NSB Logo Vikram Mansharamani Vikram Mansharamani

Vikram Mansharamani

Speaker

Lincoln, New Hamshire, USA

Global Trend Watcher, Advisor & Bestselling Author

Dr. Vikram Mansharamani is a global trend-watcher and economic advisor who shows people how to anticipate the future, manage risk, and spot opportunities. He is the author of Think For Yourself: Restoring Common Sense in an Age of Experts and Artificial Intelligence, and Boombustology: Spotting Financial Bubbles Before They Burst. He has been a frequent commentator on issues driving disruption in the global business environment, and has been listed twice on Linkedin as the #1 Top Voice for Money, Finance and Global Economics.

Business & Workplace Environment & Science Bestselling Authors & Celebrity Innovation & Change Management Current Events Technology & Trends Economics & Finance

In the News

Vikram Mansharamani in the media January 1, 2023
Vancouver Sun | Conversations That Matter: How to prepare for uncertainty February 19, 2021
CBC | Think for yourself: how to judge expertise in a time of conflicting opinions June 12, 2020

Keynote Speeches

Virtual Keynotes & Webinars
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Navigating Uncertainty: An Unconventional Approach

In this stimulating and entertaining talk, Dr. Vikram Mansharamani applies a unique combination of practitioner experience and academic perspective to help audiences navigate the seemingly unending crosscurrents of global economic, financial and geopolitical uncertainty. He explains how we got to the current world of protectionism, nationalism, populism, and currency conflicts and explores how the combination of political, social, technological, demographic, and economic pressures will impact future trends. 

He will also show audiences how to look differently at their industry with the goal of managing risk and capturing opportunities others miss. 

Key Takeaways:

  • How to reclaim control by thinking bigger and critically assessing expert insights.
  • Understand the trends and potential future scenarios that may impact your organization.
Think For Yourself

In a fast-paced world driven by complex and changing factors, connecting the dots is often more important than developing them. As a result of the overwhelming flood of information that pours at us daily, we run headlong into the arms of experts and technologies. We’ve stopped thinking for ourselves and now habitually – perhaps unconsciously – outsource our thinking about important decisions. Rather than turn to specialists, Dr. Vikram Mansharamani guides us to think bigger and look across the silos of expertise, leaving listeners empowered and energized to think for themselves. This memorable talk is filled with stories from a variety of industries and settings about how we got to where we are and how we can reclaim control.

Boom Or Bust: Spotting Bubbles Before They Burst

Our dynamic global economy seems to be producing boom and bust cycles more frequently than in the past. There’s always something that seems ahead of itself, having reached unsustainable levels. In direct contrast to the prevailing academic thinking, Dr. Vikram Mansharamani believes it’s possible to identify financial (and other) bubbles before they burst. Drawing on entertaining examples from art markets, architecture, and popular culture (as well as economics and politics), he powerfully demonstrates that you need not be an expert to anticipate the future. Audiences leave this talk feeling empowered to think independently and connect the obvious dots to generate not-so-obvious conclusions.

Audience reviews:

