Rich Karlgaard is the publisher of Forbes magazine. In his "Digital Rules" column, Rich writes about technology, entrepreneurship, regional economic development, and the future of business and work. He also lectures on these subjects and is a regular participant on the Fox News Channel's Forbes on Fox.

He was raised in Bismarck, North Dakota, by a homemaker and a high-school athletic director, and attended public schools, where he gave more thought to sports than classes. He graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in political science. Before joining Forbes, Rich cofounded the 2,500 member Churchill Club, for which he shared a Northern California Entrepreneur of the Year Award, given by Ernst & Young.

Rich has also started two magazines, and he sits on several boards. Rich is married, with two children.

When he is not working or spending time with his family, Rich likes to fly his airplane around the country and meet the people who make America unique and great.

Increasingly complex business environments are challenging companies to make swift and effective decisions as well as create actionable information based on quintillion bytes of data. In this environment, businesses are searching for ways to get better value from existing business and technology investments to drive new levels of innovation, insight and growth. But how do you differentiate real trends from overly-used buzzwords? What can IT really do for your business? In this track, attendees will explore three major trends that are transforming the way we do business: data explosion, social collaboration and mobile.

Sub-tracks:

• Make Sense of Data Explosion
• Turn Social Collaboration into Action
• What is Your Mobile Strategy?

Forward thinkers are looking for the next generation solutions that will lead them to new levels of success. What are the breakthrough technologies business leaders can’t ignore? In this track, attendees will hear from exceptional businesses that found ways to make smarter, more profitable decisions while turning insights into real-time actions, managing change to their advantage and integrating technologies to support constant innovation.

Sub-tracks:

• Turn Customer Insight Into Real Time Actions
• How Much Does Change Really Cost You?
• What is Your Digital Business Strategy?

Business executives are more focused than ever on transforming, innovating and growing their business. Attend the sessions from this track and learn what industry peers and thought leaders are doing to achieve better business outcomes thanks to more than ten Industry Success Stories You Can’t Miss. During these sessions, clients will share their journey on road to business transformation and discuss industry-specific solutions addressing their most pressing issues. You will gain actionable insights, direct and candid feedback from executives across Banking and Financial Markets, Insurance, Retail, Government, Healthcare, and Telecommunication industries.

Sub-tracks:

• Industry Spotlights
• The Industry Forum

What keeps your organization innovating? How do you support collaboration among employees in ways that increase their productivity and motivation? Do you know what really matters to your customers? How do the very things that make you successful today may be subject to profound transformation within the next year? Join this forum and hear from authors, business executives, consultants, professors and thought leaders as they discuss ways to leverage disruptive technologies, tap into visionary leadership and grow innovation beyond imagination. Welcome to the Forward Thinking track about Innovation, Leadership and Creativity.