TFI Speakers

 

John Vanston, Ph.D., Lawrence Vanston, Ph.D., Carrie Vanston, and TFI's distinguised staff and associates are highly regarded as speakers and give prepared or tailored keynote, leadership, conference,and internal presentations, and conduct workshops and seminars all over the world.

Our speakers provide your audience with:

  • Thought-provoking presentations incorporating the vision of the futurist with the down-to-earth judgment of the analyst.
  • Descriptions of important emerging technology trends developed through our forecasting and analysis work influencing organizations now, in the near future, and in the distant future.
  • Relate these emerging technology trends directly to specific industries and organizations of individual audiences.
  • Provide suggestions on how the audience can best prepare and take advantage of these trends.
  • Present the forecasting techniques and applications that TFI has developed and uses in its forecasting and trend analysis work.'
  • Provide keys to creating and growing engaged and innovative cultures that lead to happier customers and greater productivity and profit.

 



John Vanston, Author, Minitrends

 

JOHN H. VANSTON, Ph.D.

Focus Areas: Minitrends and Forecasting

Chairman, Technology Futures, Inc.

Minitrends: Profiting from Business Opportunity Gems Book CoverDr. John Vanston is an internationally-renowned consultant, educator, speaker, and award-winning author in the fields of technology forecasting, emerging trends, technology/market integration, and technology management in uncertain environments. His new book MINITRENDS: How Entrepreneurs & Innovators Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends, written in collaboration with his daughter, Carrie Vanston, is the Pinnacle Book Achievement Best Business Book Winner, an Eric Hoffer Business Book Award Winner, and has received several finalist nods for best business book of the year. MINITRENDS has also received many excellent reviews and endorsements from prestigious publications and distinguished individuals.

Dr. Vanston's forecasting presentations and workshops provide audiences with an understanding of the technology development process, teaches participants to conduct valid technology/market forecasts, and shows how to utilize these forecasts to to identify and evaluate emerging market needs and improve organizational planning.

His Minitrends presentations provide an excellent concept for individuals and organizations to find and profit from emerging trends that will become significantly important in 2-5 years, but that are not yet widely recognized or appreciated. The presentations encourage the adoption of a mindset that opens our imagination, creativity, and curiosity in order to make the most of our circumstances and distinguish ourselves from others.

Full Bio

Sampling of Topics

  • MINITRENDS: How to Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends
  • Initiating a Minitrend Exploitation Program
  • The Five Views of the Future™
  • The Future as a Strategic Asset

What Audiences Say

"Excellent presentation, well thought out and I hope highly motivating.”
—Minitrends Presentation, World Future Society

"On behalf of all of us, thank you for a wonderful evening last night in Los Angeles. The large and enthusiastic crowd was totally involved in your cogent and concise treatise. We appreciate your taking the time and effort to share your time and perspective.
—Technology Forecasting Presentation, Association for Strategic Planning

"Your presentation last week was outstanding! The time and effort involved in preparation, and your willingness to share so many valuable insights were greatly appreciated. On behalf of the program committee and everyone who was with us, I want to thank you for helping to make the meeting a tremendous success! We hope to have you with us again at a future meeting."
—Five Views of the Future™ Presentation, Industrial Research Institute, Inc.

"You have educated the members of this group about a subject we need to know more about and we are grateful for your time and expertise. A larger percent of Wednesday's audience came up to me and thanked me for getting you as the speaker than has occurred at any previous meeting."
—Nuclear Weapons Presentation, Foreign Service Group

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TFI President and Speaker Dr. Lawrence Vanston

LAWRENCE K. VANSTON, Ph.D.

President, Technology Futures, Inc.

Focus Areas: Telecommunications Trends and Forecasting

Dr. Vanston is a popular speaker on the subject of the future of telecommunications and its significance to organizations and people. He provides valid forecasts of future developments in the telecom industry and examines the driving forces behind these developments and their implications. As president of Technology Futures, Inc., Dr. Vanston has been monitoring, analyzing, and forecasting telecom technologies and services for more than 20 years.

Since 1985, Dr. Vanston has been the director and principal author of a numerous ongoing reports commissioned by government agencies, industry organizations and individual companies including every major U.S. cable television company and every major U.S. wireline and wireless carrier. The Communications Technology Forecasting Group (CTFG), currently comprised of AT&T, Charter, Comcast, and Cox, has been actively supporting TFI research since 1985. Topics have ranged from Internet access requirements to the impact of wireless communications. TFI's flagship publication, Transforming the Local Exchange Network, is in its sixth edition.Dr. Vanston is Editor of the CTFG blog and resource website.

Some of the prestigious programs, Dr. Vanston has spoken at include the IIR Telecom Market Forecasting Conference, Broadband Tax Institute Conference, iHollywood's Triple Play: Voice, Video, Data, Wichita Program for Appraisal for Ad Valorem Taxation, International Communications Forecasting Conference, and the Society of Depreciation Professionals Conference.

Dr. Vanston directs TFI’s popular TFI Technology Conference now in it's 15th year.

