It's the Techonomy, Stupid!

I love New York. I also love business and technology. I feel that business, technology and our global society are deeply connected.

This past week, NYDLA helped to promote the fourth annual Techonomy NYC conference. At the risk of being overly dramatic with a sincere compliment: if  I was unemployed and if I was looking for a job, I would want to work at Techonomy. For now, I shall have to settle with helping them to spread their vision: Technology + Economy = Techonomy  

The theme of the Techonomy conference was "Collaborating for Responsible Growth" and the timing could not be any better. I believe that a technological future can work for everyone, but we all need to work together to make this happen. I would be hard pressed to think of an organization or community that is better aligned with the purpose and mission of the NYDLA.

Here are just some of the session topics that were covered over two amazing days in The Big Apple:

Technologies of Togetherness * Creating an Inclusive Tech Industry * Partnering for Good * Hacking a More Secure Society * Tech Tools for Public Servants * Can Anyone Beat Amazon? * Sustainable Development Goals * The Internet Civil War * Internet of Things * The Food Industry * Internet & Blockchain * Cybersecurity * The New Technologies of Politics * Ethical Engineers * Big Data * AI * Wellness * US - China Battle Over Tech * Agile Enterprise * Food Delivery and Tech * Women and Tech * Podcasts *Telemedicine

The people behind Techonomy believe that technology must be a tool for progress. But this requires both our attention and intention. Sadly too often, the technology that we create fails society. Technological, business and economic challenges are impossible to separate.

Since 1983 I have watched distance learning morph into DIGITAL learning, which today has simply become DIGITAL LIVING. And so, I have seen the "D and the L" in NYDLA morph from DISTANCE to DIGITAL and from LEARNING to LIVING.

To be successful in the new global economy, you must become a "Techonomist" and you must embrace lifelong learning. The path to a sustainable and healthy economy is through knowledge + technology + talent. It is technology that will allow (all of us) to find the solutions that we need. And boy, do we need solutions and fast. 

From David Kirkpatrick, Editor-in-Chief of Techonomy: "Will tech destroy the planet? Or can tech save the planet? We have a crisis of industry behavior, of public confidence, and of policy. As a longtime chronic optimist, with the tools of tech employed with focus and good intention, there is hope of spreading prosperity."

I too, am an optimist. Born in 1960, I watched NASA put men on the moon. I watched DISNEY give birth to Walt Disney World and EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow). As of April 2019, 56.1% of the world's population has internet access. This is up from 0.4% in 1995.

This blog is possible because of technology. Amazon. Uber. Apple. Google. Podcasts, TED.com talks, NETFLIX documentaries. Folks, we are all techonomists. What will the future hold? Will tech save or destroy our planet?

The best news from spending two days at Techonomy NYC: we get to decide our future.

All of us are techonomists and we are all in this together. I vote for SAVE.