Videos
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It's About Time We Challenge Our Unconscious Biases | Juliette Powell | TEDxStLouisWomen
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Juliette Powell | The AI Dilemma
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Why Companies Will Be Held More Accountable for the Outcomes of the AI They Produce and Use
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Bloomberg - BNN - Data Privacy
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Finding value in data
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Explaining data
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For the People and by the People - A presentation by Juliette Powell
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Juliette Powell 2013: From Social Media to Big Data - it all comes down to People
Learn More About Juliette Powell
In a world where machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) are seemingly necessary to stay ahead, how can businesses and institutions ensure they are utilizing these tools ethically and responsibly?
“It’s important to think about creative friction – the idea of bringing in different kinds of voices,” says Juliette Powell, co-founder and managing partner of AI consultancy Kleiner Powell International and co-author of “The AI Dilemma: 7 Principles for Responsible Technology” (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, August 2023).
“People differ more than in their sex, gender or race – they also have different kinds of education, neurodiversity, cultures and views of the world. All of these are important to reducing risk when it comes to making decisions about AI, both in its development and its deployment.”
Powell is a renowned consultant at the intersection of responsible technology and business to organizations including Microsoft, Nokia, Warner Brothers, Reuters, IBM, the World Bank Group, l’Union des Banques Suisses, the International Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Finance, Research in Motion, The Red Cross, Cirque du Soleil and BlackBaud. She helps leaders address the accelerating change underway due to AI-enabled technological innovation, shifting social dynamics and heightened global competition, revealing strategies that fuel better decision making and increased profitability. Energetic and encouraging, she brings deep insights into the responsible deployment of AI, ethical data exploration and the ripple effects of unconscious biases on generative AI.
As Powell succinctly puts it, “If you’re optimistic about people, you can be optimistic about tech.” Through her research, speeches and workshops, she ensures that optimism is grounded in a deep understanding of both the opportunities and the risks of our increasingly automated world.
Tackling the AI Dilemma: The Calculus of Intentional Risk
Having partnered with organizations such as Intel Labs and the United Nations on global strategy and scenarios around AI, data, banking, mobile, retail and social gaming, Powell is distinguished by her ability to identify the patterns and practices of successful business leaders who bank on ethical AI and data. In “The AI Dilemma,” Powell, with co-author Art Kleiner, presents seven principles and four logics of power to regulate machine learning. Using a wealth of real-world examples, she emphasizes that we are moving toward a moment of self-awareness accelerated by AI, and leaders need to be more aware than ever of potential risks, mishaps and misuses. Her clear guidance brings decision makers confidence that the algorithms they develop will support human flourishing.
As an AI practitioner herself, Powell offers leaders practical insight into the “calculus of intentional risk” that leaders use to guide their decisions. She explores this concept thoroughly, using both a visceral perspective of tabulating risk-reward, and a granular approach to risk assessment, similar to actuaries at an insurance company. Catering to diverse audiences, from C-suite executives to AI developers, Powell introduces a reliable system anyone can employ to be sure their organization is taking the right risks at the right time. This helps businesses stay safe while being sure they won’t miss out on the latest wave of technology.
Powell’s work and the principles outlined in “The AI Dilemma” serve as an important guide in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape. She champions the belief that as we lean into an AI-driven future, we must foster creative friction and diverse perspectives, ensure rigorous risk assessment, and prioritize digital literacy. As we confront the biases and mishaps of AI, Powell argues that it is also time to seize the unprecedented opportunities and benefits AI systems can provide.
“I’ve always been into responsible technology, and leaders are the ones who have the drive, desire and power to implement it,” elaborates Powell. “It matters that we develop technology so it serves all of us – not just some of us. And corporations are the entities around the world who can make it happen, so let’s make it happen together.”
Juliette Powell is the co-founder and managing partner of Kleiner Powell International, a New York City-based consultancy. As a consultant at the intersection of responsible technology and business, she has advised large companies on the questions of how to deal with the accelerating change underway due to AI-enabled technological innovation coupled with shifting social dynamics and heightened global competition.
