Grayson Bass

For over a decade, Grayson has been scouting trends and peering in to the future using a methodology that leverages sci-fi, art, and culture to create a “map of the future.” His approach combines tenants of scenario planning, futures literacy, field work, and trend hunting and combines it with ethnography working with artists, creatives, and iconoclasts to understand how the future is being shaped and where we are headed as a global civilization. With a motto of "Imagine. Innovate. Build." Grayson has used this knowledge to advise start-ups, governments, multi-lateral organizations, and established multinationals around the world to build resilience and define strategy that survives multiple futures. He has led strategic and tactical transformation initiatives and operations that have shaped communities around the world. Grayson was the the founding Lab Manager of the award winning and internationally recognized Smart Waterloo Region Innovation Lab - focused on shaping the future by engaging youth across the community to engage in innovation and community transformation initiatives. He currently serves as Sr. Innovation Advisor and Product Manager for the United Nations’ Quality of Life Initiative - focused on improving quality of life for billions of people by empowering municipalities and equipping them with tools to lead and manage change; he continues to teach future foresight, scenario planning, and innovation at various colleges and universities around the world. He is recognized for his ability to unlock innovation through compassion, to safely lead and operate in chaotic environments, and navigate disruptive change. He is a trusted advisor to individuals, companies, and governments faced with uncertainty. This has allowed him to develop a unique capability to find order in chaos and help build resilient communities and organizations. Most recently, Grayson has developed policy, frameworks, and projects leveraging the exponential power of frontier technologies - with a specific focus on GIS/Mapping, AI, NLP, and distributed ledgers/“blockchain”. He is currently looking at the impacts of decentralization and the rise of municipalities in setting the global agenda and addressing the biggest challenges of the 21st century. Known to his friends, clients, and colleagues as being creative, solution oriented, and capable of solving complex problems; possessing exceptional management and leadership capabilities with a humble subservience to purpose, he is known as being entrepreneurial, highly adaptive and described as a “realistic optimist”. A native Texan and a global nomad, when he is not home in Canada, you can find him in different parts of the globe seeking out innovative ideas and having conversations with interesting people. He can easily be found within a large group of people by following the loudest laugh. He researches networks and social impact measurement and has a passion for social justice and economic empowerment.