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Harper Reed Keynote Speaker and former CTO of Obama for America

Harper Reed

Former CTO, Obama for America 2012 | Co-Founder & CEO, 2389 Research | Founder, Modest (Acq. by Braintree/PayPal) | Former CTO, Threadless | AI & Data Expert

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Harper Reed brings a builder's perspective to the AI conversation. The engineer who ran technology for President Obama's 2012 reelection campaign, and whose startup was acquired by PayPal's Braintree, now leads 2389 Research, where his team designs multi-agent AI systems. On stage he is candid, funny, and specific, showing executives what AI can do in practice and how to organize their teams to capture its value without the hype.

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    Harper Reed biography

    Technologist, entrepreneur, and self-described hacker Harper Reed is known for building systems that have to work under pressure and at scale. As an AI speaker, he gives audiences an insider’s view of artificial intelligence, data, and the teams that turn both into real results.

    Reed first made his name as CTO of Threadless, the Chicago crowdsourced apparel company, where he helped grow a small team into a multimillion-dollar business. He then served as Chief Technology Officer of Obama for America during the 2012 reelection campaign, recruiting engineers from well outside the usual political vendors and building Project Narwhal, a central data platform that connected fundraising, volunteer, and voter outreach. After the campaign he founded Modest, a mobile commerce startup backed by Eric Schmidt and later acquired by Braintree, part of PayPal, where he went on to serve as Head of Commerce and hold senior engineering roles across Braintree, Venmo, and PayPal.

    From Campaign Data to AI Agents

    Today Reed is cofounder and CEO of 2389 Research, a venture-backed applied AI lab in Chicago that builds multi-agent workflows, in which several AI agents collaborate to complete complex tasks, and teaches engineering teams to work alongside coding agents. He takes a practical, experimental approach and writes openly about what works and what fails. He has been a Director’s Fellow at the MIT Media Lab, sits on the Board of Governors of the Pardee RAND Graduate School, and serves on advisory boards for the Royal United Services Institute and the computer science department at Illinois Tech. He holds a degree in computer science and philosophy from Cornell College.

    As a speaker, Harper Reed combines engineering depth with humor and candor. He draws on high-stakes experience, from a presidential campaign to global payments, to help executives separate what AI can do today from the hype, and shows how small, empowered teams can move faster than large organizations expect. Audiences leave with a grounded view of AI agents and practical ideas for putting them to work.

    Harper Reed Speaking Videos

    Harper Reed - The Internet: High Speed Everything
    Harper Reed - When work becomes fun

    Harper Reed Speaking Topics

    Reed's working model for AI is simple: think of it as a gifted intern, fast and capable but inexperienced, and sometimes confidently wrong. In this keynote he shows what that framing means for real organizations: which tasks to hand over, where human review still matters, and how to design workflows in which several AI agents share the load. Drawing on daily hands-on work at 2389 Research, he gives leaders a clear, grounded picture of what AI delivers today and how to adopt it responsibly, without overpromising or falling behind.

    For the 2012 Obama reelection campaign, Reed recruited engineers from outside politics and built Project Narwhal, a platform that tied together fundraising, volunteer, and voter outreach data under an immovable deadline. In this talk he takes audiences inside the decisions, mistakes, and breakthroughs behind that effort, and distills the principles any large organization can use: integrate data before you analyze it, hire builders from unexpected places, and design systems that hold up on the day that matters most.

    Many companies call themselves data-driven; far fewer let data shape their decisions. Reed, who built some of the most demanding data systems in modern politics and commerce, explains what the shift requires in infrastructure, culture, talent, and discipline. Practical and occasionally provocative, this keynote helps leaders move from collecting metrics to acting on them, with real examples of where data succeeds, where it misleads, and why judgment still matters.

    Great technology comes from great teams, and great teams are built on purpose. Drawing on his experience scaling Threadless, recruiting engineers for a presidential campaign, and founding several startups, Reed explains how to attract, organize, and motivate technical talent. He covers how to hire for the ability to ship rather than for credentials, how to keep startup speed inside larger organizations, and what non-technical leaders need to understand about the people building their future.

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    FAQs on Booking Harper Reed

    Harper Reed is a builder, not a commentator. He ran technology for President Obama's 2012 reelection campaign, founded a commerce startup acquired by PayPal's Braintree, and leads 2389 Research, a company developing multi-agent AI systems. That record lets him speak about AI, data, and technology teams with first-hand authority, and his humor and candor make complex ideas easy to act on. For audiences that want a clear, practical view of AI from someone who uses it every day, he is an outstanding choice. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to check his availability for your event.

    Project Narwhal was the data platform built for Obama for America, President Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign, under the direction of CTO Harper Reed. It connected systems that had previously operated separately, including fundraising, volunteer management, and voter outreach, so that the campaign could work from shared, up-to-date information. The team was notable for recruiting engineers from technology companies rather than political vendors, an approach that influenced how later campaigns and large organizations organize their technology.

    Multi-agent AI systems use several AI agents, each handling a specific part of a task, that coordinate to complete work too complex for a single model or prompt. One agent might gather information, another draft a response, and a third check the result. Harper Reed's company, 2389 Research, builds these kinds of workflows, and he speaks about how organizations can use them in practice. To bring this perspective to your audience, book speaker Harper Reed through Aurum Speakers Bureau.

    Harper Reed pairs decades of engineering leadership with daily, hands-on use of current AI tools. Rather than offering predictions alone, he explains what AI can reliably do now, where it still fails, and how leaders should structure teams and processes around it. His background spans politics, e-commerce, payments, and startups, so his examples connect with business, technology, and executive audiences. Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you tailor his keynote to your event's goals.

    Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Harper Reed as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Harper Reed'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 Harper Reed or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.

    Harper Reed 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 Harper Reed 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 Harper Reed.

    We only work with Harper Reed on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Harper Reed and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Harper Reed 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 Harper Reed for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.

    Yes, Harper Reed is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Harper Reed for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.