Powell’s research at Columbia University is informed by her work with multinational companies such as Intel Labs and with governmental institutions where she is focused on the responsible deployment of AI, ethical data exploration and the search for and removal of negative biases.
Powell identifies the patterns and practices of successful business leaders who bank on ethical AI and data to win. Her forthcoming co-authored book, “The AI Dilemma: 7 Principles for Responsible Technology” (August 2023), integrates the perspectives of engineering, business, government and social justice to help make sense of generative AI and other automated systems.
Her live commentary on Bloomberg, BNN, NBC, CNN, ABC and the BBC, and powerful presentations at institutions including The Economist, Harvard and MIT, emerged from her lifelong interest in community-building combined with a deep knowledge of the people, technologies and business practices at the forefront of connected society. She also authored the highly acclaimed book, “33 Million People in the Room: How to Create, Influence, and Run a Successful Business with Social Networking” (2009).
Powell’s consulting services are employed by corporate, government and media organizations, including the International Chamber of Commerce, Intel Labs, Reuters, the United Nations, Warner Brothers, l’Union des Banques Suisses, the Department of Justice, the Department of Finance, Microsoft, Nokia, Research in Motion, The Red Cross, Cirque du Soleil, IBM, BlackBaud and the World Bank Group.
A passionate advocate for digital literacy, critical thinking and collaboration, Powell speaks regularly on the future(s) of innovation, information, leadership and education. In 2011, she began working with the E-G8, an extension of the G8 summit, created to inform G8 leaders on the future of the internet and connected society.
Bilingual, Powell consults and delivers keynotes in both English and French.
Juliette Powell is available to advise your organization via virtual and in-person consulting meetings, interactive workshops and customized keynotes through the exclusive representation of Stern Speakers & Advisors, a division of Stern Strategy Group®.
Unleashing AI Responsibly: Charting Pathways for Accountability in an Automated World
As AI infuses virtually every aspect of our lives, a reckless deployment of a new model could result in profound risks, mishaps and misuses. AI expert and consultant Juliette Powell, co-author of “The AI Dilemma,” brings organizations a pragmatic approach to this complex issue, offering seven key principles for ensuring machine learning upholds human flourishing. Powell illuminates how organizations can implement these principles, learning to balance risk against reward and leverage AI effectively, even in sectors like education and healthcare. Drawing on her vast experience as both a researcher and a practitioner, Powell provides real-world examples, best practices and emerging trends to deliver strategic frameworks for deploying AI responsibly, transforming potential risks into powerful catalysts for innovation. Leaders and teams emerge equipped with a deep understanding of how to navigate the AI dilemma, turning it into an unprecedented opportunity for their organization.
Make Decisions Easier with the Calculus of Intentional Risk
Rapid AI adoption is forcing leaders to consider how they can make responsible, strategic decisions about its use and potential misuse. AI consultant Juliette Powell, co-author of “The AI Dilemma,” offers a powerful antidote – the “calculus of intentional risk.” This approach, a mix of intuitive risk-reward evaluation and a granular assessment similar to work done by insurance actuaries, empowers leaders to navigate AI’s complexities confidently. By leveraging real-world examples, Powell explores how leaders can embed these practices within their organizations, ensuring they seize the right opportunities at the right time without compromising safety. Engaging with Powell provides leaders an accessible system for risk management, catering to everyone from C-suite executives to AI developers. Leaders will emerge with a potent risk management tool to use as they traverse the volatile terrain of AI, facilitating a safe yet ambitious journey into the future of technology.
Achieve Responsible AI Development and Deployment by Harnessing Creative Friction
How can organizations ensure the responsible utilization of the new, powerful AI tools changing the face of business today? Renowned AI consultant Juliette Powell offers an innovative solution – “creative friction.” This approach encourages the integration of diverse voices, not just in terms of race, sex or gender, but also educational backgrounds, neurodiversity and cultural perspectives. Drawing from her extensive experience at the crossroads of responsible technology and business, Powell demonstrates the importance of this diversity in reducing AI risks. This strategy, inspired by successful Wall Street teams, fuels better decision-making and profitability. Through practical guidance and real-world examples, Powell helps leaders infuse this powerful strategy into their AI teams, ensuring both the ethical deployment of AI and its potential use as a tool for driving innovation and progress in an increasingly automated world.
