Daron Acemoglu
2024 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences | MIT Institute Professor | Institutions, Democracy & the Future of AI
Ola Rosling
President & Co-Founder, Gapminder Foundation | Inventor of Trendalyzer (Acquired by Google) | Co-Author, Factfulness | Former Google Public Data Product Manager
Behind every data point lies a story that challenges what we think we know. Ola Rosling has dedicated his career to revealing those stories through innovative visualization tools and fact-based education. As President of Gapminder, inventor of Trendalyzer, and co-author of the bestselling Factfulness, Rosling equips audiences worldwide with the frameworks to see past misconceptions and understand the world as it truly is—better than we think, yet still demanding our attention where it matters most.
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Ola Rosling biography
Ola Rosling is President and Co-Founder of the Gapminder Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to combating global ignorance through fact-based education. Together with his wife Anna Rosling Rönnlund and his late father Hans Rosling, he founded Gapminder to democratize access to global statistics and promote evidence-based understanding of world development.
Futurist speaker Ola Rosling pioneered revolutionary approaches to data visualization that transformed how millions understand global trends. In 1999, he led the development of Trendalyzer, groundbreaking software that converts complex statistical datasets into dynamic, interactive graphics. Google acquired Trendalyzer in 2007, and Rosling spent three years at Google headquarters as Product Manager for Google Public Data, where he and his team created the Motion Chart feature for Google Spreadsheets and built the infrastructure to integrate official statistics directly into Google Search results.
Factfulness and the Fight against Ignorance
In 2011, Ola returned to Gapminder to launch the Ignorance Project, now the world’s largest collection of public misconception surveys measuring what people get wrong about fundamental global facts. The project’s findings revealed a stunning pattern: educated people across all backgrounds consistently score worse than random chance when asked basic questions about poverty, health, education, and development. This research became the foundation for the term “factfulness,” which Rosling coined in 2014 to describe the stress-reducing habit of forming opinions based on strong supporting facts rather than instincts and misconceptions.
Co-authored with Anna and Hans, Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World—and Why Things Are Better Than You Think became an international phenomenon, selling millions of copies worldwide. Bill Gates called it “one of the most important books I’ve ever read” and gifted four million copies to college graduates. The book has been translated into dozens of languages and continues to reshape how leaders, educators, and the public understand global progress. Rosling’s work earned him speaking invitations at major forums including TED, where the talk “How Not to Be Ignorant About the World” demonstrated his signature blend of humor, data, and insight.
As a speaker, Ola Rosling delivers transformative presentations that challenge audiences to question their assumptions and embrace data-driven thinking. His talks combine stunning visual tools with practical frameworks for interpreting statistics, equipping business leaders, policymakers, and educators with the skills to cut through media bias, resist cognitive distortions, and make decisions grounded in reality. Audiences leave with a more accurate worldview, actionable strategies for thinking clearly under uncertainty, and renewed optimism about humanity’s capacity for progress.
Ola Rosling Speaking Videos
So you think you know the facts? Three talks from Ola Rosling | Nobel Week Dialogue 2024
RC69 Keynote Speech Ola Rosling, For a fact based worldview
Ola Rosling Keynote Topics
Most leaders base critical decisions on outdated assumptions and cognitive biases rather than current facts. Ola Rosling presents the core principles of factfulness, teaching audiences to recognize the ten instincts that systematically distort perception—from the gap instinct that makes us see false dichotomies to the negativity instinct that blinds us to progress. Using dynamic data visualizations and engaging examples, he demonstrates how even highly educated professionals routinely get basic facts wrong about global trends. Participants learn practical techniques for evaluating information sources, interpreting statistics accurately, and forming opinions grounded in evidence rather than emotion or drama.
Poverty, health, education, population—what do we really know about the state of the world? Ola Rosling challenges widespread misconceptions with stunning visual demonstrations showing how humanity has made extraordinary progress in areas most people believe are getting worse. Drawing from Gapminder's Ignorance Project surveys, he reveals why the public systematically underestimates improvements in child mortality, literacy rates, and living standards across developing regions. This presentation equips audiences with an accurate understanding of current global conditions, enabling more strategic allocation of resources and more realistic approaches to addressing remaining challenges in sustainability and development.
