Ramy Nassar is a globally trusted futurist and AI strategist, recognised for his role as the former Head of Innovation at Mattel. He now advises global organisations through his businesses, 1000 Days Out and Zero to One AI. With over 25 years of experience in artificial intelligence and innovation, Ramy provides practical frameworks to help leaders navigate AI and emerging technologies with confidence.
After graduating with a degree in Engineering and Systems, Ramy worked as a Software Engineer at LSI Logic before joining BlackBerry as a Senior Director of Financial Services. In 2010, he founded 1000 Days Out, where he leads a team of strategists and designers helping organisations utilise emerging technologies. Adding to his portfolio, Ramy founded a community-based gifting platform, Stash Social, which was acquired in 2014. Joining Architech, he progressed from Director of Service Design to Managing Director of Strategy and Design. As an expert in innovation and design, he founded and led Mattel’s first innovation lab, reimagining the future of retail experiences. Ramy was also the Founder and Managing Director of the world’s first AI recruitment agency called Aigency until 2019, when the company was acquired by Innoleaps. Building a career in academia, he works as a professor and instructor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Toronto Metropolitan University and McMaster University. Continuing his work in AI, Ramy currently serves as Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Zero to One AI, developing AI strategies and initiatives for businesses.
As a visionary AI thought leader, Rami has received recognition for his work from the KW Community Foundation with the Vital People Award and was named in the Kitchener-Waterloo Record’s Top 40 Under 40 list. He is also the author of the forthcoming book ‘The World After AI’, exploring how leaders can shape what artificial intelligence becomes in the future.
Working with more than 250 global organisations, including Apple, New Balance, TD Bank, Verizon and the Government of Canada, Rami uses his business expertise to shape his keynote speeches on innovation, responsible AI and the future of AI. Alongside delivering talks at international conferences, summits and events, he is a regular TEDx speaker and Executive Director of TEDxWaterloo. Hire Ramy today for influential keynotes and workshops that leave audiences inspired and empowered.
Ramy Nassar's official speaking topics are listed below:
AI Now, Next, Never
AI is no longer a future bet. It's an executive priority, and most leadership teams are still trying to figure out where to start. Drawing on 25+ years building inside Mattel, Apple, TD Bank, and 250+ other organisations, Ramy tells the real story of AI - daring leaders to confront what matters now, what's coming next, and what guardrails are vital.
· AI Now maps the technologies driving real impact today: generative AI, agents, and the practical use cases inside enterprises that are actually moving the needle.
· AI Next equips leaders to scale investments past the pilot trap. The frameworks that turn proofs of concept into enterprise-grade value.
· AI Never draws the lines that protect trust, governance, and reputation. The strategic case for what to walk away from, even when the market is racing toward it.
The Future-Proof Leader: Strategic Foresight in an Age of Disruption
What if your biggest risks aren't today's challenges, but tomorrow's blind spots? Linear planning was built for a world that no longer exists. Drawing on his forthcoming book The World After AI, Ramy challenges leaders to confront a harder truth: the executives who win the next decade aren't the ones with the best plans, they're the ones willing to lead differently.
· Anticipate teaches leaders to spot the patterns hiding in industry noise: the weak signals, leading indicators, and trend convergences that competitors miss until it's too late.
· Adapt moves beyond static planning into multi-horizon thinking, equipping leaders to make strategic decisions that hold up across multiple possible futures rather than betting everything on one forecast.
· Lead translates foresight into the kind of proactive direction-setting that brings entire organisations along through ambiguity, replacing reactive crisis management with strategic confidence.
Exponential Futures: Quantum, Blockchain, and The World After AI
The technologies that will reshape your industry aren't theoretical, they're already here. AI dominates the headlines, but quantum, biotech, and blockchain are quietly converging to reshape industries at unprecedented speed. Drawing on his forthcoming book The World After AI, Ramy dares executives to think past today's hype - mapping when to experiment, when to scale, and when to wait.
· Experiment maps the emerging technologies worth investing in now: where to place small bets, build optionality, and learn before competitors do.
· Scale equips leaders to commit when a technology has crossed from possibility to advantage. The frameworks that turn early bets into enterprise-grade capability before the window closes.
· Wait draws the strategic case for letting hype cycles complete - knowing which technologies are louder than they are ready, and standing back until infrastructure matures.