Unmasking Unconscious Bias: An Imperative for Responsible AI Development
As AI shapes our world in both obvious and hidden ways, a lurking danger persists – unconscious bias. Influential AI consultant and former Miss Canada, Juliette Powell, sheds light on this pervasive, yet often overlooked, concern. Stemming from her own revelations about personal bias, as told in her standout TED Talk, she explores the insidious influence of unacknowledged prejudices on AI. Unconscious biases are not only shaping our perceptions and interactions, but are also being ‘learned’ by AI, with potential for amplifying and perpetuating societal disparities. Using captivating personal narratives and eye-opening examples, Powell unravels this complex issue, underscoring the urgent need for awareness and intervention. By recognizing our own biases, we can prevent them from permeating AI systems and perpetuating harmful stereotypes. In this critical conversation, Powell guides us towards a future where AI is developed and deployed responsibly, consciously addressing and countering biases, thus paving the way for a more inclusive and equitable world.
Turning the Illusion of Control Into Lasting Trust
As the use of automated systems continues to spread, many fall into “automation complacency.” In this revealing presentation, Juliette Powell, AI expert, consultant and co-founder of Kleiner Powell International, explains how automation complacency leads to consumers having an illusion of control over automated systems that doesn’t in fact exist. When an automated system doesn’t do what a user expects, trust is damaged. Drawing from her new co-authored book, “The AI Dilemma: 7 Principles for Responsible Technology,” Powell outlines the steps organizations should take now to build trust rather than erode it. Audiences will gain a new understanding of the importance of trust as well as practical steps to take to shore up trust both inside and outside of an organization.
Strategic Leadership via Robust Scenario Planning
With the unprecedented pace of technology development, uncertain economic upheaval and supply chain disruptions today, effective, strategic leaders must be prepared for many different future scenarios. In this eye-opening presentation, Juliette Powell, AI expert, consultant, co-founder of Kleiner Powell International and co-author of “The AI Dilemma: 7 Principles for Responsible Technology,” explains how the current and future impacts of technologies like AI encompass everything from how businesses and governments operate to the future of work. Audiences will gain expert guidance as Powell illustrates how organizations across all sectors can prepare for a number of potential possibilities as well as the surprises that can come along with them.
The AI Dilemma: 7 Principles for Responsible Technology
Generative content creators. Self-driving vehicles. Predictive analytics. In the right hands, they’re beneficial to all. In the wrong hands, they amplify human bias, enable dangerous frauds, and harm vulnerable people. Artificial intelligence is a mirror to humanity: it is forcing us to confront our worst and become our best. As decision makers and technology users, we need to use it to gain real control — instead of the illusion of control that machine learning often delivers.
The forthcoming book co-authored by Juliette Powell, “The AI Dilemma: 7 Principles for Responsible Technology” (August 2023), integrates the perspectives of engineering, business, government, and social justice to help make sense of autonomous and automated algorithmic systems. Presentations address crucial issues like unconscious bias, data misuse, accountability, and the calculus of intentional risk. Using a wealth of wide-ranging examples, the 7 principles draw on Powell’s research at Columbia University and emerging regulations like Europe’s AI Act.
As Markets Go Down, The Value of Your Relationships Goes Up
In “33 Million People in the Room,” Juliette Powell delivers a practical guide to social networking that empowers readers to build social and cultural capital in view of increasing financial capital. Weaving together wide-ranging case studies from technology and media companies to leaders in finance, retail, gaming, electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and beyond. These real-world examples make a compelling case for Powell’s notion that social capital makes sound business sense and when successfully established can translate into capital in the bank.
Powell can discuss any of the following topics related to “33 Million People in the Room”:
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The New Cool Kids
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Viral Video and Themes
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Overview of Obama’s winning online strategy (it worked for him, now it can work for you!)
