Freeman Futurist Series explores innovation, leadership and emerging technologies

Freeman Futurist Series explores innovation, leadership and emerging technologies

Starting next month, Tulane University's A. B. Freeman School of Businesswill launch the Freeman Futurist Series with Cliff Farrah, a new quarterly speaker series spotlighting innovation, leadership and technologies that are reshaping global industries.

Farrah, a growth-strategy pioneer and author, will moderate the inaugural panel, "Business Disruption: AI, Robotics and Quantum," at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 16, in the Marshall Family Commons, located on the first floor of the Goldring/Woldenberg Business Complex on Tulane's uptown campus. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and advance registration is required. Attendees can register here.The Freeman Futurist Series is supported by the R. W. Freeman Distinguished Lecture Series Endowment Fund.

The kickoff session, which will examine pending disruptions across every known industry by AI, robotics and quantum technologies, will feature Tulane alumnus Ben Carey, senior managing director at Accenture, Giby Raphael, CEO of Revobots, and quantum futurist Rob Hays, former CEO at Atom Computing. Attendees will see live demonstrations of AI at work, giving them insights into its potential. This includes a robot demo, applied AI use cases, forecasts of quantum computing during the next five years and an interactive Q&A.

"As a leader in business education, the Freeman School is dedicated to preparing students to meet the needs of today and the challenges of tomorrow."

The Freeman Futurist Series with Cliff Farrah will give working professionals, students and alumni a clear understanding of emerging and future business practices that will help them create an advantage in the work force. Through dynamic panels featuring industry leaders, Tulane faculty and accomplished alumni, each session explores how technologies such as AI, automation, robotics and quantum computing are transforming sectors across the economy. Programs will be recorded for digital distribution across Freeman and partner channels.

"As a leader in business education, the Freeman School is dedicated to preparing students to meet the needs of today and the challenges of tomorrow," said Paulo Goes, dean of the Freeman School of Business. "The Freeman Futurist Series highlights these emerging challenges, connecting students and alumni with national thought leaders for an in-depth discussion on the technological innovations transforming business. We couldn't be more excited to partner with Cliff to present this fascinating and valuable lecture series."

Farrah, who will moderate each session, is a longtime supporter of the Freeman School with more than 30 years in growth-strategy consulting throughout a variety of industries. The author of the acclaimed book Growing the Top Line: Four Key Questions and the Proven Process for Scaling Your Business, Farrah brings his extensive network, commercialization expertise and insightful questioning style to guide thought-provoking conversations with industry experts.

"I'm excited by the launch of this series that Dean Goes and I have been discussing for so long," Farrah said. "This will allow alumni and students to broaden and deepen their education through a provocative, challenging discussion of the next decade with leaders who are driving business globally. Building on the robust education that the school provides, these sessions are meant to bring a hard-hitting and timely understanding of the rapidly changing market landscape we all face today."

The Freeman School is dedicated to developing business leaders through innovative education and real-world experiences. The school's Stewart Center for Professional & Executive Education offers specialized MBA programs and customized executive education designed to equip working professionals to lead in today's rapidly evolving business landscape. The Stewart Center prepares professionals to thrive amid technological disruption and economic change.

Future sessions planned for next year will include topics in healthcare (January) and private equity (April).