Michael Rogers

  • MSNBC’s “The Practical Futurist”
  • Technology Expert

Michael Rogers is a technology pioneer, novelist and journalist whose consultancy, PRACTICAL FUTURIST, helps businesses and organizations worldwide think about the future.

 

Michael Rogers headshot
Past Hosts Include:
  • State University of New York Health Education Conference
  • Kentucky Bankers Association
  • National University Continuing Education Association
  • System One Amadeus
  • Alcatel-Lucent
  • National Association of Federal Credit Unions
  • Mortgage Bankers Association of America
  • American Society for Training & Development
  • Federal Reserve Bank of New York
  • Boeing
Rave Reviews About Michael Rogers as a Speaker
Some futurists are good storytellers with plenty of charisma but no 'wisdom' or experience and others have loads of experience but no charisma. You demonstrated both.

Talks & Conversations with Michael Rogers
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Management Meets the Future

Managers are facing multiple new challenges: virtual work forces, flattened corporate structures, a new generation of ambitious and cyber-savvy workers, a heightened atmosphere of public scrutiny— not to mention the perennial pressure to do more with less. How are smart managers coping and wha ...

Managers are facing multiple new challenges: virtual work forces, flattened corporate structures, a new generation of ambitious and cyber-savvy workers, a heightened atmosphere of public scrutiny— not to mention the perennial pressure to do more with less. How are smart managers coping and what’s next to come?

The State of Trust

In many ways, modern technology has temporarily eroded trust, as bloggers blow the whistle on corporate cover-ups or catch the big media companies in mistakes or misrepresentations. In families it has created a new tension between parents and children, as kids seek freedom in the Internet world whil ...

In many ways, modern technology has temporarily eroded trust, as bloggers blow the whistle on corporate cover-ups or catch the big media companies in mistakes or misrepresentations. In families it has created a new tension between parents and children, as kids seek freedom in the Internet world while parents worry, quite rightly, about the dangers that lie online. But there are also some methods emerging wherein new technology can be used to increase trust among families and communities.

The Virtualization of America

Over the next decade, more and more of our work, what we care about and how we interact with others is going to move into the virtual world, mediated by computers and the Internet. In addition, we’re seeing the rise of a new generation of “digital natives” who are remarkably comfor ...

Over the next decade, more and more of our work, what we care about and how we interact with others is going to move into the virtual world, mediated by computers and the Internet. In addition, we’re seeing the rise of a new generation of “digital natives” who are remarkably comfortable with virtual relationships. What will this mean for how our businesses and organizations must grow and evolve in the years to come?

The Digital Lifestyle

Computers, the Internet and the digitization of all media are changing many aspects of the American lifestyle—from how we work, where we shop, how we entertain ourselves and even how we meet our mates. It is also beginning to reshape the way our homes are built, furnished and lived-in. What do ...

Computers, the Internet and the digitization of all media are changing many aspects of the American lifestyle—from how we work, where we shop, how we entertain ourselves and even how we meet our mates. It is also beginning to reshape the way our homes are built, furnished and lived-in. What does the digital lifestyle mean for what companies must do to reach their customers and how products must change to meet new needs? It’s necessary to tie together strands from pop culture, consumer electronics and even home décor to understand fully the scope of the transformation.

Telecommunications and Media

The rise of the Internet and the digitization of all media are having a profound effect on both the telecom and media industries. The relationship between the creators of content and the owners of “the pipes” has never been more complex or volatile. And new technologies such as wireless ...

The rise of the Internet and the digitization of all media are having a profound effect on both the telecom and media industries. The relationship between the creators of content and the owners of “the pipes” has never been more complex or volatile. And new technologies such as wireless broadband and VOIP are only now arriving. What will the next decade see in content and services delivery, customer expectations, the protection of intellectual property, and the role of traditional media?

Globalization

We have only seen the beginning of how globalization will change our world over the next decades. The democratization of information via the Internet, the rise of middle class consumers in the developing world, the spread of outsourcing to professions like law and medicine, new competitors dislodgin ...

