DLD Sync

Welcome to our interactive webinar format. DLD Sync is your direct connection to outstanding DLD speakers, allowing you to get inspired by our community’s brightest minds. DLD Sync thrives on your participation, so please tune in and ask questions!

Participation in DLD Sync is complimentary, thanks to the generous support of our partners. We just ask that you please register for sessions you are interested in.

Below you’ll find a list of upcoming events along with video recordings of past sessions. (Please note that all times and dates are subject to change.)

Our social media hashtag is #DLDSync

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Mattias Ljungman & David Helgason
Boosting Innovation: What’s Next for Europe’s Startup Scene?

Young companies are the lifeblood of a thriving economy, especially in times of rapid change. In this DLD Sync session, investors Mattias Ljungman (Moonfire) and David Helgason (Nordic Makers) will assess the state of Europe’s technology and startup scene, and explore where the greatest opportunities lie. Tackling climate change, transforming health care, putting AI and 3D printing into action: All of these issues demand innovation, ingenuity and investing. How can founders raise seed capital to grow their ideas into thriving businesses? Where is Europe already strong, and where does it need to catch up? How will the Covid-19 pandemic changethe continent ’s tech scene?

David and Mattias will take a deep dive into these topics, and more, drawing from their wealth of experience as investors and entrepreneurs. David co-founded the game technology company Unity Technologies in 2003 and served as its CEO until 2014. Now based in Copenhagen, he’s a partner at Nordic Makers, a VC group specializing in early-stage investments. Mattias co-founded Atomico in 2006 and built in into one of Europe’s most successful venture groups before launching Moonfire, his own venture fund, in 2019. The new company aims to team up with Europe’s most innovative founders, leveraging data and a network of angel investors to create exponential growth.

Scott Galloway & Esther Perel
Covid-19: The Death of Eros?

What are we losing as we go remote? We spend a lot of time worrying about the impact on companies, but what is at risk for individuals, couples, families and co-workers when real life connections become viewed as dangerous? Will eros – the feeling of aliveness and vitality – find itself a fatality of Covid-19 alongside mystery, happenstance and physical connection?

Iconic psychotherapist Esther Perel and Scott Galloway explored the long-term meaning of Covid-19 for relationships as we navigate the new normal, prolonged uncertainty, the collapse of boundaries between home and work – and a safety-first mentality that leaves little space for the unknown, surprise and serendipity.

We will post the video of this session soon.

Herman Narula & Ben Vickers

The Future of Virtual Worlds

Our future in virtual worlds is closer than you think. They will impact our economy, how we work and how we live. The coming revolution will begin to recalibrate how we think of ourselves and our identities, offering a vast opportunity to supplement our everyday reality and how we connect with others.

Join Herman Narula, co-founder and CEO of Improbable and Ben Vickers, CTO of the Serpentine Galleries, writer and technologist, in a conversation that explored what a virtual world is, the vast opportunities they open up to society, work and the arts and how close we are to the tipping point.

DLD Sync @ WEF Pioneers of Change

Earth’s Next Frontiers: Visions from the Munich Ecosystem

In volatile times, visions are crucial. They enable us to build a better future, they’re a call to action and they drive us to set out to new frontiers. Exploring space is such a vision and Munich is a veritable European innovation ecosystem in this area. We heard from four players in this unique ecosystem – a start-up, an established business leader, a leading technology enabler and a top university – about what it takes to bring the vision of space exploration to a new level.

Speakers:

Marie Langer, CEO, EOS
Daniel Metzler, Co-Founder & CEO, Isar Aerospace Technologies
Helmut Schönenberger, Co-Founder & CEO, UnternehmerTUM
Christian Lindener, Head of Innovation, Airbus
Moderator: Steffi Czerny, Founder, DLD

Kai-Fu Lee & David Kirkpatrick

AI: The Route To A Smarter Future

The pandemic has sent shockwaves round the world. It has also revealed in starker detail the critical role AI can play in addressing some of our global challenges. How is AI being implemented across different sectors and economies, and what are the problems and issues that must be overcome to create real value? Dr. Kai-Fu Lee, Chairman and CEO of Sinovation Ventures, is a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence and author of the bestselling book AI Superpowers, which he presented at DLD Munich 2019. Dr. Lee explored the future of AI in conversation with Techonomy founder David Kirkpatrick.