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TED Conference: Ideas Worth Spreading
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Rebranding Through Social Networks
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Social Capital + Cultural Capital
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How your ‘Googlability’ affects your Financial ability
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The New Seat of Influence
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Microcelebrity: Internet Fame and Influence
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Co-Creation Networks
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The New Rules of Leadership
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The New Metrics for Success
Education
Juliette Powell can discuss any of the following topics related to education:
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How to address bullying in schools and co-create solutions that work
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How to sensitize students and teachers about the effects and impact of cyber bullying and redirect students into positive collaborations via social media tools
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How to Use Social Media tools to Communicate & Create Peer Learning Networks
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How to Use Social Media to Research, Learn & Apply School Curriculum
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How to Use Social Media Tools to Grow Sustainable Learning Networks
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How to use Social Media to Apply School Curriculum and Co-create Social Media Guidelines
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How to Develop Best Practices and Social Media Guidelines for Educational Institutions and School Boards (Inside Institutions and for the Public)
33 Million People in the Room: How to Create, Influence, and Run a Successful Business with Social Networking
(Financial Times Press, 1st edition, February 2009)
Juliette Powell, co-founder of AI consultancy Kleiner Powell International and co-author of “The AI Dilemma,” has cemented her reputation as an AI authority, consultant and champion of accountability, responsibility and data usage. Drawing from years of research and experience working with global leaders, she brings unique insights into AI deployment at the intersection of responsible technology and business. Powell is especially passionate about educating and empowering organizations to tackle AI-related challenges, focusing on understanding unconscious bias, fostering creative friction and navigating the calculus of intentional risk. Powell is available for advisory sessions that can be customized to your organization’s specific needs, delivered virtually or in person. Topics include, but are not limited to:
- Navigating the AI Dilemma
- Mastering the Calculus of Intentional Risk
- Unmasking Unconscious Bias in AI
- Cultivating Creative Friction in AI Development
- Responsible Leadership in an AI-driven World
- Ensuring Future Success with Agile Scenario Planning
Digital Leadership
What does it take to be a leader in today’s ever changing interconnected landscape? Participants themselves will answer this question through this interactive and dynamic workshop designed to explore new and innovative leadership perspectives. Using collaborative digital tools to shape and define best practices around Digital Leadership, participants will learn hands-on how to anticipate, evaluate, and proactively respond to both internal and external shifts that affect the organization. By developing and applying specific digital action plans for organizational transformation and leadership, participants become better prepared to meet today’s expectations of tomorrow’s business leaders.
Real Time Research & Response
The world has changed- information is abundant but meaning is scarce. With social networking sites reaching ubiquity, the internet allows anyone with access to ask any question and if you’re smart about it, to get a useful answer — if you know where to look and how to connect the dots. This interactive workshop gives participants the skills, the strategies and the mindset needed to wade through all of the relevant information on the web and make sense of it to make better business decisions, faster. Real Time Research and Response offers a digital framework to explore the competitive advantage inherent to successfully building a brand in real time online, while proactively protecting its reputation.
“Juliette Powell reveals the power of connections, the strategies to gain audience, and the best practices to build community in this brisk-paced canter through the new tools and techniques for doing business. Many will find her talks, even for experienced networkers, full of wisdom and insight. Her real-world examples alone, make a compelling case for listening to this woman speak.”
“Juliette Powell captivated the audience, where she spoke about ‘Data Quality Against Inequality’. During the presentation, relevant examples regarding creating a modern data-driven work environment were provided, along with data thought-provoking strategies that work, increasing participants’ knowledge capacity to launch innovative organizational data management performance improvements in their school districts. Juliette received rave reviews. I highly recommend her. She is amazing.”
“Juliette Powell is one of the few people I can recommend without reservation. I have never seen Juliette give anything less than 150% and I've never seen her pull off less than a minor miracle in everything she puts herself into. In short, if the project is anything but boring, Juliette will absolutely be a net positive on it.” ,
“Juliette is an outstanding collaborative asset and her creative input is without question, a winning advantage for any company aiming for excellence.”
