Patrick Schwerdtfeger
Founder of Trend Mastery & Host of the Strategic Business Insights Video Blog
Patrick Schwerdtfeger
Founder of Trend Mastery & Host of the Strategic Business Insights Video Blog
Biography
Patrick Schwerdtfeger is a leading authority on technology trends including big data, artificial intelligence and blockchain. He’s the founder of Trend Mastery and the host of the Strategic Business Insights video blog (with over 25,000 subscribers and five million views on YouTube). He discussed “Learned Intuition” at TEDx Sacramento.
Patrick is a keynote speaker who has headlined events for dozens of Fortune 500 companies in a wide variety of industries as well as government and association events all around the world. His programs focus on technology trends including big data, artificial intelligence, Fintech, blockchain, and digital marketing.
Patrick is the author of Anarchy, Inc.: Profiting in a Decentralized World with Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain (2018, Authority Publishing) as well as the award-winning Keynote Mastery: The Personal Journey of a Professional Speaker (2016, Authority Publishing), Marketing Shortcuts for the Self-Employed (2011, John Wiley & Sons), Webify Your Business: Internet Marketing Secrets for the Self-Employed (2009), and Make Yourself Useful: Marketing in the 21st Century (2008). He has been featured by the New York Times, LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, CNN Money, Reader’s Digest, Fortune, Bloomberg Businessweek, the Associated Press, MONEY Magazine and Forbes, among others.
Patrick has covered technology trends at corporate events, association and industry conferences, and government summits all around the world. While he lives in the USA, he regularly keynotes events in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He is best known for his keynote programs about technology, digital marketing, and global business trends, and their impact on consumer behavior and market leadership. Patrick’s strategic perspectives make his programs inspiring and thought-provoking for attendees.
Patrick is a passionate and dynamic speaker who focuses on delivering thought-provoking content that encourages strategic thinking and disruptive innovation. His keynotes highlight practical strategies that people can implement immediately and see results quickly. His programs consistently receive enthusiastic reviews and leave attendees burning to put their new ideas and strategies to work.
Patrick was born in Vancouver, Canada, and received his Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing and Finance) from Carleton University in Ottawa (1993). At the age of 27, he discovered that he was an American citizen and moved to Los Angeles just six days after receiving his first American passport. Patrick now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Speaker Videos
TEDx: Learned Intuition
The Internet of Things Explained
What Is Blockchain?
Speaking Reel
Speech Topics
Big Data & Artificial Intelligence
The explosion of big data technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT) have led to dramatic advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning. These technologies are fueling innovation in predictive analytics, autonomous vehicles, virtual reality and countless other fields. Patrick has accumulated dozens of case histories and success stories in a variety of different industries, allowing him to explain the trends in a way that people understand. His technology keynotes don’t get into technical specifications. Instead, they highlight trends and strategies for executive and managerial audiences.
Blockchain Protocol & Cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin was the first application of blockchain protocol. Since 2009 when it was officially launched, the bitcoin blockchain has never been hacked. This distributed public ledger technology is now finding its way into hundreds of different applications. Its popularity is part of a larger trend from centralized to decentralized structures. Ironically, the industries that are most threatened by blockchain technology (banks, insurance companies and other financial services) are the ones investing in it most aggressively. Patrick explains the risks as well as the opportunities that today’s executives need to know.
Embracing Disruptive Innovation
Disruptive innovation invalidates existing business models. That’s why it’s become so important for executives around the world. Technology is evolving along an exponential curve. Entire industries are collapsing as new (mostly digital) business models provide better outcomes for fewer dollars. Disruptive innovation generally comes from the edges of industries, not the center. It comes from ‘adjacent markets’ often catching executives by surprise. Patrick dissects the topic and leaves attendees with a series of questions they can use to spot possible threats and also opportunities within their business models.
Anarchy & Decentralization
Technology enables decentralization, and decentralization enables anarchy. Today’s media environment is a case in point. Everyone has strong opinions, and they all accuse each other of “fake news.” All industries will trend towards this model over time. Success amidst anarchy requires defiant leadership. Business executives need to identify their target market and ignore the haters and trolls. Those who like you will love you! Those who hate you don’t matter.
Digital Marketing & Social Media
Marketing has been forever changed by the Internet and social media, but online channels are converging with offline channels. The secret to successful marketing is to convey compelling stories on both online and offline channels simultaneously. This is done with (1) event-based ‘launch’ campaigns or (2) ongoing ‘drip’ campaigns. Patrick has dozens of fascinating and entertaining success stories for each strategy. His programs leave attendees inspired to revolutionize their businesses with cutting-edge marketing techniques.
Think Bigger! (Leadership)
Build a culture of innovation! Build a team of leaders! These are exciting times. The next ten years will be nothing like the last ten! That’s the primary message in Patrick’s ‘think bigger’ leadership program. By reviewing technology developments at a strategic level and identifying the trends tying them all together, the ‘think bigger’ program energizes attendees and gets them thinking more expansively about modern technology as well as the leadership opportunity they have in exploiting it. Patrick’s ‘think bigger’ keynote is a great opening session to get your attendees thinking bigger right from the opening bell.