Charles M. Rice
2020 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine | Greenberg Chair in Virology, Rockefeller University | Discoverer of Hepatitis C Virus
Cathy Hackl
CEO, Future Dynamics | External Partner, BCG Frontier Tech | Futurist-in-Residence, Nokia | Newsweek Top 25 AI Visionary
Known as the Godmother of the Metaverse, Cathy Hackl is one of the world's most in-demand tech futurists, specializing in spatial AI, smart glasses, and the post-smartphone computing era. CEO of Future Dynamics, External Partner at BCG, and Futurist-in-Residence at Nokia, she has advised Nike, Walmart, and Louis Vuitton on emerging tech strategy. Her keynotes give senior leaders a clear-eyed, actionable map of what comes next.
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Cathy Hackl biography
Cathy Hackl is one of the world’s most recognized tech futurists, a bestselling author, and a keynote speaker whose decade-long track record of identifying the next computing era before it arrives has earned her a reputation USA Today described as one of the best predictors of future tech and tech habits in the world. The daughter of a Costa Rican diplomat, she grew up between New York, Geneva, Bogotá, and Hamburg before earning dual master’s degrees from Florida International University in international studies and mass communications. Before pivoting to technology, she worked in broadcast journalism at CNN, Discovery, and ABC News, and received an Emmy nomination for her storytelling work in 2007.
Futurist speaker Cathy Hackl built her technology career at the frontier of immersive computing, holding senior roles at HTC VIVE, Magic Leap, and Amazon Web Services, where she contributed to the development and launch of AI services including AWS Bedrock. She went on to co-found Journey, a global innovation and design company that built virtual experiences for Fortune 500 brands including Walmart Land in Roblox and the lighting design inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, before Journey was acquired just ten months after its founding. Today she is the founder and CEO of Future Dynamics, her foresight and exploration lab, and serves as External Partner at BCG’s Frontier Tech Group, Futurist-in-Residence at Nokia, and a trusted advisor to global organizations on AI, spatial computing, and the next hardware era.
The Godmother of the Metaverse — and What Comes After
Hackl is widely known in tech circles as the Godmother of the Metaverse, a title that reflects her role as one of the earliest and most visible advocates for spatial computing and immersive technology as legitimate business strategy. But her current focus has moved decisively beyond the metaverse into what she identifies as the next computing paradigm: spatial AI, world models, intelligent agents, AI-native hardware, and smart glasses as the successor to the smartphone. She has been named one of Newsweek’s Top 25 AI Visionaries, one of Ad Age’s Leading Women, a Top Latina in AI, and appeared on the cover of Forbes Latam’s 100 Most Powerful Women issue. She contributed a chapter to Harvard Business Review’s The Year in Tech 2025, writes regularly for Forbes, Wired, and Adweek, and hosts the TechMagic podcast. In 2022, she became the first person to ring the NASDAQ opening bell simultaneously in physical and avatar form, live on television. She is the author of five books, most recently Spatial Computing: An AI-Driven Business Revolution (Wiley, 2024).
As a speaker, Cathy Hackl gives senior audiences something that most technology keynotes fail to deliver: not a tour of gadgets, but a strategic framework for what comes next and why it matters now. Having spoken at Harvard Business School, MIT, SXSW, the World Economic Forum in Davos, CES, and MWC, she translates frontier technology trends into clear business imperatives. Her talks are known for combining rigorous foresight methodology with the credibility of someone who has built, advised, and shipped at the highest level of the tech industry. Audiences leave with a concrete picture of the AI and hardware shifts reshaping their industries — and a lens for making better decisions before those shifts arrive.
Cathy Hackl Speaking Videos
Cathy Hackl - Welcome to the future
The Metaverse Demystified by Cathy Hackl
Cathy Hackl Keynote Topics
The smartphone era is ending. What replaces it — smart glasses, AI-native wearables, spatial computers — will reshape how people work, shop, communicate, and experience the world. In this keynote, Hackl maps the transition from large language models to spatial AI and world models, explains what AI-native hardware means for every industry, and shows senior leaders how to build strategies for a computing paradigm that is already beginning. This is not a prediction — it is a briefing on what is already in motion and what decisions need to be made now.
Most organizations are not failing to innovate — they are failing to see far enough ahead. Hackl draws on her methodology as a trained futurist to show how executives can move from reactive trend-watching to proactive scenario planning, using the signals already visible in AI, spatial computing, robotics, and new hardware to map plausible futures and make more durable strategic decisions. This keynote gives leadership teams a practical foresight framework they can apply immediately to their own industries and competitive environments.