"Juliette is a consummate professional; from her ability to quickly customize her presentation to help us return our agenda back to schedule despite other event overruns, to her willingness to take part in an after-event interview. Her presentation was ranked among the top 5 of our event that included over 28 panels and 100 presenters. Our audience over the 2.5 days included more than 1900 representatives of Industry, Government and Academia."
Praise for "The AI Dilemma"
“Powell and Kleiner find us on the razor’s edge: we cannot go back to a world before AI (nor, they reassure, would we want to). But the path forward, unchecked, is equally unpalatable. Their question is simple: “How can we create a world in which we gain value from this technology without losing our humanity?” Their answers — captured in seven principles — are complex and profound. You will not find wiser, more careful, more caring guides to this brave new world than the two authors of The AI Dilemma.”
“This book could not have come at a more appropriate time. AI is going to dominate our lives even more than it does today. Like cars, the internet, and smartphones, AI will change our lives and improve them but will also require careful management by society to mitigate the possible damage it might cause. Powell and Kleiner have created a thought-provoking work and a must-read for all living in this disruptive moment.”
“The impact of AI will be massive — and it’s essential that we take steps now to ensure the impact is positive. This thought-provoking book shows what it will take to restore trust in our institutions and in our digital infrastructures so that our most advanced technologies operate on behalf of all people.”
“With the benefit of Powell and Kleiner’s clear-eyed explanations of what we’re actually dealing with when it comes to AI, we may yet avoid the mistakes we made with the internet and pretty much every technology before it. As they demonstrate, this time it matters even more that we do.”
“Our future as humans depends on coexisting with intelligent machines, some that might seem to have supernatural powers. Juliette Powell and Art Kleiner with this book help you understand this coming future and the perils of conventional thinking. I am learning so much, and it is challenging some of my preconceived notions.”
Praise for "33 Million People in the Room"
“Translated into English, Spanish, Chinese, German, Korean and Portuguese, '33 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE ROOM' nails it! Juliette Powell has provided a timely crash course on how to leverage your business’s online presence. A brilliant guide to managing your social capital! A must-read for any aspiring entrepreneur.”
“Reading Juliette Powell’s book is like perusing the secret trade documents of the most connected social butterfly. Upon first meeting Juliette, she immediately grabbed me by the arm and introduced me to the most important person in the room. When you pick up her book, it’s the same experience. She reaches through the pages and gives the reader entry to the halls of power through online networking.”
“Juliette knows her way around a social network; she regales us with tales and practical advice from the plastic porous mediascape of today.”
“If you are in business or starting one, and wonder what the heck all this talk about social networking is about, this book is the best quick guide I’ve seen. It’s full of juicy stories, backed up by sound social science, lucidly explained.”
“The exciting new world of online social networking is demonstrating the profound power of these truths to change the very fabric of society as we know it. Our interactions, relationships, and values are changing faster than most of us can comprehend. For some, the pace of this change is alarming. For others it is empowering. In '33 Million People in the Room,' Juliette Powell takes us on a fun-filled tour of this rapidly changing hypo-manic digital ecosystem simultaneously providing both practical advice and an insightful commentary on the increasing importance of authenticity in modern culture. Along the way we meet a hilarious cast of characters and gain a behind-the-scenes glimpse into real social networking success stories showing how to leverage the power of this modern phenomenon to achieve meaningful social and economic results for you and your business.”
“Juliette Powell has captured the strength, excitement, and opportunity of social networks in this compelling work. Opening with an arresting saga about Chris Anderson’s debut as the new TED owner, she deftly sketches vignette after vignette that will have you thinking — why not me? Social networking power is awesome for those who have experienced it — but most people remain skeptical, guarded, and untrusting. Give up control? All control? Well, as she explains — YES! I’ve tried it, using six hundred fifty ‘coauthors’ to write a book — a book no one could have written, but to which ‘everyone’ could contribute. It was hard, very hard at first, to relinquish control, just as Powell describes. But the benefits she outlines are real. Try it — you’ll see!”
“Digital society is all about expanding and energizing connections between people and ideas in ways we are just starting to understand. 33 Million People in the Room shares the perspective of an insider and shows us how business, entertainment, and politics all connect in the brave new world of social networking.”
