Stephan Balzer's Recent LinkedIn Posts

At TEDxBerlin Salon: Connecting the Dots, we explored what it really means to connect the dots in AI. Together with Dr Mandeep Rai and Geeta Sidhu-Robb, I had the pleasure of moderating two sessions that brought national strategies, regional ecosystems, and individual responsibility into one shared conversation. We heard powerful perspectives from an exceptional group of speakers: Elizebeth Varghese, Safwan A., Mia D., Alvin Wang Graylin, Jakob Trollbäck, Kelly Kagan Law, Christina Boesenberg , Nivruti Rai, Mariam Khayretdinova, Love Dager, and Hayley van Loon — each offering a distinct lens on how AI is being shaped across borders, sectors, and lived experience. The throughline was clear: the future of AI will not be decided in isolation, but through intentional connection — between people, policies, technologies, and values. A heartfelt thank you to the TEDxBerlin team, our speakers, attendees for creating such an open and engaged space — and to unDavos Summit for helping make this possible. When we connect the dots, we don’t just discuss the future. We shape it. #TEDxBerlin #TEDxBerlinSalon #ConnectingTheDots #AI #Davos #FutureOfTechnology #IdeasWorthSpreading

Spent yetserday at the Peter Drucker Salon in Riyadh – and left with more questions than answers (In the best way possible 😄) ! Deep gratitude to Hasan Alsuhaimi for hosting this gathering at his stunning DIOM ديوم X venue with remarkable generosity and vision. The setting was extraordinary, but what made the experience truly special was the caliber of dialogue with a selected group of Saudi leaders he helped to cultivate. Johan S Roos facilitated masterfully, guiding us through profound questions Peter Drucker himself would have appreciated: How do we navigate our responsibility as a mentor? How do we balance building great teams and great culture in the face of the AI revolution? He also shared a compelling preview of his upcoming book – eager to see those ideas fully developed. Simple questions. Profoundly difficult to answer well. In an era dominated by AI, rapid scaling, and digital transformation, Drucker's insistence on clarity of purpose and human-centered management feels more relevant than ever. One theme that resonated particularly deeply: how do we educate the next generation – our children – in the age of AI? This question sat at the intersection of everything we discussed. Technology changes fast. Human nature? Not so much. But how we prepare young minds for a world where AI is ubiquitous requires us to rethink fundamental assumptions about learning, creativity, and human capability. The discussions reminded me that the best innovation strategies aren't about chasing trends – they're about understanding fundamental value creation and organizing people to deliver it consistently. As we prepare prepare for TEDx Berlin 2026 around "The Power of AI," these conversations reinforced something crucial: we need more Peter Drucker, not less, precisely because technology is moving so fast. Thank you to Hasan, Johan, and all the participants for creating space for this kind of deep thinking in the heart of one of the world's most dynamic business environments. #Leadership #PeterDrucker #Riyadh #Management #Education #AIandLearning #TEDxBerlin2026

TEDxBerlin: A World With AI — The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept — it is reshaping economies, governance, creativity, and everyday life. Nearly a decade after "Leading in the Digital Age", TEDxBerlin returns to reflect on how far we’ve come — and where we are headed in an AI-driven world. Over two immersive days, we bring together leading voices from technology, policy, science, business, and the arts to explore how intelligent systems are transforming power, responsibility, work, trust, and human agency. Day 1 – AI Business Day 📍 Factory Berlin Mitte A hands-on, interactive day focused on real-world AI applications, decision-making, and collaboration across sectors. Day 2 – The Day of Talks 📍 Berliner Ensemble An inspiring stage program in one of Berlin’s most iconic theatres — bold ideas, personal insights, and deep reflection on AI’s societal impact. From governance and accountability to creativity and labor, expect conversations that challenge assumptions and spark meaningful dialogue. 🎟 Get your tickets now : https://lnkd.in/dvTjDcsU Join us as we explore A World With AI: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly — and the future we are building together. #TEDxBerlin #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfTech #BerlinEvents #IdeasWorthSpreading

