Rachael Mann
Author, Speaker, Top 30 Global Gurus
Teaches 2 masterclasses:
1. Metatrends Driving Change and Redefining the Future
2. Pack Your Bags for Our AI Future
Forecasters predict that over the next decade, waves of exponential technology advances will eclipse decades of breakthroughs in both scale and impact. What are the Metatrends that will revolutionize the industries that we are equipping students to enter? Join Rachael Mann for a keynote on how Artificial intelligence (AI), Extended Reality (XR), digitized goods and services, demonetized tech, the smart economy, and more will continue to transform the way we live - and what these trends mean for how we approach learning. Through a thoughtful narrative on where we’ve been and where we are going, participants will discover how to connect the past and the future to best equip students now.
speaker reel
Getting to Know Rachael
1
What was your first job? What did you learn from it?
I was a vet assistant in high school, and fortunately, I discovered that it wasn't a fit for me instead of finding out after spending money on pursuing a field that wasn't a fit in my postsecondary. I thought that because I loved animals, becoming a veterinarian was a natural fit for me. I discovered during my three years working as a vet assistant, that I didn't do well in a medical setting. I was very sensitive to the smells and didn't handle seeing blood or assisting with surgeries well. I was also very sensitive when an animal didn't make it or had to be put down for one reason or another. Through my first job, I had an opportunity to develop employability skills and a work ethic.
2
Who do you look up to or follow in your field of work?
I've had wonderful mentors; Dr. John Mulcahy, Curt Bertelsen, and Tom Applegate to name a few. I follow the work of Peter Diamandis, Elon Musk, Eric Schmidt, and Neil Degrasse Tyson. I believe that education leaders must look to the folks from industry and learn the successes to emulate and failures to avoid in order to help young people to develop these mindsets and skills.
3
What sparked your interest in working in career readiness?
That's a great question. I think back to the options I was aware of as a young person and how limited my options were to jobs in my community. Fast forward to now, and young people are overwhelmed by the many options, often leading to decision paralysis.
In reality, the formula is simple. Career readiness is about helping young people to discover what interests them, what they are good at, and what the world needs. At the intersection of these three is their destiny. In addition, developing transferable skills and an understanding of metatrends that are transforming all industries will assist them in any path that they choose.
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men“.
Frederick Douglas