Full Bio

Sampling of Topics

  • Telecom Technology Convergence
  • Telecom Trends You Can't Ignore
  • Today's Kids: A Window to the Telecom Future
  • Wireless Broadband: Big Loser, Niche Player, or Big Winner?
  • The Local Exchange Network in 2015: Step into the Future
  • Transforming the Local Exchange Network
  • Technology Forecasting for Telecom: An Overview for Everyone

What Audiences Say

"Thank you for making our Telecom Executive Forum such a success. You gave our members many provocative ideas and some great insights into what might be coming down the telecom road in the future."
—National Telecommunications Coorporative Association

"We received excellent reviews from your presentation and hope to have you back next year."
—iHollywood Forum

"The advancement of our program is a tribute to your personal presentation skills. On behalf of all of us, I would like to thank you for your fine work. We look forward to working with you in the future."
—Wireless Data Forum

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Carrie Vanston, Collaborator, Minitrends

CARRIE VANSTON

The Alligator Wrangler carrievanston.com
Board Member, Technology Futures, Inc.

Carrie Vanston helps CEOs and other business professionals out of the proverbial “alligator pit” of too many demands and frustrations by increasing their leadership and energy levels so they can reach their goals quicker and with less stress. Her popular “Energizing Your Leadership Programs” help people move on from the “pit” with energized thinking, "win-win" interactions, and leading with your “whys” to increase engagement, productivity, and growth.

Carrie’s award-winning book MiniTrends: How Innovators & Entrepreneurs Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends, co-authored with Dr. John Vanston, focuses on the importance of a growth-oriented mindset for an organization to be innovative, successful, and sustainable. Carrie also directed the MiniTrends Project and the popular MiniTrends Conference Series for Technology Futures Inc. (TFI).

More recently, Carrie led Corporate Cultures That Rock (CCTR) where she helped business leaders build engaged, innovative, and transformational organizations. Her article "Five Keys to an Engaged and Innovative Culture" was one of the top 5 most read articles of the year in Texas CEO Magazine. Her "Crucial Keys to a Thriving Business Culture" was included Austin's National Speakers Association anthology.

Carrie enjoys speaking on being a more self-aware, connected, and visionary leader. She has presented at The World Futures Society, IEEE, University of Texas SAGE Program, World Affairs Council, Six Square, Business Success Center, RISE, HIREDTexas, West Point Society, Morgan Stanley, Laurea University, Finland, BiGAUSTIN, Launch Pad, Product Camp, Texas Women's Chamber, and several others.

Carrie is an iPEC Certified Professional Executive Coach and Energy Leadership Master Practitioner, and a Khorus CEO Performance Software Certified Consultant.

Previously Carrie was VP of Communications at Technology Futures, Inc. She directed TFI’s popular MiniTrends Conference Series for three years with themes including “The Integration of Profit & Social Responsibility,” “Insight, Innovation & Strategy,” and “Translating Emerging Trends into Business Opportunities.”  TFI supports Carrie as The Alligator Wrangler and she continues her involvement with TFI as a board member and with ongoing corporate activities.

Presentations:  http://carrievanston.com/energizing-audiences 

Sampling of Presentations: http://carrievanston.com/events 

Sampling of Topics:

  • Getting Out of the Alligator Pit -- and Staying Out
  • Five Keys to an Engaged and Innovative Culture
  • Increasing Your Team’s Happiness, Productivity and Profit
  • International Dimensions of Strong Corporate Cultures
  • Five Keys to an Culture That Rocks!

What Audiences Say

"Carrie delivered an enlightening presentation at the Central Texas chapter of World Future Society. She shared with us her company's years of research on how businesses can look for novel opportunities and encourage engagement and innovation in their organizations, generously exemplified with stories from local Austin entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs who reinvented themselves, their businesses and the local community. We are very thankful for Carrie sharing her talents, insight and positive disposition with us and would gladly recommend her to any event planner! I am excited to see her again at the WFS national conference in San Francisco."
—World Future Society Central Texas

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Other TFI and Associate Speakers

We also have other distinguished TFI staff members and associates we work with who speak on a wide range of technology subjects.

 

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Speakers Contact

For more information and to book dates with TFI speakers, please contact Helen Mary V. Marek at (800) TEK-FUTR, (512) 258-8898, info@tfi.com, or fill out contact TFI. We appreciate your interest and welcome your inquiries.

 

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Sampling of TFI Communications Forecasting Speaking Engagements
IFF LogoIIF's
International Symposium on Forecasting


IFF LogoInstitute for Professionals in Taxation Conference


FCIAAO TPP Seminar


Society of Depreciation Logo Society of Depreciation Professionals Meeting


New York State Assessors' Association Annual Meeting and Seminar



IFF LogoThe International Institute
of Forecasters'
31st Annual International Symposium on Forecasting

Prague, Czech Republic

Sampling of MiniTrends and Culture Speaking Engagements
World Future Conferences
WorldFutures
Product Camp Logo

International Foresight Forum,
Helsinki, Finland


Metropolitan Breakfast Club




RISE Conference

IEEE Central
Texas Consultants Network



Rotary Clug Logo North Austin Rotary Club






Association of Strategic Planning Annual Conference


University of Texas
in Austin SAGE Group

 

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