Erica’s ability to identify patterns, think critically and analytically, and translate that into actionable strategies is what has made her an invaluable asset to clients. Erica frequently speaks to a wide range of global audiences about the macro trends that are shaping and impacting today’s landscape.
She has spoken at TEDx and keynoted over a hundred conferences around the world, including across Europe, Latin America, and Asia. She has authored numerous articles and industry white papers on a variety of
future-focused topics, and has been featured in news outlets including NPR, Time, Inc, Yahoo Singapore, WWD, Bloomberg, and CBS This Morning. In 2020, she was named by Forbes as one of the world’s 50 Top Female Futurists.
How the world will look after the pandemic is not completely unknowable. In many cases, the current pandemic is simply accelerating many previously developing trends at an exponential pace (e.g., the growing importance of design in every aspect of innovation; fully distributed workforces, etc.). Ultimately, one of the most important trends to consider here is how the circumstances around this global pandemic have accelerated (and, in some cases, necessitated) the reality that AI and robotics will disintermediate large sectors and sub-sectors of human labor in areas as disparate as retail, learning, healthcare and transportation.
Talk of an eventual “return” to the way things were is unrealistic. Nothing will be the same after this. Instead of preserving our tried-and-true ways of doing things, we must adapt quickly, and in real time to what will be an entirely new world. We have talked for years about our concept of templosion, defined as big things happening in smaller chunks of time. And this ties directly into the Trend Accelerator concept above. Are our organizations easily liberated from the slog of bureaucracy, marathon R&D protocols and outdated thinking? If not, we must diagnose and reengineer our. innovative capabilities so that we are able to not only respond, but thrive, in any future scenarios like this current pandemic.