Rising Minds is a global think-tank and free monthly talk series that currently has outposts in London, New York and Toronto. Australian founder Drew Smith, who previously ran Creative Mornings in London, says bringing the series to Sydney is a sort of like a “homecoming” for him.
The talks aim to stimulate debate, share ideas and ruminate on the futures of business, technology and culture, and where these three pillars intersect. Smith says he gets a real kick out of bringing people together on a monthly basis.
“A lot of the challenges that my colleagues were facing were about how to manage this collision between technology, business and culture," says Smith. “I thought: I can learn something from engaging with the outside world about this, my clients can learn and the people who come along to these events can also learn something.”
The speakers at Rising Minds are chosen for their approach to what the future will look like and how we can adequately prepare for it. For example, their launch event in February hosted Meat & Livestock Australia’s Michael Lee, who spoke on the topic of 3D-printing meat.
“I guess one of the most interesting things for me about the talk series is that we've had people come together from the audience and create projects based on the talks they’ve come to hear,” says Smith. “It’s one thing to have people come along to the lecture, it’s another thing to have people going off to explore the space for themselves.”
Future Rising Minds talks will touch on topics like fashion manufacturing and consumerism, urban planning and the concept of smart cities, as well as a discussion centred on artificial intelligence within the workforce. They're free to attend, however it's best to register for your spot in advance via the website.
