Inside Empowering Beyond Summit 2017

I was recently asked to emcee this year’s Empowering Beyond Summit2017 hosted by Avasant, a leading management consulting firm focused on translating the power of technology into realizable business strategies. The conference theme was “Digital Singularity: Where Technology & the Human Experience Converge.” 

The opening keynote by Avasant CEO, Kevin S. Parikh, set the right tone. Parikh noted, “Digital singularity is changing how we live, work and play. The advent of AI and automation does not mean the end of humanity, but rather the beginning of a new era to free human creativity and deliver the opportunity for all.”

Parikh eloquently stated, “Digital Singularity – it’s where the human experience meets technological omnipresence. What that’s giving us is a tremendous opportunity to redefine how we are going to use technology in the next decade and what type of experience we’re going to have with technology as humanity.”

I interviewed c-suite event speakers from companies like Amazon, Mattel, Estee Lauder, and Jack in the Box, and over 200 senior executives from major tech companies like Cap Gemini, Cognizant, Dell, HCL, IBM, Infosys and TCS  attended this industry-leading event. 

The summit was held at the new Porsche Experience Center in Los Angeles, and I got to test drive some of their most technologically advanced cars ever on their 53-acre test track! It was an amazing day where I met influential thought leaders behind some of today’s leading edge technological advances.


Speakers from Amazon and Immersion discussed how to leverage AI, IoT, and automation technologies to enrich the human experience. Some of Avasant’s recent clients talked about their enterprise transformation initiatives and how they had incorporated digital business solutions. A Healthcare CXO panel included the SVP of Digital Health at Flextronics, the CIO of UCI Health, and the Data & Analytics Senior Director of McKesson. The panelists shared how their companies are reshaping healthcare with technology today.

Other speakers included the CTO of Estee Lauder, who spoke about blending digital and human elements, and the CIO of Jack in the Box, who shared his experiences with blending innovation with operational excellence.

All in all, it was an excellent day, and I was excited and proud to be standing with so many movers and shakers and decision-makers in the tech industry, from some of the biggest companies in the world!