Ideas Economy: Information
Big data and the evolution of smart systems
June 5th-6th, 2012
San Francisco, Calif.
Synopsis
The Economist's Ideas Economy: Information event will explore big data and the next generation of smart systems—
the networks of chips, sensors, wireless technologies and intelligent software—that are converging to link the
physical and virtual worlds and transform the global economy.
In 2011, The Economist hosted its inaugural Ideas Economy: Information event, bringing together path-breaking
entrepreneurs with pioneers of data science to advance conversations about how the information revolution impacts
governments, businesses, and individuals--and how to make sense of the data deluge. With greater understanding of
how big data is changing the world and why it matters, we now begin to apply sharp thinking to how data can be
better leveraged to ensure lasting progress in the coming decades.
The evolution of smart systems presents incredible opportunities—stronger companies, faster medicine, and safer
neighborhoods—but just as many challenges. Privacy, security and intellectual-property protection are perpetual
worries, made even more challenging as more data are sent all over the world and through ever more people and
machines. Without intelligent planning and successful partnerships, these can create huge problems for individuals
and companies as well as regulatory challenges for governments.
Chaired by The Economist’s digital editor, Tom Standage, and data editor, Kenn Cukier, Ideas Economy: Information
is designed for senior-level decision makers, technology executives, and Economist readers who are interested in the
potential of big data and smart systems to re-imagine their businesses, their lives, and the future. As we enter the era
of smart systems, this event will examine the promise and perils of the new data revolution, and propose new ideas
for how to best leverage the monumental changes ahead.
Event chairs
Kenneth Cukier, data editor, The Economist
Tom Standage, digital editor, The Economist
Confirmed speakers
John Perry Barlow, founder, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Jonathan Bush, chief executive, athenahealth
Brenda Christensen, director of public relations, Nimble
Dick Costolo, chief executive, Twitter
Roger Cressey, senior vice-president, Booz Allen Hamilton
Michael Driscoll, chief executive, Metamarkets
Wim Elfrink, chief globalisation officer, Cisco Systems
Philip Evans, senior partner and managing director, The Boston Consulting Group
Dr. Helen Fisher, chief scientific advisor, Chemistry.com
David Gewirtz, distinguished lecturer, CBS Interactive
Yuri Gordienko, senior scientist, G.V. Kurdyumov Institute for Metal Physics, National Academy of Science of
Ukraine
Spencer Greenberg, chief executive, Rebellion Research
Jeff Hammerbacher, chief scientist, Cloudera
Jessica Jackley, chief executive, ProFounder
Jeff Jonas, distinguished engineer, IBM
Andrew Keen, author, “Cult of the Amateur”
Vivek Kundra, executive vice-president for emerging markets, Salesforce
Max Levchin, chairman, Kaggle
Steve Lewis, chief executive, Living PlanIT
Kevin Lynch, chief technology officer, Adobe Systems
Mari Maeda, deputy director of the defense sciences office, DARPA
Heidi Messer, co-founder, Collective[i]
Geoffrey Nunberg, adjunct professor, school of information, University of California, Berkley
Phil Owens, engineer, GFI Software
DJ Patil, chief scientist in residence, Greylock Partners
Juliette Powell, author, “33 Million People in the Room”
Matt Quinn, chief technology officer, TIBCO
Rick Smolan, chief executive, Against All Odds Production
Astro Teller, director of new projects, Google
Robert Rodriguez, chairman and managing principal, SINET
Marc Rotenberg, executive director, Electronic Privacy Information Center
Jordan Shlain, MD, founder, Healthloop
Tiffany Shlain , director, “Connected: An Autoblogography About Love, Death, & Technology”; founder, The
Webby Awards
Hal Varian, chief economist, Google
Geoffrey West, professor, Santa Fe Institute
Richard Saul Wurman, creator, TED
Programme
Day one – Tuesday, June 5th 2012
1.00 pm
Registration and refreshments
2.00 pm
Welcome remarks
The Economist perspective on information and big data
Kenneth Cukier, data editor, The Economist
Tom Standage, digital editor, The Economist
2.15 pm
The new information architecture
Data and the power to understand
Richard Saul Wurman, creator, TED
Interviewer: Kenneth Cukier, data editor, The Economist
2.30 pm
The world of big data
A series of interviews exploring the promise and perils of the data deluge
Kenneth Cukier, data editor, The Economist
Jeff Hammerbacher, chief scientist, Cloudera
Geoffrey Nunberg, adjunct professor, school of information, University of California,
Berkley
Juliette Powell, author, “33 Million People in the Room”
3.30 pm
Afternoon break
Sponsored by TIBCO
4.00 pm
Intelligent infrastructure
A technologist looks at cities of tomorrow
Steve Lewis, chief executive, Living PlanIT
Interviewer: Tom Standage, digital editor, The Economist
4.15 pm
The Economist-InnoCentive Smart Systems Challenge
An interview with the winning solver and accompanying data visualisation
Yuri Gordienko, senior scientist, G.V. Kurdyumov Institute for Metal Physics, National
Academy of Science of Ukraine
Interviewer: Tom Standage, digital editor, The Economist
4.30 pm
App developers
How data from the crowd can build intelligent cities
Wim Elfrink, chief globalisation officer, Cisco Systems
Vivek Kundra, executive vice-president for emerging markets, Salesforce
Interviewer: Tom Standage, digital editor, The Economist
5.00 pm
Urban friction
A physicist looks at cities of tomorrow
Geoffrey West, professor, Santa Fe Institute
Interviewer: Kenn Cukier, data editor, The Economist
5.15 pm
The human face of big data
A visualisation
Rick Smolan, chief executive, Against All Odds Production
5.30 pm
Interviewer: Tom Standage, digital editor, The Economist
The Economist debates…
Proposition: This house believes that society benefits when we share information
online.
