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Dr. Parag Khanna

Renowned global strategist; Founder & CEO, AlphaGeo; bestselling author of seven books, one of Esquire's 75 most influential people of the 21st century

Dr. Parag Khanna guides leaders in making sense of the geopolitical, technological, and economic forces reshaping the world and taking decisive action amidst uncertainty. He is the internationally bestselling author of seven books including Connectography, The Future is Asian, and MOVE. Drawing on decades of travel to more than 150 countries and frontline experience advising governments, Fortune 500 companies, and global organizations, he equips audiences with practical and customized strategies such as identifying emerging opportunities to enhance market positioning. Whether speaking to executives, investors, or policymakers, Dr. Khanna delivers vivid data analytics and thought-provoking insights that keep you a step ahead of global change.

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Today’s global macro landscape features a volatile mix of geopolitical upheaval, economic fragmentation, market gyrations, technological disruptions, demographic headwinds and climate shocks. What new regime is likely to emerge and how can investors find alpha across geographies and asset classes? In a world beset by complexity, Dr. Khanna offers something rare: clarity. While headlines fixate on instability, He delivers high-conviction predictions that can anchor your strategic decisions. For the past quarter century, Parag has been a highly sought-after adviser to the largest and most prestigious institutional investors and asset managers from sovereign wealth funds and pensions to investment banks, private equity and family offices. His data-rich analysis paints an interdisciplinary picture of key megatrends, confidently forecasting which markets and sectors will outperform in the turbulent years ahead. A globally renowned futurist with real-world experience in more than 150 countries, Parag brings a distinctly global and comparative vantage point as a trusted advisor regularly immersed with top corporate and government leaders. With confident insights drawn from his acclaimed books such as Connectography and The Future is Asian, he maps the structural forces driving capital across the planet in search of alpha.

America no longer runs the world, nor will a “new Cold War” between the US and China determine global order. Instead, we find ourselves in a hyper-competitive “geopolitical marketplace,” the term Dr. Khanna coined two decades ago in his classic strategic travelogue The Second World: Empires and Influence in the New Global Order, which documented how the US, China and EU – the “Big Three” – are vying to dominate their own regions and become the trusted providers of vital services across the military, financial, energy, industry, technology, infrastructure and other domains. Meanwhile, rather than choose sides, smart countries practice a deft “multi-alignment,” doing business in all directions to get the best deal for themselves and forming new institutional arrangements that are shaping the future of diplomacy and governance. Based on his pioneering research and extensive experience advising dozens of heads of state and global corporations, and his boots-on-the-ground frontline role advising US Special Operations Forces in combat zones as well as the US National Intelligence Council, Dr. Khanna translates his insider status in leading capitals into actionable strategies to guide you through this complex new global landscape.

Our species is rapidly reaching “peak humanity.” The global population may cross nine billion people during the 2030s, but many aging societies from Europe to East Asia are already depopulating due to collapsing fertility and low immigration. But most of the world’s people are still young — and as they vote with their feet, they determine the winners and losers of the 21st century. Countries are now vigorously competing in a global war for young talent to attract the taxpayers and homeowners, laborers and caregivers, students and entrepreneurs to build and finance their future. But in a remote working world, millennials and Gen-Z are moving targets as they abandon national loyalty in favor of the most affordable and liberal lifestyle – and select brands on the basis of community and authenticity. Drawing upon the extensive global fieldwork captured in his far-sighted book MOVE, Dr. Khanna presents the future from the standpoint of the most mobile generation in history, explaining their values and priorities – and guiding your talent and marketing strategies for the years ahead. He offers a compelling roadmap for corporate leaders to align hiring, retention, and brand strategies with the realities of a borderless digital workforce.

The climate will not adapt to us – we have to adapt to it. Natural disasters are intensifying, with hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, heatwaves and other catastrophes inflicting ever greater economic and societal damage everywhere. Climate refugees now outnumber political asylum seekers, and conflicts over food and water are sparking uncontrolled mass migrations. Promises to reduce greenhouse emissions are clearly not enough. That is why climate adaptation must urgently become our foremost priority. This includes redesigning our cities, accelerating renewable energy deployment, boosting local food production, and relocating our businesses and operations to more resilient habitats. As Founder & CEO of AlphaGeo, the leading geospatial AI software, Dr. Khanna draws upon his proprietary platform to deliver detailed analysis of your local, national and global footprint, customizing an investment strategy to guide you towards resilient geographies and supply chain networks. Amidst rising climate chaos, the most circular economies, adapted societies and agile companies will emerge as future-proof.

Asia is not just the future – it is the present. With billions of people and trillions of economic growth generated each year, Asia is the world’s undisputed economic core and strategic cockpit. Most of the world’s population and more than a third of its GDP are contained within this increasingly dense mega-region of trade and investment agreements. Asia used to produce for the world, now the world produces for Asia. After Japan and China, the next chapter of Asia’s economic story is being written by the “fourth wave” regions of South and Southeast Asia as countries such as India and Vietnam become key destinations for high-tech manufacturing, capturing value chains in ever more sectors and leading the world in minting unicorns. Yet navigating Asia’s dizzying diversity of cultures and regulations requires both macro and micro expertise, as well as a keen understanding of current geopolitical tensions. As the bestselling author of the standard reference book The Future is Asian, there is no better guide than Dr. Khanna to the region that will define the rest of this century.

