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Tuesday 8 October 2019
07:45

Adair Turner

Adair Turner, Chair of the Energy Transitions Commission

Reaching net-zero carbon emissions from heavy industry and heavy-duty transport sectors is technically and financially possible by mid-century – 2050 in developed countries and 2060 in developing countries.

Join Adair Turner to find out how: what we need to do now and what our future world will look like.

Lord Turner chairs the Energy Transitions Commission, a global coalition of major power and industrial companies, investors, environmental NGOs and experts working out achievable pathways to limit global warming to well below 2˚C by 2040 while stimulating economic development and social progress.

Thursday 19 September 2019
07:45

Tim Smit

Sir Tim Smit, Co-founder of the Eden Project

The Eden project – which consists of two biomes built in an old china clay pit in Cornwall – connects us with each other and with the living world. It also inspires us to explore how we can work towards a better future.

At this event, the Eden project’s co-founder and Vice Chair, Tim Smit, will talk about our generation’s legacy and the need to inspire capitalism to win back its moral compass. Are we too in thrall to the notion of the establishment and, as a result, too passive in the face of the huge challenges we face? How can we change this mindset and ensure that we create the future that we want? What can we learn from nature to help us along our way?

Friday 11 October 2019
08:00

Antony Gormley

Private viewing and tour

From the British coastline to the rooftops of Manhattan, Antony Gormley’s sculptures are recognised across the world.

Join us for breakfast and a private guided tour of this exhibition which will bring to light rarely-seen early works from the 1970s and 1980s – some of which led to Gormley using his own body as a tool to create work – as well as a selection of his pocket sketchbooks and drawings.

Throughout a series of experiential installations, the exhibition will invite visitors to slow down and become aware of their own bodies. Highlights include Clearing VII, an immersive ‘drawing in space’ made from kilometres of coiled, flexible metal which visitors find their own path through, and Lost Horizon I, 24 life-size cast iron figures set at different orientations on the walls, floor and ceiling – challenging our perception of which way is up.

Wednesday 3 July 2019
07:45

Tony Little

Tony Little, former Head Master of Eton

There is a crisis emerging in the lives of 21st century young people, their parents, peers and teachers. The complex experiences of adolescents with permanent access to technology, growing psychological pressures and increasing competition for grades (and eventually jobs) mean that this generation of teenagers are beset by a range of problems never encountered by their predecessors.

In his newly published book, written with child psychologist Herb Ekin, Tony Little describes and confronts these issues and shares his wisdom about how to address them.

Tuesday 21 May 2019
07:45

David Brooks

The Second Mountain: the quest for a moral life

The world tells us we should pursue self-interest: career wins, high status, nice things. But at some point, in our lives, we may find that we’re not interested in what other people tell us to want. We want the things that are truly worth wanting. This is the second mountain, when life moves from self-centered to other­ centered.

What does it mean to look beyond yourself and find a moral cause? To forget about independence and discover dependence – to be utterly enmeshed in a web of warm relationships?

In The Second Mountain David Brooks explores the meaning and possibilities that scaling a second mountain offer us, and the four commitments that most commonly move us there: family, vocation, philosophy and community.

He looks at a range of people who have embraced the necessity of dependence and have lived joyous, committed lives. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner, how to pick a vocation, how to live out a philosophy, and how we can begin to integrate our commitments into one overriding purpose.

Tuesday 11 June 2019
08:00

Headspace

Rich Pierson and Andy Puddicombe, Co-Founders of meditation and mindfulness app, Headspace

When advertising industry executive, Rich Pierson met Andy Puddicombe, an ordained Buddhist monk, recently returned from Tibet, they agreed to do a skills swap. Rich wanted to find a more peaceful, fulfilling path and Andy wanted to share his life-affirming learnings with the world, so Andy taught Rich meditation, while Rich educated Andy on the essentials of brand development and marketing.

Together they created a vision for bringing  meditation to people everywhere. Headspace now reaches a community of more than 45 million members in 190 countries, and continues to pursue its mission of improving happiness and health around the world.

At this event the two co-founders will talk about their journey, their goals and why what they do is so important for us all.

The breakfast will be held on site at the CogX festival in the Kings Cross/Granary Square area. Those attending will have full access to the day’s events at CogX.

Tuesday 25 June 2019
07:45

Wilful Blindness

Margaret Heffernan on why we ignore the obvious at our peril

Wilful Blindness was first published in 2011; the Financial Times called it one of the most important books of the decade. Largely inspired by the banking crisis and the crisis in the Catholic Church in Ireland, the book has gone on to be required reading in many institutions around the world: in finance, manufacturing, accounting, government and the law.

Margaret has now updated the book as events – Grenfell Tower, Rotherham, Wells Fargo, General Motors, VW, Brexit and Trump – keep so resoundingly proving her thesis. The new edition includes material on these and other examples, together with a new section on whistleblowers, antidotes and prevention.

Tuesday 2 July 2019
07:45

Richard Vague

Richard Vague, author of 'A Brief History of Doom'

Financial crises happen time and again — and they are extraordinarily damaging. Building on insights gleaned from many years of work in the banking industry and drawing on a vast trove of data, Richard Vague argues that such crises follow a pattern that makes them both predictable and avoidable.

In his latest book, he examines a series of major crises over the past 200 years and argues that the story of financial crisis is fundamentally the story of private debt and runaway lending.

Convinced that we have it within our power to break the cycle, Vague provides the tools to enable politicians, bankers, and private citizens to recognise and respond to the danger signs before the next crisis arises.

This event is held in partnership with INET, the Institute of New Economic Thinking.

Wednesday 22 May 2019
07:45

Radical ideas

David Rowan, founding Editor of Wired-UK

Too often, companies think they can innovate through jargon: with talk of change agents and co-creation gurus, ideas portals and webinars, make-a-thons and hackfests, paradigm shifts and pilgrimages to Silicon Valley.

It’s mostly pointless innovation theatre — corporate nonsense that has little to do with delivering real change.

Traveling the globe in search of the most exciting and pioneering startups building the future, David Rowan has got to know the founders of WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Google, Spotify, Xiaomi, Didi, Nest, Twitter and countless other ambitious entrepreneurs. During his quest, he has also discovered some genuinely exciting and transformative approaches to innovation, often in places you’d least expect.

Monday 20 May 2019
07:45

Kai-Fu Lee

Investing in AI: separating hype from reality

Kai-Fu Lee has a unique perspective on the global technology industry, having worked extensively between the US and China in artificial intelligence research, development and investment for more than 30 years. In his current role, as Chairman and CEO of Sinovation Ventures, he manages US$2 billion in dual currency investment funds, invested in both Chinese and global technology companies.

Drawing on his deep, first-hand experience Kai-Fu will cut through the noise around investing in AI, helping us understand how smart thinking can future-proof our investment portfolios and why we should start paying attention to how AI will propel economic growth. He will also discuss wider trends around AI.

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Past Events

Friday 4 April 2025
12:30

Bobby Yerramilli-Rao

Chief Strategy Officer, Microsoft

How businesses can thrive in the era of AI and abundant expertise

Thursday 3 April 2025
07:45

Robert D. Kaplan

Waste Land: A World in Permanent Crisis

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