Joel Barker
Biography:
Joel Barker was the first person to popularize the concept of paradigm shifts for the corporate world. He began his work in 1975 after spending a year on fellowship meeting and working with visionary thinkers in both North America and Europe.He discovered that the concept of paradigms, which at that time was sequestered within the scientific discussion, could explain revolutionary change in all areas of human endeavor. By 1985, he had built the case and corporations and nations were seeking his advice.
In 1980, in addition to his work on paradigms, he began to focus on a second crucial component for organizations and individuals: the importance of vision.ler and has also been translated into more than a dozen languages.His book on paradigms, Future Edge, published in 1992, was listed as one of the most influential business books of that year by the prestigious Library Journal. It has been used for more than a decade.Joel Barker has worked with organizations, both for profit and not for profit, all over the world as well as with nations, including Singapore, Venezuela, Canada, Mexico and Peru.
Past Shows:
Technology: Hits, Misses & the Future
Business futurist Joel Barker commented on predictions made ten years ago in New York Times Magazine about what life would be like in 2010, as well as discussed the exciting new technologies on the horizon for the year 2020. In the first hour, Ian spoke with attorney Kurt Haskell, who claims to have overheard a well-dressed Indian-looking man help "Underwear Bomber" Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab (Mutallab) get on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, from Amsterdam to Detroit, without a passport. ... More »
Host: Ian PunnettComing Innovations
Scholar and futurist Joel Barker discussed some of the exciting technologies on the horizon. In the first hour, Dana Olson shared his research into a Welsh prince named Madoc. ... More »
Host: Ian PunnettSpy Chips
Consumer privacy experts Katherine Albrecht and Liz McIntyre of CASPIAN, a group dedicated to fighting supermarket 'loyalty' cards, shared an update on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) products. ... More »
Host: Ian PunnettWorst Case Scenarios
Celebrated business futurist, Joel Barker, who is credited with popularizing the term "paradigm shift," shared several worst case scenarios for planet Earth:On the US Education System...Barker commented on the decision by some states to reduce the number of school days in order to save gas. Children in other countries attend school for as much as 60 days longer each year than do American children, Barker said. This coupled with the lack of focus on math, science and technology, Barker explained, puts US students at a disadvantage in the global marketplace. According to Barker, new wealth is generated by technological innovation and if we do not embrace math and science, we'll lose the ability to create wealth. Barker invited Coast listeners to measure their technological inclinations at fiveregionsofthefuture.com.On the Bird Flu...Barker pointed out that despite a virus' tendency to become less deadly (in order to spread itself to a larger percentage of the populati ... More »
Host: Ian Punnett