Rebecca Ryan
Futurist & Economist
Rebecca Ryan is a “human spark plug.” Part futurist and part economist, Ryan is one of…
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Full Bio
Rebecca Ryan is a “human spark plug.” Part futurist and part economist, Ryan is one of America’s most influential thought leaders helping cities and companies think around the corner… to what’s next.
Rebecca Ryan is an energetic entrepreneur and the founder of NEXT Generation Consulting with responsibilities for sales, marketing, and positioning. Ryan is also the Resident Futurist at hteAllian for Innovation and a Senior Fellow at CEOs for Cities. Her work in the areas of strategy, innovation, and foresight has earned her national acclaim.
Ryan is the author of Live First, Work Second: Getting Inside the Minds of the Next Generation, which discusses the increased importance of keeping and attracting young talent because of impending demographic shifts. It is also a helpful how-to guide for anyone interested in building a better community or business as we look to the future. Dr. Richard Florida, author of the bestseller The Rise of the Creative Class and The Flight of the Creative Class wrote the book’s forward, saying, “I am a HUGE Rebecca Ryan fan,” and that he considers “NGC one of the most reliable sources for CEOs, mayors, legislators, economic developers, and nonprofit leaders who want to attract and retain the next generation of creative workers.” Ryan’s newest book is ReGENERATION: A Manifesto for America’s Future Leaders.
Ryan was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People by Accounting Today, the 2006 Communicator of the Year by Women in Communication, and a Woman of Influence by the Business Journal of Greater Milwaukee. She was named the 2004 Entrepreneur of the Year by the US Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, as well as one of the Most Powerful Women in Public Accounting by CPA Practice Advisor.
Ryan has a bachelor’s of arts in economics as well as a bachelor’s in international relations from Drake University. She’s also attended the Kozgaz University in Budapest, Hungary – where she played professional basketball – and the Institut fur European Studiern in Freiburg, Germany.
Ryan lives in Madison, Wisconsin. Her favorite coffee mug says, “Well-behaved women seldom make history.”
Testimonials
Ernie was perfect for our Elders Conference at Little River Casino Resort in Manistee, Michigan. We will definitely be using PDA again!
LITTLE RIVER BAND OF OTTAWA INDIANS
Our speaker was great and the crowd enjoyed her! She was very engaging. Thank you again PDA for the great list of suggestions!
MEDTRONIC
Everything went great! and our speaker was wonderful! Thank you so much for all your help PDA! Looking forward to the next one.
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI – KANSAS CITY
I hope that this message finds you well. We had a phenomenal time with Atsuko this past Thursday. We wanted to just let you know how amazing she was. All those that were in attendance thoroughly enjoyed her and had nothing but amazing things to say about her. Thank you for working with us to make sure this happened!
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
We had a fantastic day with Inge! She was very engaging with all those that attended. Her personal stories about the holocaust were very special and we were moved that she was willing to share them with everyone. Thank you again, PDA for all your hard work and dedication to make this program such a success!
SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Dear PDA Group, Thank you so much for your hard work in scheduling our speaker! From the moment we reached out to you the first time, you worked with us on all details and logistics and kept us up-to-date on the progress. Thank you for all your hard work on making our event such a success! We couldn't have done it without you and your team!
SAP COMPANY
Thank you again, Dr. Kimbrough, for a great presentation, our attendees are still talking about it!
CAMPUS LABS
Dr. Henry Lee's presentation was entertaining, insightful and wise. I, and everyone at Pfizer, especially appreciate the remarks you directed about following your passion and preparing yourself to excel. Thank you, everyone, at PDA for helping to make this happen!
PFIZER
The event was successful! I received many messages expressing how awesome, outstanding and inspiring Ms. Webb-Christburg's speech was."
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL BREAKFAST, BOSTON, MLK SPEAKER
Everything went well. Atsuko was very easy to work with and the students enjoyed her performance! Thank you again for your recommendation and I hope to work with you again in the future!
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Dr. Novello left this morning after a very successful event on our campus! Thank you PDA Group for your help from the first phone to the last you were with us every step of the way.
GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
Jordan Carlos was very very entertaining! A majority of students who answered the event survey indicated they really enjoyed Jordan and definitely will bring him back!
WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
On behalf of myself and my organization Entertainment Unlimited the Campus Programming Board of Ferris State University, we thank you PDA and Dan for a successful event!! Dan was magnificent! Students really enjoyed the presentation. I know I did. Can't wait to bring in more programs with PDA Group.
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
It was a great pleasure to work with PDA Group! The communication was always prompt, friendly and helpful. We loved the speakers and events we booked through Mr. Peter Walker (PDA Group).
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Thank you, Peter, for all your help, you'll be happy to know that the event went incredibly well! Aneesa Ferreira was by far one of the best speakers we've ever had!
FURMAN UNIVERSITY
Topics
Unite and Ignite: Bringing Generations Together
Cities 3.0: Reflecting, Responding, and Redesigning for an Uncertain Future
Thinking Around the Corner: Five Trends in 50 Minutes
Live First, Work Second: Getting Inside the Minds of the Next Generation
Videos
Create a better world for more people: a futurist's call to action | Rebecca Ryan | TEDxBeaconStreet
Rebecca Ryan Futurist, Speaker and Human Spark Plug
Books
News
Testimonials
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