1:1 NETWORKING

Lessons from a pandemic, a push for social justice reform, and an all-consuming presidential election.



2020: WHAT WE LEARNED

What's old is new again. The special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) was far from the preferred method to take a fast-growing tech company public. Lately it's the hottest thing on Wall Street. Is a bubble brewing or are SPACs here to stay? And what is the future of “traditional” IPOs and direct listings? 
Lise Buyer, Founder and Managing Partner, Class V Group 
Paul Kwan, Managing Director, Head of West Coast Technology Banking, Morgan Stanley 
Paul Ryan, Board Chairman, Executive Network Partnering Corp; 54th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives 
Moderator: Michal Lev-Ram, Senior Writer, FORTUNE; Co-chair, Brainstorm Tech

A SHOCKING—SMARTER?—WAY FOR SILICON VALLEY TO GO PUBLIC

The Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit against Google, filed in October, is yet another stepping stone to a new era of tougher scrutiny and greater regulation of Big Tech. But are the most successful tech companies hurting or helping competition, innovation and even democracy itself?		 			
Makan Delrahim, Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice 	
Katherine B. Forrest, Partner, Cravath, Swaine & Moore 	
Moderator: Jeff John Roberts, Senior Writer, FORTUNE

ANTI TRUST OR ANTI TECH?

Deirdre O’Brien oversees the company’s more than 130,000 employees plus its IRL and online stores. In both roles, she has had to quickly pivot to respond to challenges brought about by the pandemic and its impact on how people work—and shop. We hear directly from the 30-year Apple veteran on how the iPhone maker has innovated, yet again, on its retail strategy, and how she is meeting the demands of a diverse and global workforce in a world still grappling with crisis. 
Deirdre O’Brien, Senior Vice President, Retail + People, Apple 
Moderator: Michal Lev-Ram, FORTUNE

APPLE ADAPTS

After years of blood, sweat and tears, Cruise is going driverless on the challenging roads of San Francisco. As the GM, Honda, and Softbank backed company takes to the streets, we discuss the competitive landscape and how the pandemic could impact demand for AV technology. 
Dan Ammann, Chief Executive Officer, Cruise 
Moderator: Andrew Nusca, Digital Editor, FORTUNE; Co-chair, Brainstorm Tech

ARE WE THERE YET?

While most of us are still in crisis mode, the CEO of Accenture is looking around the corner, prepping her customers and her workforce for the big changes that are still ahead. That’s no small feat, with a half million employees and hundreds of large customers in 120 countries. 
Julie Sweet, Chief Executive Officer, Accenture 
Moderator: Ellen McGirt, Senior Editor, FORTUNE

BRACING FOR A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD

BREAK

CLOSING REMARKS

Google joined the cloud computing fray more than a decade ago by leading with its technical chops. Today it’s doubling down on corporate relationships as it works to rapidly catch up to its big tech rivals. The Google Cloud CEO explains how. 
Thomas Kurian, Chief Executive Officer, Google Cloud 
Interviewer: Aaron Pressman, Senior Writer and Co-chair, FORTUNE Brainstorm Tech

GOOGLE’S HEAD IS IN THE CLOUD

When the coronavirus pandemic struck, these four technology CEOs began talking honestly and openly with one another about how their companies should respond. What they’ve learned—and what we can learn from them. 
Stewart Butterfield, Chief Executive Officer, Slack 
Aaron Levie, Chief Executive Officer, Box 
Todd McKinnon, Chief Executive Officer, Okta 
Jennifer Tejada, Chief Executive Officer, PagerDuty 
Moderator: Michal Lev-Ram, FORTUNE

LEADERSHIP IN THE TIME OF COVID

An early investor in more than a dozen unicorns—including Airbnb, Affirm, Peloton, Poshmark, Slack and Wish —GGV Capital's Hans Tung has been especially focused on the next generation of U.S. entrepreneurs outside of Silicon Valley that can serve the mass market with a differentiated experience. He shares which areas have most captured his attention lately. (Hint: It's not China.) 
Hans Tung, Managing Partner, GGv Capital 
Moderator: Lucinda Shen, FORTUNE

MY NEXT BIG BET

The largest ecommerce company in Japan is now diving into new areas like 5G and and curing cancer. Hear how it's going and what's next at Rakuten from the CEO and founder. 
Mickey Mikitani, Chief Executive Officer, Rakuten 
Interviewer: Andrew Nusca, Fortune