Kate Raworth

Doughnut Economics: Turning a Radical Idea Into Action

What does it take to create economies in service of making both people and our planet thrive? That’s the starting point of Doughnut Economics, a concept that began on the back of an envelope and is fast becoming a global community of changemakers who are putting regenerative and distributive design into practice – in cities, businesses, government, communities and schools. Author and Oxford economist Kate Raworth, who came up with this concept, explored the core ideas of Doughnut Economics in conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist. What does this new approach to a more sustainable economy look like in daily life, and what enables ideas like this one to gain momentum, turning thoughts into action?

This conversation was organized in collaboration with the Serpentine Galleries’ Back to Earth project, which brings together 65+ artist-led environmental campaigns.

Sir Ronald Cohen

The Impact Revolution: Reshaping Capitalism

Technology now enables us to measure and cost the impact on people and planet that companies create through their products, employment and operations. Sir Ronald Cohen is a pioneering philanthropist, venture capitalist, private equity investor, and social innovator, who is driving forward the global Impact Revolution. There are now more than $30 trillion of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) and impact investment seeking returns that go beyond monetary profits – and investors, as well as consumers, employees, entrepreneurs and governments, have a right to know this impact. Mandating transparency, Sir Ronald argues, would bring impact, alongside profit, to the center of our economic system by motivating big companies, entrepreneurs and investors to bring solutions to our great social and environmental challenges – in effect reshaping capitalism to create a fairer and more sustainable world.

Rachel Botsman

The Breakdown of Trust

A loss of trust in institutions is affecting our beliefs, but why is this happening? We’ve all been there, the moment you find yourself considering, if even for a split second, that a conspiracy theory might just be possible. In this conversation with Rachel Botsman, author and Oxford University Trust Fellow, we discuss what happens to us when we live in a social and political climate that makes it extremely hard to know whom or what to trust. Why can we be united or divided by our beliefs? Why will we believe almost anything that gives us more certainty and control in a messy world? You may also want to take a look at Rachel’s highly engaging DLD Munich talk.

William Li

Transforming Food Culture In Our New Future

Dr. William Li is CEO and Co-Founder of the Angiogenesis Foundation, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based organization that is researching the role of nutrition on health defense systems in the body for its impact on disease prevention, modification of drug responses, and restoration of function and homeostasis.In this DLD Sync session he explained how important the right food choices are for the body’s immune system.

Steve Case & Yossi Vardi

Entrepreneurship In Times of Crisis

It’s hard enough to build a successful startup when times are good. But now? How will the Covid-19 pandemic impact entrepreneurs, investors and startup ecosystems around the world? What are the partnerships that matter, what should governments do to support young businesses? Steve Case, Chairman and CEO of Revolution, and DLD Co-Chairman Yossi Vardi took a close look at entrepreneurship in a time of crisis in this wide-ranging DLD Sync session that also touched upon issues of management, digital transformation, society and politics.

Suzanne Lee, Mitchell Joachim, Ellen Jorgensen & Drew Endy

Grow Your Phone! The Age of Biological Manufacturing Is Here

If the 20th century was the Age of Physics, the central technology of the 21st century will be biology. Despite marvelous advances in areas like health care, we have only seen a tiny part of what this powerful technology can do. Multiple industries are turning towards biological manufacturing as an integral part of their business strategy, particularly if they are concerned about sustainability. Imagine bacteria making supply chains more transparent, shoes and clothing made of mushrooms and algae, and maybe even houses with living walls.

