150 countries, Parag brings a distinctly global and comparative vantage point as a trusted advisor regularly immersed with top corporate and government leaders. With confident insights drawn from his acclaimed books such as Connectography and The Future is Asian, he maps the structural forces driving capital across the planet in search of alpha.
The Geopolitical Marketplace: Navigating the New Strategic Landscape
America no longer runs the world, nor will a “new Cold War” between the US and China determine global order. Instead, we find ourselves in a hyper-competitive “geopolitical marketplace,” the term Dr. Khanna coined two decades ago in his classic strategic travelogue The Second World: Empires and Influence in the New Global Order, which documented how the US, China and EU – the “Big Three” – are vying to dominate their own regions and become the trusted providers of vital services across the military, financial, energy, industry, technology, infrastructure and other domains. Meanwhile, rather than choose sides, smart countries practice a deft “multi-alignment,” doing business in all directions to get the best deal for themselves and forming new institutional arrangements that are shaping the future of diplomacy and governance. Based on his pioneering research and extensive experience advising dozens of heads of state and global corporations, and his boots-on-the-ground frontline role advising US Special Operations Forces in combat zones as well as the US National Intelligence Council, Dr. Khanna translates his insider status in leading capitals into actionable strategies to guide you through this complex new global landscape.
The Global War for Young Talent: Capturing the Mobile Generation
Our species is rapidly reaching “peak humanity.” The global population may cross nine billion people during the 2030s, but many aging societies from Europe to East Asia are already depopulating due to collapsing fertility and low immigration. But most of the world’s people are still young — and as they vote with their feet, they determine the winners and losers of the 21st century. Countries are now vigorously competing in a global war for young talent to attract the taxpayers and homeowners, laborers and caregivers, students and entrepreneurs to build and finance their future. But in a remote working world, millennials and Gen-Z are moving targets as they abandon national loyalty in favor of the most affordable and liberal lifestyle – and select brands on the basis of community and authenticity. Drawing upon the extensive global fieldwork captured in his far-sighted book MOVE, Dr. Khanna presents the future from the standpoint of the most mobile generation in history, explaining their values and priorities – and guiding your talent and marketing strategies for the years ahead. He offers a compelling roadmap for corporate leaders to align hiring, retention, and brand strategies with the realities of a borderless digital workforce.
Adapting to Climate Chaos: How to Future Proof Your Company and Country
The climate will not adapt to us – we have to adapt to it. Natural disasters are intensifying, with hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, heatwaves and other catastrophes inflicting ever greater economic and societal damage everywhere. Climate refugees now outnumber political asylum seekers, and conflicts over food and water are sparking uncontrolled mass migrations. Promises to reduce greenhouse emissions are clearly not enough. That is why climate adaptation must urgently become our foremost priority. This includes redesigning our cities, accelerating renewable energy deployment, boosting local food production, and relocating our businesses and operations to more resilient habitats. As Founder & CEO of AlphaGeo, the leading geospatial AI software, Dr. Khanna draws upon his proprietary platform to deliver detailed analysis of your local, national and global footprint, customizing an investment strategy to guide you towards resilient geographies and supply chain networks. Amidst rising climate chaos, the most circular economies, adapted societies and agile companies will emerge as future-proof.
The Future is Asian: Accessing the World’s Economic Epicenter
Asia is not just the future – it is the present. With billions of people and trillions of economic growth generated each year, Asia is the world’s undisputed economic core and strategic cockpit. Most of the world’s population and more than a third of its GDP are contained within this increasingly dense mega-region of trade and investment agreements. Asia used to produce for the world, now the world produces for Asia. After Japan and China, the next chapter of Asia’s economic story is being written by the “fourth wave” regions of South and Southeast Asia as countries such as India and Vietnam become key destinations for high-tech manufacturing, capturing value chains in ever more sectors and leading the world in minting unicorns. Yet navigating Asia’s dizzying diversity of cultures and regulations requires both macro and micro expertise, as well as a keen understanding of current geopolitical tensions. As the bestselling author of the standard reference book The Future is Asian, there is no better guide than Dr. Khanna to the region that will define the rest of this century.
Citizen of Everywhere: A Conversation with Dr. Parag Khanna
What does it mean to be a worldly person? How should you raise kids with skills necessary for tomorrow’s world? What are the best places to live and retire? Born in India, raised in the UAE, New York and Germany, and having lived in Switzerland, London and Singapore, Dr. Khanna has cultivated a lifestyle as a “citizen of everywhere.” This approach has yielded profound insights captured in his many books spanning geopolitics, technology, governance and travel – and elevated him to the status of a trusted advisor to many world leaders and corporate figures. Executives will savor this philosophical yet grounded conversation drawing on Parag’s unique life experiences as an adventurous scholar who’s visited more than 150 countries and earned comparisons to Henry Kissinger and Alvin Toffler. His worldview presents the essential middle ground between the forces of nationalism and globalism.
Formats
Dr. Khanna offers the following formats for his engagements:
– TED-style keynotes with large-screen maps and data visualizations
– Formal corporate presentations with industry relevant data and insights
– Interactive panel dialogues as moderator or speaker
– Exclusive boardroom briefings delivering actionable strategies for executives
– Leadership retreats mixing foresight workshops with casual dialogue
– Fireside chats offering wide-ranging, contemporary, personal and witty dialogue
– Online webinars featuring presentations and interactive Q&A