Organizations that rely on intuition and anecdote rather than rigorous analysis miss opportunities and misallocate resources. Ola Rosling shows how to build a culture where factual thinking becomes the default mode, not the exception. He explores how cognitive shortcuts that served our ancestors now lead modern professionals astray, creating systematic blind spots in strategy and planning. Through case studies and interactive elements, participants discover how to structure decision-making processes that reward evidence over storytelling, how to present data in ways that actually change minds, and how to create accountability systems that demand factual support for key claims.
Media bias, selective reporting, and sensationalism make it nearly impossible to understand what's actually happening globally. Ola Rosling teaches audiences how to cut through the noise and extract signal from statistics. He demonstrates why dramatic stories dominate news cycles while slow, steady progress goes unreported, and provides tools for evaluating whether reported trends represent genuine shifts or statistical noise. This keynote is particularly valuable for executives navigating uncertainty, helping them distinguish between meaningful changes requiring strategic response and temporary fluctuations that merit patience and perspective.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Ola Rosling
Why Ola Rosling?
Booking Ola Rosling for your event means bringing one of the world's most innovative thinkers on data literacy and global development to your stage. As President and Co-Founder of the Gapminder Foundation, inventor of Trendalyzer (acquired by Google), and co-author of the multi-million-copy bestseller Factfulness, Rosling offers unparalleled expertise in combating misinformation and promoting evidence-based decision-making. His presentations combine cutting-edge data visualization with engaging storytelling, making complex global trends accessible and actionable for business leaders, educators, and policymakers. Rosling's unique ability to challenge widespread misconceptions while maintaining an optimistic, solution-oriented approach makes him an ideal speaker for organizations seeking to build data literacy, improve strategic thinking, and foster a culture of factual accuracy. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to secure Ola Rosling for your next conference or corporate event.
What is factfulness?
Factfulness is both a bestselling book and a concept coined by Ola Rosling in 2014. The book, co-authored with Hans Rosling and Anna Rosling Rönnlund, identifies ten instincts that distort our understanding of the world—from the tendency to divide everything into binary opposites to the way we consume fear-driven media. Factfulness refers to the stress-reducing habit of forming opinions only when you have strong supporting facts, rather than relying on outdated assumptions or dramatic narratives. The Ignorance Project at Gapminder revealed that even highly educated people systematically get basic facts wrong about global development, often scoring worse than random chance. The book teaches practical methods for developing a fact-based worldview, showing that while serious challenges remain, the world is in much better shape than most people believe. Bill Gates distributed four million copies to college graduates, calling it one of the most important books he's ever read.
What software did Ola Rosling create?
Ola Rosling led the development of Trendalyzer, revolutionary data visualization software that transforms statistical datasets into dynamic, interactive bubble charts. Launched in 1999, Trendalyzer made it possible for anyone to see how countries and populations change over time across multiple variables simultaneously. The software's ability to animate decades of data in seconds fundamentally changed how people understand global trends. Google acquired Trendalyzer in 2007, recognizing its potential to democratize access to public statistics. After the acquisition, Rosling worked as Product Manager for Google Public Data, where his team integrated the Motion Chart into Google Spreadsheets and built infrastructure to make official statistics searchable through Google. This work has enabled millions of users worldwide to access and visualize complex data that was previously locked in inaccessible databases.
What topics does data visualization speaker Ola Rosling cover?
Ola Rosling's keynote presentations focus on factfulness, data literacy, cognitive biases, global development trends, and evidence-based decision-making. His talks debunk common misconceptions about poverty, health, education, population growth, and environmental challenges, using stunning visual tools to reveal surprising truths about human progress. Rosling teaches audiences how to recognize and overcome the ten instincts that distort perception—including the gap instinct, negativity instinct, and fear instinct—equipping them with practical frameworks for interpreting statistics accurately. His presentations are ideal for corporate leadership summits, educational conferences, technology forums, and policy discussions where data-driven thinking and strategic clarity are essential. Whether addressing business executives navigating uncertainty or educators building curriculum, Rosling delivers content that combines intellectual rigor with accessibility and optimism. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to book Ola Rosling for your next event.
How to book Ola Rosling as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Ola Rosling as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Ola Rosling'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 Ola Rosling or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Ola Rosling speaking fee?
Ola Rosling 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 Ola Rosling 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 Ola Rosling.
How can I contact Ola Rosling?
We only work with Ola Rosling on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Ola Rosling and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Ola Rosling 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 Ola Rosling for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Ola Rosling for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Ola Rosling is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Ola Rosling for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