What does it mean to be a worldly person? How should you raise kids with skills necessary for tomorrow’s world? What are the best places to live and retire? Born in India, raised in the UAE, New York and Germany, and having lived in Switzerland, London and Singapore, Dr. Khanna has cultivated a lifestyle as a “citizen of everywhere.” This approach has yielded profound insights captured in his many books spanning geopolitics, technology, governance and travel – and elevated him to the status of a trusted advisor to many world leaders and corporate figures. Executives will savor this philosophical yet grounded conversation drawing on Parag’s unique life experiences as an adventurous scholar who’s visited more than 150 countries and earned comparisons to Henry Kissinger and Alvin Toffler. His worldview presents the essential middle ground between the forces of nationalism and globalism.

Biography

Parag Khanna is a leading global strategy advisor, world traveler, and bestselling author. He is the Founder & CEO of AlphaGeo, an AI-powered geospatial analytics platform helping organizations make more resilient investment and strategic decisions in an increasingly complex world.

Dr. Khanna is the internationally bestselling author of seven books, including MOVE: Where People Are Going for a Better Future (2021), The Future is Asian: Commerce, Conflict & Culture in the 21st Century (2019), Connectography: Mapping the Future of Global Civilization (2016), How to Run the World: Charting a Course to the Next Renaissance (2011), and The Second World: Empires and Influence in the New Global Order (2008). His work has been translated into more than twenty languages and has shaped conversations on geopolitics, globalization, technology, demographics, and the future of civilization.

A trusted advisor to governments, multinational corporations, and global organizations, Dr. Khanna currently serves on the Global Advisory Board of Henley & Partners, the Asia Advisory Council of the Milken Institute, and as a Councilor of the American Geographical Society. He is also a Visiting Research Fellow at ADIA Labs and a Visiting Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics Data Science Institute. Earlier in his career, he advised the U.S. National Intelligence Council’s Global Trends program, served as a senior geopolitical adviser to U.S. Special Operations Forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and held research appointments at the National University of Singapore, the Brookings Institution, and the New America Foundation.

Dr. Khanna is a widely cited global thought leader whose writing has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, Foreign Affairs, TIME, and The Washington Post. He is a frequent commentator on CNN, BBC, CNBC, Bloomberg, and other international media outlets, and his TED Talks have been viewed almost five million times.

Holding a PhD in international relations from the London School of Economics and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Dr. Khanna brings both academic rigor and real-world experience to every engagement. Born in India and raised in the United Arab Emirates, Germany, and New York, he has traveled to more than 150 countries, giving him a uniquely global perspective on economic development, migration, technology, and geopolitical change.

Dr. Khanna delivers compelling keynote presentations and executive briefings tailored to today’s most pressing global challenges, including geopolitics, AI, supply chains, demographics, economic resilience, and the future of globalization. Audiences leave with practical frameworks for understanding an increasingly interconnected world and actionable insights that help leaders anticipate change, manage risk, and identify emerging opportunities. His ability to translate complex global trends into clear, strategic takeaways makes him an invaluable resource for executives, policymakers, investors, and organizations preparing for the future.

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Parag was one of the keynote speakers during our annual NN International Leadership Conference and his insights were truly inspiring. His outside perspective provided a fresh and valuable outlook on our strategy going forward. We were impressed with his ability to deliver engaging content that left a lasting impact on our senior leaders.

NN Group

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Dr. Khanna was one of the top-rated speakers at our forum. His keynote on the impact of climate change on various regions and the prospects for local populations and businesses was both highly informative and incredibly engaging. We can highly recommend Dr. Khanna as a speaker.

Finanz & Wirtschaft Zurich

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Parag Khanna gave an inspirational speech on global megatrends such as geopolitics, economics, climate, and demographics—and their implications for the financial industry. He presented rich scenarios for us to consider and bring to our sophisticated clients. Parag is a great and knowledgeable speaker who wins the crowd.

UBS

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Parag's take on global shifts in demographics, technology, supply chains and climate resilience gave our participants an interesting and elevated perspective when looking ahead into the future.

Vertex

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Parag's keynote at our leadership meeting was intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking. His insightful analysis into geopolitical challenges and opportunities offered valuable perspectives.

Keysight

Speaker Resources

Book cover for Move by Parag Khanna, ‘Where People Are Going for a Better Future’, with a world map background and a red vertical stripe.
Book cover for The Future Is Asian by Parag Khanna: black background, red title, globe with orbital lines.
Bright yellow book cover with the title 'Technocracy in America' and a dark blue US map filled with tech icons, plus Statue of Liberty figure holding a document on the right.
Book cover for Connectography by Parag Khanna; subtitle 'Mapping the Future of Global Civilization'; abstract world‑map lines on a black background.
Yellow book cover with a red TED circle, a silhouette made of interconnected nodes, and bold black text reading 'Hybrid Reality'; subtitle 'Thriving in the Emerging Human-Technology Civilization' and authors Ayesha & Parag Khanna.
Book cover: 'How to Run the World' with bold orange title over a world image; subtitle 'Charting a Course to the Next Renaissance,' author Parag Khanna.
Book cover for The Second World: city skyline above and slum housing below; subtitle notes how emerging powers redefine global competition; by Parag Khanna.

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