NeoCon 2023 keynotes look to hip hop, community, technology

Chicago—NeoCon has announced the keynote speakers for its 2023 edition, to be held here June 12-14 at The Mart. World-renowned futurist, Amy Webb (founder and CEO of the Future Today Institute); celebrated designer, writer and teacher, Michael Murphy (co-founder of MASS Design Group); as well as “The Hip Hop Architect” Michael Ford, AIA, NOMA; alongside Chicago hip hop legend and visiting MIT professor, Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, a.k.a Lupe Fiasco, will headline this year’s conference program.

​Pulling from diverse backgrounds and experiences and​ ​drawing ​inspiration from music, poetry, technology and the power of community, the thought leaders will explore​ how to build a more sustainable, equitable and brighter future.

“As a resource for timely education, we are committed to delivering a rich and varied NeoCon conference program that brings together the most provocative and influential leaders across all verticals and beyond,” said Allison Kearns, director of programming for NeoCon. “Our 2023 keynotes are emblematic of how diverse perspectives can drive and effect positive change.”

A trailblazer in determining the ways society will utilize emerging technology, on Monday Webb will challenge the NeoCon audience to think like a futurist: to manage the present while innovating for the future and to practice purpose-driven decision making. Murphy will take the stage on Tuesday to explore how our environment shapes our actions, as well as provide insights that help us to build more ethically and honorably. On Wednesday, prolific, Grammy-winning rapper and producer, Lupe Fiasco, will join Ford—an award-winning architect known for positioning hip hop culture as a catalyst to introducing the world of architecture to underrepresented youth—to discuss how rhythm, poetry, textures and patterns can stimulate innovation and inspire how we design.

Below are more details on keynotes, which will be presented live onsite during the show and will also be available for streaming on the NeoCon Programming Hub:

​​Monday, June 12, 2023

• Amy Webb: Designing a Way Forward
  10:00 AM CDT
  Presented by IIDA 

  As the design and business worlds look to navigate today’s disruption while preparing for the complexities of the future, world-renowned quantitative futurist and tech leader, Amy Webb, provides the strategic foresight and forecasting that is crucial for organizations to adapt and position themselves for sustained success in this era of unprecedented transformation. Webb leads an exploration into the emerging trends and technologies that will turn industries on their heads and reshape every aspect of our lives.

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

• Michael Murphy: Empowering our Communities
  10:00 AM CDT
  Presented by ASID

  Michael Murphy is co-founder of Mass Design Group, the award-winning architecture and design collaborative, and a designer, writer and teacher whose work investigates the social and political consequences of the built world. With a focus on how environments shape behavior, Murphy’s research and writing advocate for a new empowerment in architecture that calls on architects to consider the ethical nature of their design decisions while simultaneously searching for beauty and meaning.

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

• Michael Ford and Lupe Fiasco: Exploring the Rhythm of Design
  10:00 AM CDT
  Presented by AIA Chicago

  Known as the “The Hip Hop Architect,” award-winning architect and academic, Michael Ford is on a mission to promote diversity in the architecture, engineering and construction fields through culturally relevant pedagogy. Joining Ford is Wasalu Jaco, professionally known as Lupe Fiasco, a Chicago-born, Grammy award-winning rapper and currently a visiting professor at MIT. Together, Ford and Lupe will discuss their explorations in extracting the rhythms, textures and patterns of hip hop as a source of design innovation in theory and in professional practice.

Programming registration for keynotes, featured presentations, CEU sessions and workshops will open on April 3. NeoCon 2023 expo registration is currently open and is free for all attendees. Stay tuned for more details on featured programs and CEUs, exhibitor updates, product trends, show highlights and more.