Nominated as speaker of the year by Sweden’s largest agency for public speakers, Ashkan Fardost is a rising star on the international lecture circuit. He has intrigued and inspired audiences at more than 600 events in over 20 countries, with his unique analysis of the world we live in and how business, leadership, behaviour and communication will evolve in the future.
On stage, Ashkan performs a fine balancing act as he skilfully challenges and charms his audience. We are in a new era – the era of the information society. Understanding change and having the ability to handle it are more important than ever. Ashkan takes you on an unforgettable journey from the distant past to the unwritten future and equips you with a compass for navigating the dramatic changes taking place in society.
He is a musician, an academic, an entrepreneur and a philosopher of the future. His lectures have captivated audiences of all sizes, from major events for global corporations to focused workshops for company boards, from the prestigious stage of TEDxBerlin to the classrooms of New York University.
»Ashkan Fardost gave what might have been the day’s most purely entertaining event, albeit with a profound point. Through sheer charm he managed to not alienate his audience with his opening statement “sales are dead”, which was probably a tough sell to the crowd. Over the course of a fascinating 30 minutes he expounded a theory which managed to join the dots between trance music, prehistory cave dwelling society, the implications of the invention of the printing press and why the internet is fundamentally coming full circle back to tribalism. It was a rollercoaster.«
Katarina Bäckman Hed, Executive Producer, Mercuri International Sverige
As an academic, an entrepreneur and a philosopher of the future, Ashkan has studied the history of humanity’s eternal dance with change.
How does business, society and our own behaviour change with time? How is leadership, the workplace and communication affected? Pandemics, economic cycles and trends come and go but they are insignificant in the broader sweep of history. All of the most profound changes in society have followed a revolution in the flow of information between people. Information technology defines the rules of the game – for everything and everyone.
With the role of information as the ever-present theme in his analysis, Ashkan takes his audience on a journey into the future and provides deep insights into the real changes we are facing. To handle these changes will require strategies, abilities and attitudes that we may have forgotten over time – but which we all still have within us.
To understand what is going on and where we are heading, Ashkan draws upon his knowledge from his academic research, combined with his experience from the music industry, the tech scene and the new media environment.
“If you don’t understand the role of information technology then you’re not just misinterpreting history but also the present. That’s why almost everyone gets the future wrong.”
We live in a time of sweeping societal change. Leadership, the workplace, communication and all of the prerequisites for innovation – including the definition of value itself – are being fundamentally recast.
Ashkan’s unique macro-perspective and his theory of human history gives you the knowledge you need to understand how this new information society is reshaping business, society and our own behaviour.
With his provocative and inspiring stage presence, Ashkan provides you with an enduring analysis of the world we live in, along with a compass to help you find your way towards growth and success.
He offers tailor-made lectures for a range of different audiences, including those who wish to explore the future of leadership, communication, innovation, culture and social progress.
»The keynote provocation delivered by Ashkan at the 8th World Summit on Arts and Culture was insightful, dynamic and thought provoking; it was an aspirational intervention that sparked reactions and conversations, just as we hoped. We are incredibly grateful to Ashkan for his well prepared, grounded and thoughtful contribution to a vital conversation among government leaders, policy makers and civil society on the future of arts and culture.«
Magdalena Moreno Mujica, Executive Director, International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies
When he was 17, Ashkan hacked Napster – the pioneering audio file-sharing application – and ended up signing a record contract with the global music giant EMI and Armada Music. It was 2002 and the music industry was about to be transformed by the digital revolution. Ashkan witnessed the change from the inside. His fascination for science took him to Uppsala university and a PhD. This was followed by many years in the tech industry at Soundtrap by Spotify and then teaching at the international digital creative business school, Hyper Island.
Today, Ashkan speaks all over the world. From the biggest corporate conference stages to focused board workshops, from the prestigious TEDxBerlin event to the classrooms of New York University, Ashkan has delivered more than 600 lectures in over 20 countries.
»Ashkan delivered a excellent speech. The audience satisfaction was proven the day after when he was quoted by them. Ashkan is an exceptional and humble person and highly professional both in regards to preparations as well as the performance.«
Janine Sjöö, Head of Employee Experience, Stena Line
Ashkan holds a doctorate and has been active in the Swedish startup scene for many years as an innovator and an investor. He teaches at the international digital creative business school, Hyper Island and presents one of Sweden’s most acclaimed podcasts.
