Tomorrow never knows – New Forefront summit to provide clearer look at the future

Have a keen interest in the cultural moments of the future? A new Sydney summit, Forefront, is bringing together 15 thought leaders to speak to “300 open minds.”

Organisers say, “The future is influenced and created by technology, cultural movements, opinions and passionate ambition

“Change is driven by the blending and overlapping of industries and informed perspectives

“Forefront brings together culture focused, global thought leaders, facilitating discussion on past, present, future, and where we can identify and intercept future cultural moments.

It is held Thursday, July 19 between 3pm – midnight at Four Seasons Hotel, 199 George Street, Sydney.

For full details click here.

The 15 speakers are:

Acyde (No Vacancy Inn):

Former Nike marketing manager and A$AP Mob collaborator set up No Vacancy Inn in 2015 as a way for fans to experience music and fashion through Instagram, radio, parties, or pop-ups rather than just read about them online

Elizabeth Jens (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory):

Works at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, leading US centre for the robotic exploration of the solar system, where she develops hardware for the next Mars rover in 2020 and devises new ways of fuelling small space vehicles that will orbit around other planets.

Gary Aspden (Adidas):

Working at Adidas for 17 years, he designs the Adidas Originals x Spezial range. Last year’s trip to Argentina to find deadstock trainers lead to his Spezial Exhibition which showcases over 600 pairs from the Adidas archives.

Jake O’Leary (YouTube Music):

Born and raised in Melbourne, is now based in New York as the global head of music marketing for YouTube Music, working with artists and partners to break new ground at the future-focused intersection of music and technology.

Lindsay Cornell (will.i.am):

Australian creative brand director based in Los Angeles, where she operates as executive director of luxury eyewear line ill.i Optics for entertainer and entrepreneur, will.i.am. As director of tech start-up, i.am+, she lead its TRANS4M conferences to raise money for STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

Margaret Zhang (Background agency):

A Chinese-Australian photographer, director, model, stylist and writer based in New York, has worked with global brands and fashion magazines and recognised as shaping the international fashion industry by the Business of Fashion BoF500 Index.

Marina Go (ASX board director):

High profile Australian journalist and businesswoman, she wrote the business book ‘Break Through: 20 Success Strategies for Female Leaders’, and chairs numerous boards from Wests Tigers NRL club and Office Brands to being non-executive director of Energy Australia, Autosports Group, 7-Eleven, Ovarian Cancer Australia and The Walkley Foundation, and advises the republican movement and Background creative agency

Stuart Holt (Javelin Block):

Founding director of Javelin Block, a design and build company based in Birmingham and New York which restores industrial, historic and listed buildings, preserving its identity and heritage, and regarded as a leading light in Birmingham’s regeneration.

Charlotte Rey (Campbell-Rey):

Swedish London-based creative director, storyteller, designer and co-founder of creative consultancy and design partnership Campbell-Rey. Her work is in high demand “united by a grounding in culture, a sense of irreverence and a playful, elegant aesthetic.”

Melvin Tanaya (Song for the Mute):

Co-founder of Sydney based design house, Song for the Mute. A working knowledge of the collision spaces between business, art, and commerce saw the company work with major global retailers and present collections in Paris since 2010.

Clare Press (Wardrobe Crisis & Vogue):

Presenter of the Wardrobe Crisis podcast and Australian Vogue’s sustainability editor-at-Large, and a passionate advocate for ethical fashion, who has written three books,

‘The Dressing Table’ (2011), ‘Wardrobe Crisis, How We Went From Sunday Best to Fast Fashion’ (2016), and the October-due ‘Rise & Resist’ (Melbourne University Press).

Jack Manning Bancroft (AIME):

CEO and founder ofAIME, a mentoring organisation bringing rebellious mentoring to every campus in the world (500,000 kids by 2020) he was the recipient of the Young Australian of the Year award, and youngest person in Australian history to receive an honorary doctorate.

Mark Wiedermann (Frucor):

Marketing leader, first at Coca-Cola and now Frucor Suntory, his strategy is to help shape the way companies find growth through innovation, ways of operating and sustainability.