“If you thought social networks were just for kids, or geeks, or simply too frivolous for your time, then think again. Juliette Powell reveals the power of connections, the strategies to gain audience and the best practices to build community in this brisk-paced canter through the new tools and techniques for doing business. It’s jargon-free and an easy read for those who have never dipped a toe in the water, but even experienced networkers will find wisdom in its pages. Real-world examples make a compelling case for her notion that social capital makes sound business sense and when successfully established can translate into capital in the bank.”
“Juliette Powell has written a book that will advance your understanding of social networking whether you’re a nerd, Luddite, a savvy teen blogger, or, most importantly, a business person trying to gain an edge by embracing the latest Internet phenomenon.”
“Juliette Powell’s book '33 Million People in the Room' is the perfect book for the class. Powell understands that social networking is the best way to find like-minded people online, either to pursue an interest, reach a particular goal, create or grow a business, or just to help establish a sense of community among people online and beyond. Bravo Prof. Powell for a job well done!”
“Juliette Powell has brilliantly answered in rich dimensions why you should be deeply involved in this new communications fabric. Through vignettes with the true leaders of this revolution, Juliette has set forth all the energy and steam you need for your boilers to get going and enter the room.”
“Juliette Powell has delivered a wonderfully succinct snapshot for embracing social computing as a way of doing business, not just the latest technology trend. Whether you are new to making connections online or are a social computing technology veteran, Juliette encapsulates the themes, concepts, and ideas that are most relevant for anyone in business interested in working in or exploring social computing.”
“Social networking is just not for breakfast anymore. '33 Million People in the Room' demonstrates how it transcends marketing and promotion, connecting people and companies in ways none of us dared dream. Thanks to Juliettte for putting this in perspective, and to social networks for so many of my restless nights.”
“Juliette Powell puts a human face on the social changes being wrought online, whether describing new tools like MySpace and Facebook, or key concepts like viral communication and social capital.”
“We all recognize that social networking and the technologies of connection and collaboration are an enormous phenomenon. But what do they mean? How can they, how will they be used to create social and economic value? Drawing on her own experience and on the insights of The Gathering Think Tank, Juliette Powell has developed a powerful set of answers to those critical questions. Full of clear explanations, helpful examples, and accessible advice, 33 Million People in the Room is an important tool for managers and citizens alike—a sourcebook for the next economy.”
“Juliette has done a terrific job of capturing the power of and the opportunities presented by social networks. Whether you are looking to maximize the impact of ‘You Inc’ or a global company, there are important lessons in this book. Things have changed, again, and this book will help you capitalize on it.”
“A nice introduction to an emerging global force that’s still unfamiliar territory to many business people. It’s a place where ideas can spread like wildfire and where great fortunes and even romances will be made and broken — yet no one is in charge. Depending on your perspective, what is described within this quick yet informative read, is somewhere between a utopian future where everyone is connected as one — and the end of civilization as we know it.”
“The network value of reading this book will be to increase your net value multifold, while thoroughly entertaining you with inside stories about the first social networking application, the uber-hip TED conference, and how an outspoken wine expert from New Jersey became an online micro-celebrity. '33 Million People in the Room' is a thoughtful, analytical and practical how-to for anyone looking to learn about social networking, from a budding blogger to a Fortune 500 CEO. I recommend reading this book or watching your back as others do.”
“I came into what was not yet called Cyberspace in 1985 searching for a new context for community...a new ‘place’ that might provide for the kind of essential human interdependencies that were the substrate of little agricultural towns like mine in Wyoming, now withering along with the family farm. Since then, despite the explosive settlement of the Electronic Frontier, this dream has felt to me increasingly like something forever in the future. But perhaps not. Juliette Powell provides evidence that the spark of collective life is starting to sustain itself in this vast and mysterious ‘room’ where all of us may gather. Her book is a dose of practical hope at a time when we need it.”
“Juliette Powell isn’t just an expert in community, she lives it. Her ideas are a must for any person or company building a social network.”
