Speakers

Raphael Gielgen travels the world like few others. Always with the question in mind: What will the nature of a changed knowledge economy look like in five or ten years? Each year, he visits more than 100 companies, startups, universities, and research institutions across the USA, Europe, and Asia. He speaks at conferences, festivals, and events, generously sharing his insights and experiences in over 20 countries a year.

Knowledge work is facing the greatest transformation in its young history, and companies are confronted with the challenge of designing the future while managing the present. But where will we actually work tomorrow, with whom, and how—and above all, on what? These are the questions Raphael Gielgen contemplates every day. Even some of his colleagues think he’s a bit crazy. His boundless curiosity, restless drive for explanation, and desire to turn everything upside down sometimes make him difficult to deal with. After returning from long trips, he often talks about things that sound more like virtual utopias than lived realities.

Privately, Raphael Gielgen lives on a small farm outside the city of Regensburg—an idyllic place surrounded by nature, where he and his family share their home with a group of young people, along with horses, ponies, cats, and dogs (all from animal shelters). Here, he lives in tune with the cycles of nature and loves to reflect on ideas that go beyond the immediate day-to-day.