Book Brad Templeton for Your Event
Brad Templeton has spent more than four decades at the forefront of technological innovation. From helping build the early internet to advising some of the world's most ambitious technology projects, his career offers a unique perspective on how transformative technologies emerge, evolve and reshape society.
As a keynote speaker, Brad Templeton brings audiences behind the scenes of some of the most important technological developments of the modern era. His presentations explore the opportunities, challenges and societal impact of innovations including artificial intelligence, autonomous transportation, privacy, digital rights, cryptocurrency and the future of human-computer interaction.
His ability to connect historical lessons with future possibilities makes him a highly sought-after speaker for conferences, leadership events, technology summits and innovation forums around the world.
Brad Templeton and the Birth of the Internet Economy
Long before the internet became a global commercial platform, Brad Templeton recognized its potential. He founded ClariNet Communications Corp., which became the leading internet-based electronic newspaper publisher. The company gathered and edited news from major wire services and distributed it electronically to subscribers through the internet, creating a model that anticipated today's digital news industry.
ClariNet holds a special place in internet history as the first company formed specifically to provide services over the Internet. Under Templeton's leadership, the company demonstrated the commercial viability of online information services years before the rise of modern digital media.
In 1997, ClariNet was acquired by NewsEdge Corporation, cementing Templeton's reputation as one of the pioneers of internet entrepreneurship.
His involvement with computer networks stretches even further back. Active in the networking community since 1979, he played an important role in the development and expansion of USENET, one of the earliest global online discussion systems. He helped establish one of the first international USENET links and contributed to the growth of online communities during the formative years of the internet.
In 1987, he founded and edited the humor-focused USENET group "rec.humor.funny," which became the most widely read computerized conference in the world. The project demonstrated the value and marketability of curated digital content and continues today as one of the longest-running blogs on the internet.
A Leading Voice on Autonomous Vehicles and Future Technologies
Brad Templeton is widely recognized as one of the foremost experts on autonomous transportation. Through his research platform Robocars.com, he has spent years studying the future of self-driving vehicles and their potential to transform mobility, cities and society.
His expertise led him to spend two years advising Google's self-driving car team, where he focused on strategy and future technologies. His work explored not only the technical challenges of autonomous systems but also their economic, regulatory and societal implications.
Audiences gain valuable insights into questions such as:
- How will self-driving cars reshape transportation?
- What industries will be transformed by automation?
- What opportunities will emerge from autonomous mobility?
- How should organizations prepare for technological disruption?
- What role will artificial intelligence play in future transportation systems?
Templeton's balanced and practical perspective makes complex technological developments accessible to audiences from both technical and non-technical backgrounds.
Technology, Privacy and Digital Rights
Throughout his career, Brad Templeton has been a prominent advocate for digital freedoms and online civil rights. He served on the board of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) for nearly two decades and held the position of Chairman from 2000 to 2010. Today, he serves as Chairman Emeritus and futurist for the organization.
The EFF has played a central role in defending free speech, privacy rights and encryption in the digital age. Templeton has long been one of the most respected voices discussing the relationship between technology, regulation and individual freedom.
Through ClariNet, he was also a plaintiff in the landmark legal challenge that successfully overturned the Communications Decency Act before the United States Supreme Court, helping establish important protections for free expression online.
His keynotes explore critical questions surrounding privacy, surveillance, online rights and the future governance of digital technologies. These topics have become increasingly important as artificial intelligence, connected devices and data-driven services continue to expand across society.
Entrepreneur, Innovator and Software Pioneer
Before becoming known as an internet entrepreneur and futurist, Brad Templeton built an impressive career as a software developer and technology innovator.
He was the first employee of Personal Software, later known as VisiCorp, the pioneering company behind some of the earliest successful microcomputer software applications. Over the years, he created and contributed to numerous software products that influenced personal computing.
Through Looking Glass Software Limited, a company he owned and operated from 1983 to 1991, he developed a broad range of software products including: Educational programming environments, Spreadsheet enhancement tools, Games and utilities, Network software solutions, Productivity applications and Data compression technologies.
Among his many achievements was contributing the compression technology used in StuffIt, one of the most widely used Macintosh applications of its era. His spreadsheet compiler 3-2-1 Blastoff was recognized by PC World as one of the top software products of 1987.
His entrepreneurial experience allows him to speak directly to innovators, founders, investors and business leaders navigating periods of technological change.
Singularity University and the Future of Society
As a founding faculty member of Singularity University, Brad Templeton has spent years helping leaders understand the impact of rapidly advancing technologies. He served as Chair for Computing from 2010 to 2017, contributing to the institution's mission of exploring how exponential technologies affect humanity.
His presentations examine the broader implications of innovation, including artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, digital networks and future economic systems.
Templeton encourages audiences to think beyond short-term trends and consider the long-term consequences of technological progress. His talks combine historical context, practical forecasting and thought-provoking analysis that inspires organizations to prepare for a rapidly changing future.
In addition to his work in technology, he has served on the board of the Foresight Nanotech Institute, advised BitTorrent, Inc., and worked with innovative companies including Starship Technologies, Deepen.AI and Nimbus.Green.
Born near Toronto in 1960, Brad Templeton holds a Bachelor of Mathematics degree from the University of Waterloo and now lives in Silicon Valley. His lifelong passion for innovation, combined with his experience across entrepreneurship, software development, digital rights advocacy and future technologies, makes him a uniquely qualified speaker on the forces shaping the decades ahead.
For organizations seeking a keynote speaker who can connect the origins of the digital revolution with the future of artificial intelligence, autonomous transportation and emerging technologies, Brad Templeton delivers insights that are both visionary and grounded in real-world experience.