The Innovation Imperative: Leading Change in the Age of AI
How can enterprises learn to innovate with the speed and agility of startups? In today’s AI-powered economy, the ability to adapt quickly isn’t a luxury; it’s survival. Yet most organisations are slowed by silos, legacy processes, and risk aversion.
Futurist and former Head of Innovation at Mattel, Ramy Nassar, brings decades of experience helping global brands reimagine innovation. Drawing on lessons from both startups and Fortune 500s, he shows leaders how to cultivate cultures, systems, and strategies that unlock enterprise-scale innovation.
Through stories from the front lines and proven frameworks, he equips leaders to embrace risk, adopt an AI-first mindset, and leap from incremental improvements to bold reinvention.
Responsible AI: Governance, Ethics, and Practical Adoption at Scale
Every enterprise wants the benefits of AI, but the risks are real. Hallucinations, bias, governance gaps, and lack of explainability can derail adoption, create reputational damage, and limit trust with customers and regulators. The organisations that win with AI won’t be the fastest adopters; they’ll be the most responsible.
Futurist and former Head of Innovation at Mattel, Ramy Nassar, equips leaders with the tools to adopt AI at scale, responsibly and sustainably. Drawing on years of hands-on experience guiding Fortune 500 companies, from global banks and healthcare organisations to energy providers and technology leaders, Ramy has helped design AI policies, launched governance committees, and established innovation labs that scale across the enterprise.
In this presentation, he introduces frameworks that balance innovation with governance, ensuring AI initiatives drive measurable impact without exposing the enterprise to unnecessary risk.
Official Feedback From In-Person & Virtual Events
“Ramy’s energy & expertise when it comes to the role of emerging technology are unrivalled. He brought a passion & enthusiasm to my team that helped drive us to new heights in terms of data-driven digital transformation.” - Rob Fodor, Chief Data Officer, Interac
“This presentation was the first that helped our executive team understand how we drive AI initiatives forward and build the right metrics into our strategic technology roadmap. The outcomes will directly and positively impact the ROI of our investments into AI.” - Robert Bricker, TD Bank
“Ramy’s approach to introducing the complex topic of generative AI helped our team better understand where the key business opportunities exist and gave us the tools to build our own internal AI investment strategy and roadmap.” - Thomas Anderson, Apple
“Ramy has a unique approach to presenting AI & emerging technologies that combines deep understanding of the topic with an undeniable enthusiasm that engages the audience in a meaningful and personal way.” - Monica Radulescu, TELUS
“The presentation transformed how our leadership thinks about strategic planning. Ramy has a unique ability to uncover how the trends of today will shape the business environment of tomorrow. His framework helped us uncover ROI-driving opportunities.” - Erica Sweeney, New Balance
“Ramy’s presentation on AI, generative AI, and emergent technologies was a fantastic way to kick off our first ever technology summit. He was collaborative before the event and ensured that his presentation not only aligned with our theme but called out other speakers coming later in the day to help set up their sessions. Besides having a world-class presentation, Ramy was fantastic to work with. Overall a 10 out of 10 experience.” - Dave Richardson, VP of Sales, Microserve
- 2025 - Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Zero to One AI
- 2020 - Adjunct Faculty at Norwegian University of Science & Technology
- 2018 - Adjunct Professor at McMaster University
- 2018 - Instructor for Master of Engineering, Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Toronto Metropolitan University
- 2017 - Head of Retail Innovation at Mattel
- 2017 - Lecturer of FinTech & Entrepreneurship at University of Toronto
- 2017 - Founder & Managing Partner of Aigency
- 2017 - Strategic Advisor at FinTech Growth Syndicate
- 2015 - Managing Director of Strategy & Design at Architech
- 2013 - Delivered TED Talk in Tunisia
- 2011 - Named in Kitchener-Waterloo Record's Top 40 Under 40 List
- 2011 - Received Vital People Award from KW Community Foundation
- 2011 - CEO & Founder of Stash Social
- 2011 - Vice President of Business Development at Myplanet
- 2010 - Founder & Managing Partner of 1000 Days Out
- 2009 - Founder & Executive Director of TEDxWaterloo
- 2007 - Senior Director of Financial Services at BlackBerry
- 2005 - Software Engineer at LSI Logic
- 2005 - Graduated from University of Guelph with BSc in Engineering, Systems & Computer Engineering
- 2005 - Received W.C. Winegard Medal
How to hire Ramy Nassar
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Ramy Nassar for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
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