NAVIGATING THE FUTURE: RAKUTEN’S EXPANDING VIEW

Donna Langley, Chairman, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group 
Interviewer: Andrew Nusca, FORTUNE

ONE ON ONE

Can Big Blue become bigger by getting smaller? IBM’s new chief executive explains why the tech icon is spinning off a nearly $20 billion business in an aggressive bid to boost its competitive standing in cloud computing and artificial intelligence. 
Arvind Krishna, Chief Executive Officer, IBM 
Moderator: Andrew Nusca, FORTUNE

RETHINKING IBM

More than 100 billion messages course through Facebook’s WhatsApp each day, a lifeline for pandemic-isolated people seeking to stay in touch—without physically touching. Hear from the leader of the world’s largest messaging app how he is confronting COVID, keeping hackers and surveillance in check, and preserving the intimacy we expect at home in the digital world. 
Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp, Facebook 
Moderator: Robert Hackett, Senior Writer, FORTUNE

SPANNING THE SOCIAL DISTANCE WITH WHATSAPP

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, home fitness is back with a vengeance—and it’s a far cry from the ThighMasters and Bowflexes of eras past. A new class of companies has arrived touting sophisticated technology, clever business models, and billions of dollars in funding, making the case that the best place to sweat (at least for now) is in the comfort of your own home. Will it stick? Executives sound off. 
Patrik Frisk, Chief Executive Officer, Under Armour 
Brynn Putnam, Chief Executive Officer, MIRROR 
Melanie Whelan, Managing Director, Summit Partners 
Moderator: Adam Lashinsky, Contributing Editor, FORTUNE

THE TECHNOLOGY OF SWEAT

Technology has played a starring role in mapping the COVID outbreak and developing drugs and vaccines, and will be instrumental in distributing immunizations globally. We hear from two experts in the fields of geographic information systems and epidemiology, on the various ways tech has worked (and hasn’t worked) in combatting the pandemic, and how this acceleration of technological transformation could change healthcare going forward. 
Este Geraghty, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer, Esri 
Michelle A. Williams, Dean of the Faculty, T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University 
Moderator: Clifton Leaf, Editor-In-Chief, FORTUNE

TRACKING THE PANDEMIC

It’s been a wild year for the stock market, with boom, busts, and billion-dollar IPOs in between. And we're hardly out of the woods—a politically polarized environment coupled with a prolonged pandemic means the path forward remains rocky. What does 2021 hold for listed companies, startups, and investors? 
Stacey Cunningham, President, New York Stock Exchange 
Interviewer: Lucinda Shen, Writer, FORTUNE; Co-chair, FORTUNE Brainstorm Tech

VIEW FROM THE TRADING FLOOR

WELCOME

The consequences of COVID-19 have lasted longer than any of us imagined. For businesses, it’s clearly time to pivot from “What Now?” to “What’s Next?”—and that starts at the very top. At a time of tremendous flux, how are corporate boards approaching diversity and inclusion, assessing future risk, preparing for resilient leadership, and addressing corporate purpose in today’s environment? Directors from leading companies share their views. 
David Lawee, Board Member, Lyft, Convoy, Credit Karma and Founder and General Partner, CapitalG 
Karen Peacock, Board Member, Dropbox; Chief Executive Officer, Intercom 
Christa Quarles, Board Member, Affirm, Kimberly-Clark; Chief Executive Officer, Corel 
Merline Saintil, Board Member, GitLab, Lightspeed, Alkami Technology; Banner Corporation, ShotSpotter 
Moderator: Danielle Abril, Tech Writer, FORTUNE

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: BOARDS OF DIRECTORS-WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW

Nothing spells opportunity like worldwide change. We gather leading investors, venture capitalists, bankers, and private-equity pros to discuss—and debate—which technologies and industries hold promise and which ones have fallen from favor. Want to know what’s coming next? Join the discussion. 
Orlando Bravo, Managing Partner, Thoma Bravo 
Stacy Brown-Philpot, Founding Member, SB Opportunity Fund 
Lila Preston, Partner, Generation Investment Management 
Lo Toney, Founding Managing Partner, Plexo Capital 
Moderator: Lucinda Shen, FORTUNE 
Introduction: David Sawatzky, Chief Delivery Officer, 3Pillar Global

