The Crumbling Barriers to Power
One effect of technology permeating every aspect of our lives is the crumbling barriers between us. Social media and the Internet have taken a sledgehammer to The Great Wall between us and those in power, as well as between us and those who previously had no voice. Now status, race and socioeconomics have less relevance, and equal access to information is officially declared a human right by the U.N, much to the chagrin of dictators who know the most effective way to keep power is to restrict access to information. Social media and the Internet are in fact the world's most powerful democratic tools, and this has real geopolitical and governance implications. DICK COSTOLO explores the ambitious and significant implications of Twitter and other technology platforms based on a democratic ideal of equal access for all.
Ethics, Empathy, & the Future of Technology
The future of technology is about open and equal access to information and expression. Social media brings down regimes, allows one person's voice to reach the world, and gives news stories multiple points-of-view. As with any democratic platform, we must ask how we will govern ourselves and cultivate civility and responsibility within our freedom. What will each of us choose to say and to permit with our new global voice? DICK COSTOLO explores the intersection of ethics and content and urges each of us to use our access responsibly and with empathy. He encourages us to shine a light on what's good in the world and what needs to be changed, to champion the underserved, to embrace people's differences and amplify the best of humanity.
The New Economy: Winning the Moment
Former Twitter CEO (2010-2015) DICK COSTOLO lays out the implications of an open-access economy on the way we buy and sell.
When Twitter began, the founders did not set out to create a new economy, yet the way we do business has changed forever. When consumers are 80% more likely to purchase from a business they follow, there is a real business case for open communication between a brand and its consumers. Open access to information, or creating the feeling of open access to the brand, builds loyalty, identifies new product ideas, and provides another channel for consumer influence. Equal access to information makes entire business models fragile as consumers become their own sources with all the information.
Dick Costolo on tech and thriving in an uncertain future
Former COO and CEO of Twitter DICK COSTOLO is a management expert who has taken numerous tech startups from inception to success during periods of intense disruption and change.
Described by Business Insider as "one of Silicon Valley's most impressive CEOs," and named by TIME as one of the 10 Most Influential U.S. Tech CEOs, in his five years as CEO at Twitter, Costolo led the social media platform through an explosive, uncertain future, taking it from a private company with 300 staff valued at $3.7B to a public company with 3,600 employees valued at $23.5B. Costolo credits his background in improv comedy for his talent for bold thinking and thriving in “unscripted” situations. He became known, and made headlines, for personally leading a management course at Twitter in order to create a cohesive environment and effective strategy for his fast-growing and ever-evolving workforce, highlighting what it takes to build trust, transparency, and resilience even as a company’s role in society changes. Having recently launched 01 Advisors, a venture and advisory helping entrepreneurs build great companies - Costolo is at the 50-yard line of the future of work and developing the next wave of disruptors.
New technologies are fundamentally upending the way we work and live. These HWA Speakers decode what is on the horizon, and how to innovate and thrive in a rapidly-evolving world.
Dick Costolo was the Chief Executive Officer of Twitter from October 2010 to June 2015, where he took the company from $0 to $1.5 billion in annual revenue. Prior to Twitter, Dick was co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of FeedBurner, which was acquired by Google in 2007. He's become a serial entrepreneur since.
Mr. Costolo holds a B.S. in Computer and Communication Science from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor as well as an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. He spent a number of years after graduating from Michigan and before starting his first company performing around the world with improv comedy groups like Chicago's Annoyance Theater. The former improv comedian has been a consultant on HBO’s “Silicon Valley”, he sits on the boards of Patreon and IfOnly, and he is a Venture Partner at the firm 01 Advisors.
He resides in Marin county with his family, two dogs and a shocking number of bees.
My Speaker List