Yesterday at 𝗥𝗘𝗪𝗜𝗥𝗘: 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝘆 at unDavos Summit, I had the privilege of moderating discussions with leaders at the forefront of the AI transformation. The program explored how organizations are moving beyond pilots to become AI-native — embedding intelligence at the core of strategy, operations, and governance. AI is no longer an experiment; it is reshaping how organizations create value, operate, and compete. Key discussions addressed: - Recoding Business – redefining value creation, competitiveness, and executive decision-making. - The Architecture of Intelligence – examining compute, models, platforms, and control at scale. - The Next Enterprise – anticipating how organizations evolve and thrive in an era of abundant intelligence. - Emerging AI Trends and Global Responses – exploring generative and agentic AI alongside ethics, inclusion, workforce transition, and sustainability. Insights came from an incredible mix of policy, enterprise, research, and infrastructure voices, including Fred Werner (International Telecommunication Union), Costi Perricos (Deloitte), Kseniia Fontaine (International Telecommunication Union), Vijay Gurbaxani (University of California, Irvine - The Paul Merage School of Business ), Dr. Eva-Maria Hempe (NVIDIA ), Alen Arslanagic (Visium ), Kai Zenner (European Parliament ), Ujjwal Kumar (Microsoft ), Ramesh Raskar , Prof. Dr . Kathrin G. Kind MSc. M.A. MBA AI, Dan Toma (OUTCOME), Pia Lauritzen, PhD (Qvest), Christina Hirsch (Swisscom), Karuana Gatimu (Microsoft) One thing was clear:  scaling intelligence responsibly is no longer solely a technical challenge — it is a strategic and leadership imperative. #unDavos #RewireTheOrganization #DavosWeek #Davos2026 #WEFweek #unDavosSummit

Warum „über den Tellerrand schauen“ kein Luxus ist, sondern Führungsarbeit. In zwei Monaten geht’s für mich wieder nach Vancouver: Vom 13. bis 17. April findet dort die globale TED-Konferenz statt. Ich bin erneut mit einer Delegation unterwegs. Gerade in diesen Zeiten, in denen es überall darum geht, schneller zu werden – und vor allem schneller zu verstehen, wie rasant sich die Welt um uns herum verändert –, halte ich eines für entscheidend: als Führungskraft regelmäßig bewusst Abstand zum Tagesgeschäft zu schaffen, um Orientierung zu gewinnen. Nicht nur im eigenen Markt oder in der eigenen Organisation, sondern im größeren Bild: Was passiert gesellschaftlich? Was verändert sich technologisch? Welche Entwicklungen werden in 12–24 Monaten ganz konkrete Auswirkungen auf Unternehmen, Teams und Entscheidungen haben? Für mich ist das seit jeher wichtiger Grundsatz: Mindestens einmal im Jahr raus aus Routinen, internen Debatten und dem vertrauten Fachblick – rein in Perspektiven, die irritieren, inspirieren und den Blick weiten. Und dafür gibt es aus meiner Sicht kaum einen besseren Ort als TED (www.ted.com). Die Dichte an Themen, Denkanstößen und Menschen aus unterschiedlichsten Disziplinen schafft genau diesen Überblick, den man im Alltag zu selten bekommt – und gibt zugleich Impulse, wie man die richtigen Fragen stellt, bevor man die falschen Antworten skaliert. Wenn du Interesse hast, mehr über die Delegation zu erfahren oder dich anzuschließen, einfach hier eine Nachricht schicken.... #TED #Vancouver #Leadership #LearningCulture #FutureOfWork #Technology #Society #PersonalDevelopment

Von One-to-Many zu One-to-Each: Warum Live-Events wichtiger werden, nicht unwichtiger ! Heute habe bei der 35. gfm Trend-Tagung in Zürich einen Vortrag gehalten vor 250 Schweizer Marketing-Verantwortlichen. Ein Raum voller Energie. Und eine Frage, die den Tag definierte: "Warum seid ihr heute hier? Physisch. Live. Statt als Webinar?" Die Antwort darauf war der Kern meines Vortrags über "Trends in der Live Communication". Drei Insights daraus: 1. Das Content-Paradox- ChatGPT generiert 100 Milliarden Wörter pro Tag. 52% aller neuen Artikel sind AI-geschrieben. Und genau DESHALB explodiert der Hunger nach authentischen Live-Momenten. Taylor Swift's Eras Tour: 10.1 Mio Tickets, $2.07 Mrd Revenue. Menschen zahlen $200+ für etwas, das gratis auf YouTube läuft. Warum? Connection beats Content. 2. Die Phygital-Revolution - Hybrid ist tot. Lang lebe Phygital: Zwei separate, aber gleichwertige Experiences. Apple WWDC zeigt wie: Premium Live für 6.000 + Enhanced Digital für Millionen. Nicht Kompromiss für beide, sondern Excellence für jede. 3. The AI Amplifier Effect- Dreamforce : 45.000 Attendees, jeder mit personalisierter Agenda, AI-Networking-Matches, Real-Time-Translation in 30+ Sprachen. Das Ergebnis? 92% würden wiederkommen. Höchste Zufriedenheit ever. AI ersetzt Live nicht. AI macht Live besser Danke an Marcus Schögel, das gfm-Team und die fantastischen Co-Speaker – von Wolfgang Merkle über Olaf Geuer, Sebastian Kemmler bis David Fischer. Das neue Marketing Playbook? Es wird nicht geschrieben. Es wird gelernt. Im Dialog. Live. Was ist eure wichtigste Live-Communication-Erkenntnis 2026? #MarketingTransformation #LiveEvents #futureMarketing #gfmTrendTagung #EventInnovation #B2BMarketing #Zürich #tedx #tedxberlin