Hosted by 3Pillar Global

ROUNDTABLE: FOLLOW THE SMART MONEY

A.I. advancements are no longer limited to Silicon Valley startups. Machine learning now permeates every facet of successful organizations, driving increased sales, compelling products, and process efficiencies. Find out why leaders from finance, manufacturing, and even[intelligence agree that A.I. is key to the future of their business. 
Nicole Eagan, Chief Strategy Officer and A.I. Officer, Darktrace 	 	
Brad Klingenberg, Chief Algorithms Officer, StitchFix 
Laura Major, Chief Technology Officer, Motional 
Mazen Rawashdeh, Chief Technology Officer, eBay 
Moderator: Aaron Pressman, FORTUNE

ROUNDTABLE: THE A.I. IMPERATIVE

The pandemic forced many startups and companies to change focus as business as usual disappeared. Some have had to close their doors, but others have successfully pivoted. We'll discuss shifting strategies and tactics with several companies that did so and one that helped them pull it off. 
Terri Burns, Partner, GV 
Oded Gal, Chief Product Officer, Zoom 
Guru Gowrappan, Group Chief Executive Officer, Verizon Media 
Jennifer Hyman, Chief Executive Officer, Rent The Runway 
Ayman Sayed, Chief Executive Officer, BMC Software 
Moderator: Brian O’Keefe, Deputy Editor, FORTUNE

ROUNDTABLE: FINDING WHERE TO PIVOT

The pandemic has given rise to new systems and processes for effective work, and it's clear that companies need to reskill employees to meet new demands and handle fresh challenges. Join this discussion of the tools and techniques that have proven effective to enable workforces to thrive in the new normal. 
Jeff Maggioncalda, Chief Executive Officer, Coursera 
Bonny Simi, President, JetBlue Technology Ventures 
Sanjay Srivastava, Chief Digital Officer, Genpact 
Sigal Zarmi, International CIO, Morgan Stanley 
Moderator: Alan Murray, Chief Executive Officer, FORTUNE

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: HOW TECH SPEEDS STRATEGY

We can reimagine businesses, and build a more humane and sustainable corporate world. What effects does climate change have on business bottom lines, and can a sustainable future be a more profitable one? 
Mike Hayes, Leader, Global Renewables and Decarbonization, KPMG Ireland; Partner, KPMG 
Davida Herzl, Chief Executive Officer, Aclima 
Lucas Joppa, Chief Environmental Officer, Microsoft 
Haley Lowry, Global Sustainability Director, Dow 
Kathleen McLaughlin, Chief Sustainability Officer, Walmart 
Moderator: Adam Lashinsky, Contributing Editor, FORTUNE

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Brainstorm Tech is going virtual. We will bring together the top technology and media leaders, operators, entrepreneurs, innovators, and influencers for a dynamic exchange of ideas about our theme, “Innovating in a Time of Crisis.”

FORTUNE Brainstorm Tech Virtual

Deanna Van Buren, Executive Director, Designing Justice + Designing Spaces 
Interviewer: Ellen McGirt, Senior Editor, FORTUNE; Co-Chair, Brainstorm Design

INTERVIEW WITH DEANNA VAN BUREN

Mauro Porcini, Chief Design Officer, PepsiCo 
Ram Krishnan, Chief Commercial Officer, PepsiCo 
Moderator: Brian O’Keefe, Deputy Editor, FORTUNE; Co-Chair, Brainstorm Design

INTERVIEW WITH MAURO PORCINI AND RAM KRISHNAN

Clay Chandler, Executive Asia Editor, FORTUNE; Co-Chair, Brainstorm Design

WORKING GROUP REPORT BACKS

WORKING GROUP SESSIONS

Fortune Brainstorm Design Virtual Discussion

The FORTUNE CEO Initiative is dedicated to helping members find ways to promote social progress as part of their core business strategies.

The FORTUNE CEO Initiative

The MPW community gathers the preeminent women in business, along with select leaders in government, philanthropy, education, sports, and the arts.

FORTUNE Most Powerful Women Membership

FORTUNE Brainstorm A.I.

The Fortune Global Tech Forum convenes the world leaders in the innovation economy space.

Upcoming conferences

FORTUNE Brainstorm Tech Virtual

DECEMBER 01-02, 2020 | Virtual

Stacy Brown-Philpot

Arvind Krishna

Stewart Butterfield

Jennifer Tejada

Fortune Brainstorm Design Virtual Discussion

DECEMBER 08, 2020

The FORTUNE CEO Initiative

SEPTEMBER 13-14, 2021 | Washington D.C.

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