1 ON 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? Experts weigh in. 
Lise Buyer, Managing Partner, Class V Group 
Paul Kwan, West Coast Head of Banking, Morgan Stanley 
Paul Ryan, Founder, Executive Network Partnering Corp.

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

The Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit against Google, filed in October, could mark the start of 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?	 			
Hon. Katherine Forrest (Ret.), Partner, Cravath, Swaine and Moore 	
Additional speakers to be announced

ANTI TRUST OR ANTI TECH?

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

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

BRACING FOR A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD

BREAK

CLOSING SESSION

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. Its CEO explains how. 
Thomas Kurian, Chief Executive Officer, Google Cloud

CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SUCCESS

After trying to operate his online snowboard shop with lousy software, the CEO of Shopify decided to build his own. Today, he runs the most valuable Canadian company in history—an e-commerce platform that has boomed even as the coronavirus pandemic brought many retailers to their knees. He explains how small business demand led to his recent success and why investors believe the company’s just getting started. 
Tobi Lütke, Chief Executive Officer, Shopify

FOR SHOPIFY, IT’S IN THE BAG

With some movie theaters now opening at reduced capacity and many  shuttered completely, the entire business of distribution of one of our favorite pastimes has been upended. What does that mean for streaming, tentpole mega hits, directors, moviegoers, talent,  technology, and the downstream industries that depend on theaters for billions of dollars in revenue?



GOING TO THE MOVIES AND THE FUTURE OF DISTRIBUTION

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

LEADERSHIP IN THE TIME OF COVID

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

NAVIGATING THE FUTURE: RAKUTEN’S EXPANDING VIEW

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

RETHINKING IBM

Pick where you want to go: lots of choices and lots of opportunities to speak up. 

BOARDS OF DIRECTORS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW NOW 
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 
Karen Peacock, Board Member, Dropbox 
Christa Quarles, Board Member, Kimberly-Clark, Affirm 
Additional speakers and moderator to be announced 

THE TECHNOLOGY OF SWEAT 
Thanks 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. 
Patrick Frisk, Chief Executive Officer, Under Armour 
Aly Oradi, Chief Executive Officer, Tonal 
Melanie Whelan, Managing Director, Summit Partners 
Additional speakers and moderator to be announced 
				
Additional Sessions to be Announced

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS

SESSION TO BE ANNOUNCED

SESSIONS TO BE ANNOUNCED

TRACKING THE PANDEMIC

It’s been a good year for the stock market, with high valuations and many new entrants into the public market. Then again, this is a high-risk moment: a politically polarized environment coupled with a pandemic. So what does 2021 hold for listed companies, startups and investors? 
Stacey Cunningham, President, NYSE Group

VIEW FROM THE TRADING FLOOR

WELCOME

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, Founder and Managing Partner, Thoma Bravo 
Stacy Brown-Philpot, Founding Member, Softbank Opportunity Fund 
Lo Toney, Founding Managing Partner, Plexo Capital 
Lila Preston, Co-head, Generation Wealth Equity 
Additional speakers and moderator to be announced

ROUNDTABLE: FOLLOW THE SMART MONEY

It’s not just Silicon Valley hotshots that are pushing the limits of A.I. Machine learning now permeates nearly every facet of successful organizations, helping companies optimize sales, build compelling products, and unearth investment opportunities. Find out why leaders from finance, manufacturing, and even fashion agree that machine learning is key to their business.



ROUNDTABLE: A.I. EVERYWHERE

Adversaries seek to sicken the body politic. Hear from international cybersecurity experts and discuss how to bring democracy out of the darkness.




DISINFECTING THE INFORMATION AGE

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

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

FORTUNE Brainstorm A.I.

MAY 03-04, 2021 | Boston, MA

FORTUNE Global Tech Forum

NOVEMBER 18-19, 2021 | Guangzhou, China