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Matt Klein

Futurist, Trend Forecaster, Innovator

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Book Matt Klein

A Webby-winning writer and Insights 250’s Top Voice in Market Research, Klein is a trusted advisor to organizations seeking to make sense of cultural change.

With a decade of experience in trend forecasting, innovation, and strategic communications, Klein partners with investors, the UN, journalists, philanthropies, and brands to author resonant, future-proofing strategies.

As a Digital Anthropologist, he is currently Head of Global Foresight at Reddit, Resident Futurist with Hannah Grey Ventures, Expert Advisor for Canvas8 and writer of ZINE.

He’s advised on the cultural implications of generative AI for Google, fandom for the NBA, and partnership between American Airlines and The James Beard Foundation.

His award-winning publication ZINE, critically researches overlooked trends, reaching tens of thousands globally. ZINE offers executives, government officials and students alike cultural intelligence, interviews and deep dives covering Cultural Stasis, The Decline of Higher Education, Rise of Modern Religion, Ethics of Virtual Influencers, and Reality & Myth Making.

Advancing foresight, he’s also written about The Radical Potential of Cultural Strategy, How Trends Lost All Meaning and Foresight as Activism.

Effectively explaining emerging social shifts, he’s a relied upon source for the WSJ, DAZED and VICE, and contributor to WARC and Forbes where he served as a media critic.

Klein is a speaker at SXSW, IDEO, and MoMA, and guest lecturer at universities including NYU and The Ross School of Business at The University of Michigan.

He’s the author of the META Trends Report, an annual meta-analysis commenting on the zeitgeist, Audience Capture, a zine exploring the dynamics of audiences on creators, Co-Founder of The Tiny Awards, honors for the cozy web, and Creator of The Understanding Media Seminar Series in partnership with The McLuhan Institute.

Completing the first-ever joint degree in Psychology and Film & Media Studies from Franklin & Marshall College, Klein’s honors dissertation and concentration was in CyberPsychology: Online Sharing as Identity Creation & Self Presentation. He holds certificates in network theory, crisis communications and futurism from the Institute for the Future & The Future Laboratory.

Klein’s focus is to increase cultural fluency, empowering autonomy and allowing us to author our preferred futures.

Speaking Topics

META TRENDS 2025 AND BEYOND

Drawing upon an unprecedented analysis of 500+ global trend reports over the past decade, what can we learn about our future? This rigorous, data-driven trend briefing delivers cultural intelligence you won't find anywhere else. As creator of the world's most widely-read annual trend forecast, I'll share distilled wisdom from thousands of cultural predictions, the largest emerging social shifts, and most importantly, the strategies organizations can use to better resonate within the zeitgeist. This briefing is ideal for executives, strategists or innovation teams which require reliable cultural intelligence to inform business decisions. Attendees will gain confidence in what's really worth paying attention to in culture and how to both navigate social change accordingly.

FORESIGHT AS ACTIVISM

Stop passively analyzing trends and start actively shaping culture. As a veteran trend forecaster for the largest organizations in the world, I challenge conventional wisdom with the truth: "Trends are BS." This keynote reveals how organizations can transition from sideline observers, to developers of meaningful social change by engaging with online communities. Here, we'll dive into a powerful alternative to traditional trend analysis with case studies and thinking that teams can apply that very afternoon. Perfect for forward-thinking executives, strategists, and innovation teams ready to stop chasing culture and begin creating it. Attendees will leave with practical tools to immediately transform their approach to cultural relevance and market positioning.

Audience Capture

Are you creating for yourself or for the algorithm? This eye-opening creator therapy session exposes the hidden psychological forces and agendas manipulating creators, turning them into soulless content machines. Creators were once in control, taking risks and moving culture. Today, metrics, audiences and platforms dictate how we show up. We must strike equilibrium again. Drawing from cutting-edge social science research and media theory, we'll unpack how "Audience Capture" is risking our creativity and sanity online, affecting everyone from institutions to everyday social media users. Essential for creators, marketers, creative professions and everyone with online presence who feels increasingly controlled by likes. Audiences will walk away creatively empowered, more diligent of platforms' dangerous dynamics, and equipped with a refreshed sense of autonomy to build more meaningful audience relationships.

Matt Klein's Experiences

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Virtual In-Person

Experience Details

Virtual In-Person
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Testimonials

Matt is original, clever, amazingly honest, and unfiltered.

Matt Klein is a galvanizing speaker and super smart analyst. He brought a magnetic energy to our Trends Summit and provided us with thought that changed our thinking related to brands. Matt is a treasure and is a leading voice in the space of trends and meta analysis.

What a privilege to host Matt as a guest speaker in our Live Expert Talks. He's open, collaborative and fully switched on. It was an informative, inspiring session - the team was so engaged!

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