How will this trend affect your business area? What will become obsolete, replaced by this inherently sustainable technology? We explored this biological manufacturing revolution with four experts who discussed what you need to know, and how to separate hype from reality.

Mariana Mazzucato & Hans Ulrich Obrist

Back To Zero: Rebooting Capitalism

The corona crisis has shown the importance of government as a guardian, protecting and supporting their citizens. What will happen when the pandemic is under control? Will Western capitalism return to its previous state? Will governments take the back seat again and let global giants lead the way? Or is this a turning point? A historic opportunity for a reboot, as Mariana Mazzucato argues when she writes that the Covid-19 crisis is a “chance to do capitalism differently”.

Mariana Mazzucato is a highly acclaimed professor and economist at University College London (UCL) and author of several best-selling books, including “The Entrepreneurial State: Debunking Public vs. Private Sector Myths” and “The Value of Everything: Making and Taking In the Global Economy”. She was joined by Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director of London’s Serpentine Galleries and curator of the galleries’ Back To Earth project which invites leading artists, scientists, thinkers and designers to come up with creative solutions for today’s global challenges.

Marietje Schaake & Douglas Rushkoff

Democracy And the Global Economy

We’re bringing together two of the most highly regarded thought leaders of the digital world to discuss the many challenges that society and business are facing right now – from political instability to recession and the global disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Marietje Schaake, international policy director at Stanford University’s Cyber Policy Center, and Douglas Rushkoff, founder of the Laboratory for Digital Humanism at CUNY/Queens, will look at these challenges through the lens of digital transformation. With the U.S. elections just months away, what rules do we need for democracy? How can social media platforms fight misinformation more effectively – and who’s holding them responsible? What changes can we expect to see in economic policy? Are tech giants becoming even more dominant when remote workers, Internet users and online shoppers rely ever more on their services? (This session was moderated by DLD Associate Editor Karsten Lemm.)

Kenneth Jacobs & Swaha Pattanaik

After the Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic affects all areas of our life and our world order. The crisis has hit hard and reveals the fragility of our globalized economy. At the same time, some forgotten or neglected truths have resurfaced which open up the debate about the future of our world. Are we at the cusp of a new world order? Kenneth M. Jacobs, Chairman and CEO of global financial advisory and asset management firm Lazard, shared his Covid-19 learnings for the post-pandemic economic landscape with Swaha Pattanaik, Global Economics Editor at Reuters Breakingviews. The conversation described the potential impact industries like tech, media, healthcare, real estate and retail are facing as well as the possible shifting balance between a market driven economy and a more regulated approach, and between the nation state and global interdependence.

Margot Edelman & Richard Edelman

Trust, Tech & Covid-19

The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on public opinion. Based on the most recent insights from their company’s Trust Barometer, a staple of market and brand research, Margot and Richard Edelman took an in-depth look at how Covid-19 has been changing people’s perspectives on business and politics. Why are governments now global leaders when it comes to trust? What has turned the pandemic into a moment of reckoning for business leaders? How successful have technology companies been in mastering the crisis?

James Ludwig & Carlo Ratti

The New Code of Cities

How do we need to design office spaces for a world after Covid-19? Is home office a sustainable concept for tomorrow? What does this change mean for mobility and transportation? Does the pandemic spell the end of megacities and decades of urbanization? An architect and engineer by training, Carlo Ratti leads CRA design and innovation practice in New York and Torino, Italy and directs the MIT Senseable City Lab. Carlo holds several patents and has co-authored over 500 publications, including The City of Tomorrow. In this DLD Sync session, he was joined by James Ludwig, Vice President of Global Design and Product Engineering at Steelcase. James Ludwig has been leading the product design of Steelcase since March 2008, overseeing studios in Europe, Asia and the United States. He is also responsible for Steelcase showrooms and WorkLife Centers.

