Speakers

Jonathan Bays is a consultant in McKinsey & Company’s Social Sector Office, which helps the world’s leading institutions address significant societal challenges. Based in New York, he specializes in philanthropy and economic development, working primarily with grantmakers and nonprofits on issues of strategy.

Dr. Alpheus Bingham is a pioneer in the field of open innovation and is an advocate of collaborative approaches to research and development. He is Co-Founder, and former President and CEO of InnoCentive Inc., a Web-based community that matches companies facing R&D challenges with scientists who propose solutions.

Matthew Bishop is Chief Business Writer/US Business Editor of The Economist, based in New York. He was previously The Economist's London-based Business Editor, and has also served as its New York Bureau Chief.

Neil Blakesley has been employed in BT for just under nine years; his current role is VP of Strategy & Marketing BT Americas. Neil is also on the leadership team of the Global Services Strategy Marketing & Propositions Group.

Matt Bross, CEO, BT Innovate and Group Chief Technology Officer, BT, is responsible for driving and optimising BT’s innovation ecosystem. He sets the BT Group technology strategy and the vision and direction of innovation across BT.

Charlie Brown is the Executive Director of Ashoka’s Changemakers, an online community that “open sources” innovative solutions to entrenched problems worldwide and builds communities of action to support them. Before Changemakers, he spent three years building the architecture for Ashoka’s global community of over 2,200 Ashoka Fellows and directed three policy focused Ashoka initiatives.

Marthin de Beer is the Senior Vice President of Cisco’s Emerging Technologies Group (ETG) as well as a member of the Cisco Development Council. He is also Executive Co-Chair on Cisco Video and Smart Grid initiatives and an Executive Member of the Cisco Sports and Entertainment Board.

Dr. Diamandis is the Chairman/CEO of the X PRIZE Foundation, an organization focused on designing and launching large incentive prizes to drive radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. Best known for the $10M Ansari X PRIZE for private spaceflight, the Foundation is now launching prizes in four groups: Exploration, Life Sciences, Energy & Environment, and Education & Global Development.

Amir Dossal is the Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Partnerships and as such is the United Nations representative for public/private partnerships.