  • Vikram gives a dynamic presentation that pulls disparate trends together to make compelling and thought-provoking arguments about future outcomes and investment opportunities.
    - President and Chief Operating Officer, Cambridge Associates
  • Vikram is a dynamic, engaging and insightful speaker who has the ability to connect seemingly irrelevant dots to paint a mosaic of the future and to help listeners navigate the inevitable uncertainty. - Associate Director for Leadership Programs and Europe, Office of International Affairs, Yale University
  • Vikram uses economic data and social science to challenge business leaders to think beyond their tenure and outside their comfort zone on what might be possible and likely in today’s highly disruptive world. - CEO, Bandwidth Management & Consulting
  • Vikram has been a speaker at several of our client events in the past. His dynamic and entertaining talk on the boom & bust cycles is not only very engaging but it really pushes the audience to think outside the box. He leaves us inspired about “connecting the dots. - Managing Director, THE CARLYLE GROUP
  • Dr. Mansharamani is a talented speaker who connects with his audience. He is able to distill broad themes into relatable bites through illustrative and effective storytelling and use of visual images. He invites the audience to engage directly with him and they do! He is adept at and seems to enjoy responding to questions and challenges to his point of view. Dr. Mansharamani was among the best speakers we’ve had in our Author Series – evidence: the long line of people who sought to meet him and ask more questions following his presentation. - Deputy Director, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
  • Rare is the speaker that offers a perspective culled from a variety of disciplines. Seeking such a person, we booked Vikram to speak to our group, which is comprised of CFA charter holders with a wealth of experience in financial markets. He was someone we thought would inspire outside-the-box thinking, and he delivered in spades. Vikram offered a broad, macro-level presentation that exposed our audience to potential opportunities and threats facing the world. He’s an incredibly knowledgeable, dynamic speaker whose presentation just might change your worldview – he certainly changed a few among our group. - President, CFA Society of Iowa
  • Vikram is a lively and engaging speaker. Right from the first moment Vikram steps on stage he captivates the audience and involves them in the session- no one is looking at Blackberries or leaving the room – they are all fascinated with what he has to say. Vikram is a very versatile speaker- he can give thoughtful and entertaining solo presentations communicating a clear and relevant business message but in addition he is a real asset to panel discussions- he encourages debate and creates a compelling dialogue. You can trust Vikram to add value, insight and personality to any conference. - Conference Director, ICBI

Speaker Books

Think for Yourself: Restoring Common Sense in an...
Boombustology

Speaker Biography

Dr. Vikram Mansharamani is a global trend-watcher who shows people how to anticipate the future, manage risk, and spot opportunities. He is the author of THINK FOR YOURSELF: Restoring Common Sense in an Age of Experts and Artificial Intelligence and BOOMBUSTOLOGY: Spotting Financial Bubbles Before They Burst. He has been a frequent commentator on issues driving disruption in the global business environment. Linkedin twice listed him as their #1 Top Voice for Money, Finance, and Global Economics and Worth has profiled him as one of the 100 most powerful people in global finance.

Vikram is currently a lecturer at Harvard University, where he teaches students to use multiple perspectives in making tough decisions. Previously, he was a Lecturer at Yale University. In addition to teaching, he also advises several Fortune 500 CEOs to help them navigate the radical uncertainty in today’s business and regulatory environment. He has a Ph.D. and two Masters degrees from MIT and a Bachelor’s degree from Yale University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Vikram lives in Lincoln, NH with his wife, daughter, son, golden retriever, and two cats, one of which he believes may be clairvoyant.

From Vikram himself, he notes:

I have a different way of interpreting the world that is helpful when navigating today’s overwhelming uncertainty and to analyzing developments that might disrupt our lives.

1. I am a generalist and utilize a wide-angle lens that emphasizes breadth of perspective over depth of expertise—an approach that crosses industries, functions, and topics;

2. I adopt a global perspective that values understanding the world and international dynamics—an approach that incorporates geopolitical and other cross-border considerations; and

3. I embrace a long term view and believe that doing so increases the probability of identifying signals amidst the short-term noise—an approach that emphasizes structural trends.

This approach has helped me navigate uncertainty in my personal and professional life and I’m hoping it will help you as well.

I am interested in a wide range of subjects ranging as wide as the world’s insatiable appetite for animal protein, the rise of cryptocurrencies, China’s ambitions in space, how to manage experts, the epidemic of grade inflation, the future of energy, and how the weather can impact elections, among other topics.

Going forward, I’ll be commenting on economics, geopolitics, technology, energy, culture, education, and politics. I’ll also dive into specific countries, policies, companies, and people. And I’ll definitely be writing about inflation, the Fed, and financial markets. Regardless of topic, I’ll focus on identifying opportunities within the risks while demonstrating how seemingly irrelevant developments in disparate domains can connect in surprising ways to impact our lives.

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