On the way back from Web Summit Qatar 2026 – and what a testament to how quickly the global innovation map is evolving. As part of the German Mittelstand Initiative, I joined 200+ German entrepreneurs, investors, and decision-makers in Doha for what has become the Middle East's premier tech convergence point. Special recognition to Nizar Maarouf, whose vision and organizing efforts brought this German Mittelstand presence to life – creating a genuine bridge between German innovation and the Gulf tech ecosystem. Great to see H.E. Ambassador Abdalla Al-Hamar, Qatar's Ambassador to Germany at the reception on moday evening. He underscored how seriously both nations are taking this strategic partnership. What I found interesting are the numbers: 30,000 attendees, 1,600 startups, 1,000 investors, 127 countries. Still smaller than the original version in Lisbon, but growing every year. But the real story is qualitative – Qatar is systematically building an innovation ecosystem that connects German engineering excellence with Gulf capital and global ambition. Three highlights for me: - Germany-Qatar tech cooperation creating genuine bilateral opportunity - Sovereign AI and digital infrastructure taking center stage - The shift from passive capital to active ecosystem architecture As we gear up for TEDx Berlin 2026 on June 8th and 9th (theme: "The Power of AI"), these global perspectives on technology's trajectory will inform how we curate conversations that matter. Grateful for the connections made and the insights gained. Let's build on this momentum ! #WebSummitQatar #Innovation #GermanMittelstand #TEDxBerlin2026

Back from Davos — and onto what’s next. Last week in Davos, I experienced a highly packed program (as some of you saw in my posts), and I came away with a strong sense that the World Economic Forum has firmly re-established itself as the nexus of geopolitical and business power. Two major themes dominated the conversations: geopolitical uncertainty and the unfulfilled promise of AI in enterprise. What struck me most—especially after the session I hosted on Tuesday—is how far we still are from leveraging AI at scale in business. There’s a gap between the hype and actual delivery. Recent studies confirm this: 85% of workers still don’t use AI for business value, and less than 3% are tapping into advanced use cases that could drive real impact. Leaders often think AI adoption is progressing smoothly—but data tells a very different story. Davos 2024 made it clear: 2026 will be the year when AI must prove itself. We’re at a tipping point. AI, like energy and biology, has crossed a threshold—from extraction to learning, from static capabilities to exponential growth curves. But most organizations are still operating under old rules, applying yesterday’s systems to tomorrow’s challenges. As the foundations of the global order shift, so do the constructs of work, expertise, and leadership. The future won’t be about hoarding or patching—it’s about building. Creating abundance, not fighting over scarcity. That’s exactly why we’re dedicating our next main event at TEDxBerlin to AI. It will take place June 8–9, and we’re opening the call for speakers now. If you’ve got an idea worth sharing on how AI can truly deliver—beyond the buzzwords—let us know ! 😉 This isn’t just about technology. It’s about rethinking how we work, connect, and thrive. Let’s build. #Davos2024 #AI #TEDxBerlin #Leadership #Innovation #ExponentialThinking #IdeasWorthSpreading

Join us TEDxBerlin this year !! You will experience two fascinating days in June discussing Europes AI playbook and how we as humanity will navigate the AI future ! And we all need to join that conversation !

Hyperdigitalisierung ist kein Zukunftsszenario mehr – sie ist Alltag. Umso wichtiger ist die Frage: Wie bleiben wir menschlich, wenn alles schneller, automatisierter und KI-getriebener wird? Ich freue mich sehr, bei der gfm-Trend-Tagung 2026 über „Trends in der Live Communication“ zu sprechen – denn Live-Erlebnisse werden aus meiner Sicht zu den wichtigsten Gegenräumen: für Austausch, Mindset und echte Veränderung. Mein Take: Wir brauchen ein Real-Life-Ecosystem als bewusstes Gegengewicht zur digitalen Welt. Nicht „offline statt online“, sondern beides ernst nehmen: Technologie als Hebel – und Live-Kommunikation als Ort, an dem Beziehung, Sinn und Vertrauen entstehen. Ich freue mich auf den Dialog vor Ort! #TrendTagungThursday #35TrendTagung #NewMarketingPlaybook