Ellen Jorgensen & George Church

The Machinery of Life & The Future of Human Evolution

Moderated by Jamie Metzl, author of Hacking Darwin, scientists Ellen Jorgensen and George Church discussed the possibilities of biotechnology and gene editing in medicine and health. Ellen Jorgensen is the Chief Science Officer and co-founder of Aanika. She holds a Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology and has spent more than 30 years in the biotechnology industry. George Church, a pioneer of genomic science, leads Synthetic Biology at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute. The institute aims to transform medicine by developing innovations based on biological design principles.

Margaret Heffernan & Niki Kolev

Prediction Addiction

Uncertainty is a fact of life. We may try to calculate what’s to come but the future remains ambiguous. The complexity of modern life simply does not allow precise predictions – no matter how much we may crave them, renowned British author Margaret Heffernan says in her most recent book. “Ineradicable uncertainty is now a fact of life”, she writes. “In complex environments, efficiency is a hazard not a help; being robust is the better, safer option.”

In conversation with WeWork’s Niki Kolev, Margaret Heffernan elaborated on these thoughts and applied them to business and the economy: How can business leaders better prepare for future crises? Which changes are needed to make society more resilient?

Isabell Welpe & Albert Wenger

Covid-19: The End of Capitalism?

Isabell Welpe, Chair for Strategy and Organization at the Technische Universität München, and Albert Wenger, Managing Partner at Union Square Ventures, had a fascinating discussion about the state of the globalized economy. What can Covid-19 teach us about capitalism and its limits? How badly will the pandemic hit the economy, what can be done to limit the damage? What chances for a better future does the current crisis hold?

Klaus Hommels & Stefan Oschmann

Digital Europe After Covid-19: Hotspot or Notspot?

In conversation with Sebastian Matthes, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Handelsblatt, Lakestar founder Klaus Hommels and Merck CEO Stefan Oschmann took a close look at Europe’s digital economy – and where the continent is heading due to the coronavirus crisis. How can world-class science lead to world class companies? What are Europe’s competitive strengths, where is the continent’s place in a digital economy increasingly dominated by U.S. and Chinese companies? How can investors strengthen the ecosystem and foster a productive cooperation between founders, established companies and governments?

Brian Eno & Hans Ulrich Obrist

Reflections on Art, Earth and Humanity

Brian Eno is a pioneer of electronic music and an advocate of humanitarian causes. Born in Britain, he co-founded the band Roxy Music before embarking on a solo career of more than four decades that has included art installations, videos and collaborations with many other artists. Eno is a co-creator of the Long Now Foundation and Advisory Board member of the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose in London. In conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist, the Artistic Director of the Serpentine Galleries, Brian Eno explored the role of art and artists in a world facing many challenges, from climate change to the current Covid-19 pandemic.

Sir Martin Sorrell & Yossi Vardi
The Beginning of the World As We Don’t Know It

The third Sync session was devoted to business and politics. Sir Martin Sorrell, Executive Chairman of S4 Capital and longtime CEO of advertising giant WPP, in his DLD Sync conversation with DLD Co-Chairman Yossi Vardi. He predicted the coronavirus crisis will bring higher taxes for companies and the wealthy, called for better cooperation between the U.S. and China, and saw big changes coming to companies that have so far resisted digital transformation.

Scott Galloway

The Four Horsemen Post-Corona

Revisit our second DLD Sync session with NYU professor and bestselling author Scott Galloway to learn why the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to make powerful companies even more powerful and create entirely new disruptions in existing markets. In his presentation, Galloway predicted that Amazon will become a healthcare provider, Apple may target education as its next market, and media companies could go out of business if they mostly rely on advertising.

Carl Benedikt Frey

Future of Work – What Can History Teach Us About the Impact of Covid-19?

To kick off DLD Sync, we invited Oxford economist Carl Benedikt Frey to put the Covid-19 pandemic in a historical context – especially with regards to jobs and the economy. “The bad news is that the virus, today, has the potential to spread much more quickly because we’re so interconnected”, Frey told us. “The good news is that we have better technology to deal with the disease itself.”