Leadership Speaker; CEO of LeadDoaAdapt Ventures & Chair of the Accelerator at the Stimson Center
Dr. David Bray Biography
Dr. David A. Bray is a Distinguished Fellow and Chair of the Accelerator with the Alfred Lee Loomis Innovation Council at the non-partisan Henry L. Stimson Center. He is also a non-resident Distinguished Fellow with the Business Executives for National Security, and a CEO and transformation leader for different “under the radar” tech and data ventures seeking to get started in novel situations. He is Principal at LeadDoAdapt Ventures and has served in a variety of leadership roles in turbulent environments, including bioterrorism preparedness and response from 2000-2005.
Dr. Bray previously was the Executive Director for a bipartisan National Commission on R&D, provided non-partisan leadership as a federal agency Senior Executive, worked with the U.S. Navy and Marines on improving organizational adaptability, and aided U.S. Special Operation Command’s J5 Directorate on the challenges of countering disinformation online. He has received both the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award and the National Intelligence Exceptional Achievement Medal. Dr. Bray accepted a leadership role in December 2019 to direct the successful bipartisan Commission on the Geopolitical Impacts of New Technologies and Data that included Senator Mark Warner, Senator Rob Portman, Rep. Suzan DelBene, and Rep. Michael McCaul. From 2017 to the start of 2020, Dr. Bray also served as Executive Director for the People-Centered Internet coalition Chaired by Internet co-originator Vint Cerf and was named a Senior Fellow with the Institute for Human-Machine Cognition starting in 2018. Business Insider named him one of the top “24 Americans Who Are Changing the World” under 40 and he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. For twelve different startups, he has served as President, CEO, Chief Strategy Officer, and Strategic Advisor roles.
Dr. Bray’s passions include complicated, near-impossible missions involving humans and technology in challenging circumstances. Through the efforts of a team of “positive change agents”, he led the transformation of the Federal Communication Commission’s legacy IT with more than 207 different systems to award-winning tech. This included rolling out new cloud-based IT that achieved results in 1/2 the time at 1/6 the cost. He was the recipient of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronic Association’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Civilian Government. He also received the global CIO 100 Award twice, which usually is awarded to private sector Fortune 500 companies, both in 2015 and 2017, for his transformational leadership in change-adverse settings. From 2017-2021, he both worked with multiple services associated with the U.S. Department of Defense on improving organizational adaptability and countering disinformation online – including personally surviving a disinformation attack that occurred in 2018. In 2019, Dr. Bray was invited to give the AI World Society Distinguished Lecture to the United Nations on UN Charter Day. In 2025, he was invited to be an expert witness before a public Congressional hearing on AI, specifically to provide both verbal and written testimony as well as answers to questions from members of the U.S. Congress to help inform AI policies.
As Principal at LeadDoAdapt Ventures, Dr. Bray’s passions include providing Board-level and CEO-level leadership to different “under the radar” tech and data ventures seeking to get started in novel situations to include activities that shape the Future of Data, Bio, and Space. He provides strategic direction, advice, and leadership to organizations confronting turbulent environments on multiple topics ranging from quantum computing to commercial space endeavors; synthetic biology to data cooperatives paired with AI. He accepted a role of Co-Chair for 2016-2017 with an IEEE Committee focused on Artificial Intelligence, automated systems, and innovative policies globally and has been serving as a Visiting Executive In-Residence at Harvard University since 2015 and as a Faculty Member giving talks on Impact and Disruption at Singularity University since 2017. In 2021 and 2022, he was named a Distinguished Fellow with the Atlantic Council. In 2023, he was named a distinguished Academy Fellow with the National Academy of Public Administration focused on the role of transformative technologies, like AI, on public service. In 2022, the Business Executives for National Security welcomed Dr. Bray as a Distinguished Fellow focused on the intersection of transformative technologies, global collaborations, and over-the-horizon challenges for the future ahead. Hehas been an invited keynote speaker to CEOs, world leaders, and crowds of more than 3,000 participants at events in India, Vietnam, Australia, Taiwan, Dubai, South Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Canada, Belgium, Sweden, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
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Dr. David Bray Speaking Topics
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The Future of Work, Governance, and Leadership in an Exponential World
We face unprecedented technological change—the next 7 years will see more change than the last 20 years combined, with ripple effects on organizations, societies, and nations. Unlike past revolutions, this digital revolution will likely improve organizational productivity without needing more productive humans. Yet jobs matter immensely—if humans sense too large an imbalance, they'll destabilize national marketplaces and regimes globally. This talk explores debates about the future of work if exponential trends continue, ripple effects on societal governance, and new strategies leaders need to employ. Come prepared to learn and share thoughts on hard society-level questions for our shared exponential future.
Attendee Results:
- Understand job creation and destruction trends in the AI era
- Learn strategies for managing workforce transitions
- Develop governance approaches for networked societies
- Gain insights into leadership evolution for exponential change
- Create action plans ensuring equitable technological benefits
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Ushering in the Future: Tactical Steps Forward for Exponential Organizations
Organizations often feel adrift in rapid technological and global changes, at a loss for tactical steps leaders can take. All of us can do something small: start talking about these issues with a bent towards creative problem-solving. Don't admire the issue—put forward possible suggestions as a team, and even if they're only initial steps, move forward with benevolence, boldness, and bravery. Organizations can usher in the future by overcoming barriers to action, innovation, and initiative. This talk provides tangible steps leaders can implement immediately to navigate exponential change and empower their teams as positive #ChangeAgents.
Attendee Results:
- Learn tactical steps for navigating exponential change
- Overcome organizational barriers to innovation and action
- Develop creative problem-solving approaches for your team
- Gain frameworks for bold, brave, and benevolent leadership
- Create immediate action plans for organizational transformation
Dr. David Bray Videos
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What are the speaker fees for Dr. David Bray
Speaking fees for Dr. David Bray, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Dr. David Bray are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Dr. David Bray, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Dr. David Bray speak about?
Dr. David Bray is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Business Leadership, Corporate Culture, Data, Digital Transformation, Disruptive Thinking, Executive Leadership, Future of Work, Futurism, Geopolitics, Human Resources, Leadership, Strategic Leadership, Thought Leadership, World Affairs -
Where does Dr. David Bray travel from?
Dr. David Bray generally travels from Washington, DC, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
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Dr. David Bray is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as The Future of Work, Governance, and Leadership in an Exponential World, Ushering in the Future: Tactical Steps Forward for Exponential Organizations, Megatrends in Data, Tech, Space and Geopolitics for 2026-2036, Where Will We Be in 2035? Leading in Turbulence with AI, the Internet and the Future of Data and A Practical Ethical Framework for Our Exponential Era: The OARS Approach. The estimated speaking fee range to book Dr. David Bray for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Dr. David Bray generally travels from Washington, DC, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are R "Ray" Wang, John W. Mitchell, Christophe Fouquet, Christian Ulbrich and Hatem Dowidar. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Dr. David Bray for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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