Ed is a communications specialist, sustainability futurist and investor in projects from carbon free food to packaging. He sets out the business case for flattening the climate curve: higher margins, lower input costs and economies of scale. With insurgents leading the way we will be charging our homes from our cars, replacing big tractors with little robots, and eating 0% cow.


Biography

Ed Gillespie is a director of Greenpeace UK, communications specialist, serial entrepreneur, and futurist. He is the author of Only Planet: a flight-free adventure around the world, a global adventure where he takes anything but a plane to circumnavigate the world. Ed takes the complex, interconnected, interdependent nature of the many challenges the world faces, and makes common sense of them.

He was the co-founder of Futerra, an international change agency that specialises in business transformation and creative communications. Ed is known for his brand of authentic ‘insultancy’ – being strategically rude to clients, with wit and wisdom to inspire them to greater heights and aspirations. He’s highly adaptable, constructively challenging, and pushes audience assumptions of business as usual, opening minds then mapping possible practical solutions and opportunities.

Ed believes that the future won't simply be an extension of today. When considering what the future might be, he thinks we should stretch the idea of what we might consider impossible. He feels that future changes will see some jobs destroyed, but many new ones created. Ed has said that the farming industry will focus on small, autonomous robots rather than large tractors.

A Trustee of Energy Revolution, Ed is also actively involved in several pioneering businesses as a director or investor, from Zero Carbon Food, Panda Packaging, Piclo, Small Robot Company, Engaged Tracking, Common Objective, Demand Logic, and Raw Bottles.

Ed also co-presents two podcasts, The Great Humbling with social entrepreneur Dougald Hine, and The Futurenauts - How to survive the apocalypse, with comedian Jon Richardson and fellow reluctant futurist Mark Stevenson.

More Details

Book

Book written by Ed Gillespie

Contact

We’re on hand to help you find the perfect speaker, presenter or performer for your events. Call or email our London office and use our agents' experience to expertly match you with the right person for your programme!


From time to time we send out emails announcing new speakers and free tickets to our showcase events including Speakers Breakfasts and the JLA Real Variety Show. Please tick the box below if you would like to receive these emails.

Don't miss anything!

We will never share the data you submit here with a third party. Information is stored in a database in order to service your enquiry, but is deleted once it is no longer required. You may request to have this data removed at any time.

JLA Presents


Event - 30/04/2024 - 9:00 am

Speakers Breakfast

Understanding AI Now

Speakers
Priya Lakhani, Anne-Marie Imafidon, and Neil Lawrence

We were joined at 87 Barts Close by three brilliant speakers on a panel that delved into the complex world of Artificial Intelligence. Over the hour our panellists de-mystified AI, speaking about AI’s immense promise for enhancing our lives, alongside the apprehension it has generated regarding job security, privacy infringement, and ethical considerations.

Location

87 Barts Close, 87 Bartholomew Close, London, EC1A 7EB

WATCH

Event - 06/02/2024 - 9:00 am

Speakers Breakfast

Looking Ahead to International Women’s Day

Speakers
Samira Ahmed, Eniola Aluko, Julia Gillard, and Alex Mahon

We were joined by four fantastic speakers to look ahead at International Women’s Day. With the theme of this year’s event being #InspireInclusion, we were lucky enough to hear from four women who have each blazed a trail in their respective fields: CEO of Channel 4, Alex Mahon; the former Australian Prime Minister and Chair of Kings’ Global Institute of Women’s Leadership, Julia Gillard; one of the leading voices in football, Eniola Aluko MBE; and broadcaster and journalist, Samira Ahmed.

Location

Bishopsgate Institute, London

WATCH