Gaming platforms, virtual worlds, and spatial environments are already generating billions in commerce — and the brands winning in these spaces are not the ones with the biggest budgets, but the ones with the clearest vision of what their customers want from digital experiences. Drawing on her work building Walmart Land in Roblox, advising Louis Vuitton and Nike on gaming strategy, and designing experiences inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, Hackl gives brand and marketing leaders a masterclass in how immersive commerce works, what customers expect, and how to build a strategy that bridges the physical and virtual without losing coherence.
AI is leaving the screen. The next generation of AI systems — embodied in smart glasses, humanoid robots, and spatial sensors — will perceive, reason about, and act in the physical world in ways that fundamentally change enterprise operations, consumer behavior, and the meaning of customer experience. Hackl explains what physical AI means in practice, which industries will be disrupted first, and what leaders need to understand about robotics, on-device AI, and spatial awareness to make informed decisions in the next three to five years.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Cathy Hackl
Why Cathy Hackl?
Booking Cathy Hackl means bringing to your event one of the tech world's most credible and compelling voices on what comes next. She is not a commentator on technology — she has built it, shipped it, and advised the world's largest brands on how to use it before most organizations knew it existed. As the Godmother of the Metaverse turned spatial AI strategist, she has a proven track record of identifying major technology shifts early: from VR and AR to the metaverse, spatial computing, and now the post-smartphone era of AI-native hardware. Newsweek named her a Top 25 AI Visionary, USA Today called her one of the best predictors of future tech in the world, and her keynotes at Harvard Business School, WEF Davos, SXSW, and CES have earned consistent standing ovations from C-suite audiences. She brings rare credibility as both a practitioner and a futurist, making her one of the most strategically valuable keynote investments for any organization preparing for the next decade of technological change. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to check availability.
What is Cathy Hackl known for?
Hackl is known primarily for being one of the earliest and most prominent voices to articulate spatial computing and the metaverse as serious business strategies, earning her the title Godmother of the Metaverse in tech circles. She has since expanded her focus to spatial AI, world models, AI agents, smart glasses, and the hardware architectures that will succeed the smartphone. Beyond her ideas, she is known for having worked inside the technology she talks about — at HTC VIVE, Magic Leap, and Amazon Web Services — and for advising Fortune 100 companies including Nike, Walmart, Louis Vuitton, and Estée Lauder on emerging tech strategy. She is also recognized for her media presence across 60 Minutes, CNBC Squawk Box, CNN, Good Morning America, The Economist, Bloomberg, and Time, and for her five books on the future of technology and business.
What are Cathy Hackl's books about?
Cathy Hackl has authored three bestselling books that map the commercial opportunities of emerging computing paradigms. The Augmented Workforce explores how AI, AR, and 5G reshape work; Navigating the Metaverse provides a detailed field guide to Web3 economies and virtual worlds; and Into the Metaverse offers executives a strategic playbook for the next iteration of the internet.
What makes Cathy Hackl a standout keynote speaker?
Cathy Hackl is known for grounding futuristic topics in usable business strategy. She works with leading enterprises across luxury, media, consumer, and technology sectors, and customizes talks to the industry in the room — from spatial AI and smartglasses to agentic commerce and Web3. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to bring Cathy Hackl to your event as a keynote speaker.
What is spatial computing and why does it matter for business?
Spatial computing refers to the next generation of computing interfaces that understand and interact with the physical world through AI, computer vision, and spatial awareness — rather than requiring users to engage with flat screens. It encompasses smart glasses, mixed reality devices, AI wearables, and the software architectures that power them. For businesses, it represents a fundamental shift in how people interact with information, how work gets done, and how consumers engage with brands and products. Hackl argues that organizations that understand this shift now — and begin building strategies around it — will have a decisive advantage as the post-smartphone era takes shape. Her keynotes and advisory work are specifically designed to help senior leaders understand the commercial implications of this transition and act on them before competitors do.
What topics does futurist speaker Cathy Hackl cover?
Hackl speaks on spatial AI and the future of computing, the post-smartphone hardware era, AI agents and world models, the metaverse and virtual worlds as business strategy, the future of retail and brand experience in immersive environments, strategic foresight for executives, and the intersection of technology with culture and commerce. Her keynotes are tailored for C-suite and senior leadership audiences and are particularly well-suited for innovation summits, technology conferences, marketing and brand leadership events, and any organization preparing its strategy for the next wave of AI and hardware disruption. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau for program options and availability.
How to book Cathy Hackl as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Cathy Hackl as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Cathy Hackl's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Cathy Hackl or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Cathy Hackl speaking fee?
Cathy Hackl speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Cathy Hackl to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Cathy Hackl.
How can I contact Cathy Hackl?
We only work with Cathy Hackl on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Cathy Hackl and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Cathy Hackl speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Cathy Hackl for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Cathy Hackl for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Cathy Hackl is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Cathy Hackl for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