We have only seen the beginning of how globalization will change our world over the next decades. The democratization of information via the Internet, the rise of middle class consumers in the developing world, the spread of outsourcing to professions like law and medicine, new competitors dislodging Fortune 500 firms in global markets, increased pressure on natural resources…the list will only grow longer as market forces and technology spread across our planet.

Health Care

Information technology and genetic science are combining to create a fundamental shift in the way we think about and treat disease. At the same time, however, prices continue to rise and there is as much pressure to use technology to cut costs as to advance health science. How do we balance the enor ...

Information technology and genetic science are combining to create a fundamental shift in the way we think about and treat disease. At the same time, however, prices continue to rise and there is as much pressure to use technology to cut costs as to advance health science. How do we balance the enormous potential of advancing technology with the real world questions of delivering affordable health care?

The Next Generation

The first generation never to know a world without an Internet is rapidly approaching adulthood. It is a cohort that has fundamentally different ideas and expectations about how to relate to businesses, employers, the media and each other. How do we market to this new breed? How will we manage them? ...

The first generation never to know a world without an Internet is rapidly approaching adulthood. It is a cohort that has fundamentally different ideas and expectations about how to relate to businesses, employers, the media and each other. How do we market to this new breed? How will we manage them? What will they expect from products and services, and what new skills—or deficits—will they bring to the workplace?

Demographics

It’s common knowledge that the US population is graying—but what’s less noted is that the United States is also the fastest growing industrialized nation on earth. Between now and 2050, our population could increase by as much as 40%—and the drivers of that increase are alrea ...

It’s common knowledge that the US population is graying—but what’s less noted is that the United States is also the fastest growing industrialized nation on earth. Between now and 2050, our population could increase by as much as 40%—and the drivers of that increase are already in place, ranging from the largest K - 8 population in history to longer lifespans and liberal immigration policies. Fixed resources— waterfront property, elite educations, room on our roadways, suburban open space—will be under increasing pressure. How will population shape our nation in years to come?

Education

After creating the award-winning Parents’ Guide to Children’s Software in 1996, Rogers has followed education and technology issues closely. He often speaks to audiences of both parents and educators about technology and learning—and specifically how the rise of computers and the I ...

After creating the award-winning Parents’ Guide to Children’s Software in 1996, Rogers has followed education and technology issues closely. He often speaks to audiences of both parents and educators about technology and learning—and specifically how the rise of computers and the Internet has actually increased the importance of the thinking skills that underlie the traditional three R’s. Too much emphasis on technology, especially in early grades, may actually interfere with the lifelong learning skills that this century will demand from every worker.

Energy Futures

Rogers has followed the world energy picture since he shared the National Headliners Award for coverage of the Chernobyl disaster and its implications for nuclear energy. He has written extensively on alternative energy and recently participated in the United Nations conference Bridging the Divide o ...

Rogers has followed the world energy picture since he shared the National Headliners Award for coverage of the Chernobyl disaster and its implications for nuclear energy. He has written extensively on alternative energy and recently participated in the United Nations conference Bridging the Divide on bringing new energy technology to developing countries.

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Biography

Michael Rogers is a technology pioneer, author and journalist whose consultancy, Practical Futurist, helps businesses worldwide think about the future. In recent years he has worked with companies ranging from FedEx, Boeing and NBC Universal to Prudential, Dow Corning, American Express and Genentech.

He recently completed two years as a futurist-in-residence for The New York Times Company and also writes the Practical Futurist column for MSNBC. For ten years he was vice president of The Washington Post Company's new media division, guiding both the newspaper and Newsweek into the new century. He is a regular guest on radio and television including Good Morning AmericaThe Today ShowPBSCNN and The History Channel.

Michael studied physics and creative writing at Stanford University, with training in finance and management at Stanford Business Schools's Executive Program. he began his career as a writer for Rolling Stone and went on to co-found Outside magazine. He then launched Newsweek'stechnology column, winning numerous journalism awards. In 1993 he produced the world's first CD-ROM news magazine for Newsweek, later becoming editor and general manager of Newsweek.com. In 1999 he received a patent for a multimedia storytelling technique, and in 2007 was named to both Who's Who in Science and Engineering and the Magazine Industry Digital Hall of Fame.

He is also a best-selling novelist whose fiction explores the human impact of technology. He lives in New York City and is at work on his next book.