Defending the motion: John Perry Barlow, founder, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Against the motion: Andrew Keen, author, “Cult of the Amateur”
Interviewer: Tom Standage, digital editor, The Economist
6.00 pm
Closing remarks
Kenn Cukier, data editor, The Economist
Featuring: Marc Rotenberg, executive director, Electronic Privacy Information
Center
6.15 pm
Cocktail reception
Sponsored by Splunk
7.30 pm
End of day one
Day two – Wednesday, June 6th, 2012
8.00 am
Registration
8.45 am
Welcome remarks and recap of day one
9.00 am
The network effect
Three short talks about ways data can change the world
Tiffany Shlain , director, “Connected: An Autoblogography About Love, Death, &
Technology”; founder, The Webby Awards
Jeff Jonas, distinguished engineer, IBM
Mari Maeda, Deputy Director of the Defense Sciences Office, DARPA
Moderator: Kenn Cukier, data editor, The Economist
9.45 am
The new disruptors
Big data and new business models
Jonathan Bush, chief executive, athenahealth
Kevin Lynch, chief technology officer, Adobe Systems
Heidi Messer, Co-founder, Collective[i]
10.30 am
Moderator: Kenn Cukier, data editor, The Economist
Corporate chemistry
A personality-driven networking break
Introduction by Helen Fisher, chief scientific officer, Chemistry.com
11.15 am
Big Data II: Lessons from the leaders
An Economist Intelligence Unit research programme sponsored by SAS
The nature of the firm
The real value of big data
Philip Evans, senior partner and managing director, The Boston Consulting Group
Kenn Cukier, data editor, The Economist
11.45 am
Corporate chemistry revealed
How personality data can change the way you work
Helen Fisher, chief scientific officer, Chemistry.com
12.00 pm
Cybersecurity simulation
An elite cyberthreat working group made up of industry experts and government
officials is racing against time to mitigate the damage of a cyber attack.
Written by David Gewirtz, distinguished lecturer, CBS Interactive
1.00 pm
2.30 pm
Brenda Christensen, director of public relations, Nimble (as special assistant to the
president and assistant press secretary)
Roger Cressey, senior vice-president, Booz Allen Hamilton (as director of the White
House Office of Cybersecurity)
Phil Owens, engineer, GFI Software (as the anti-malware industry representative)
Robert Rodriguez, chairman and managing principal, SINET (director, Office of White
House Liason, US Department of Commerce)
Lunch
Sponsored by Itron
Going social
Twitter and the architecture of scale
Dick Costolo, chief executive, Twitter
3.00 pm
Interviewer: Tom Standage, digital editor, The Economist
Community entrepreneurship
Will crowdfunding save the economy?
Jessica Jackley, chief executive, ProFounder
Interviewer: Tom Standage, digital editor, The Economist
3.15 pm
Nanoeconomics
Trends in forecasting
Hal Varian, chief economist, Google
Moderator: Kenn Cukier, data editor, The Economist
3.30 pm
Afternoon break
Sponsored by OSIsoft
4.00 pm
Smart medicine
Can data fix health care?
Jordan Shlain, MD, founder, Healthloop
Interviewer: Kenn Cukier, data editor, The Economist
4.15 pm
The quant's quant
How big data is reinventing global finance
Spencer Greenberg, chief executive, Rebellion Research
Matt Quinn, chief technology officer, TIBCO
Interviewer: Kenn Cukier, data editor, The Economist
4.45 pm
The case for moonshots
How big data promotes big thinking
Astro Teller, director of new projects, Google
Interviewer: Tom Standage, digital editor, The Economist
5.00 pm
Beyond big data
Signals on the horizon
Michael Driscoll, chief executive, Metamarkets
Max Levchin, chairman, Kaggle
DJ Patil, chief scientist in residence, Greylock Partners
Interviewer: Kenn Cukier, data editor, The Economist
5.45 pm
Closing remarks and end of conference