In this first #NomadFuturist podcast of the New Year, Phil and Nabeel take some time to consider some of the big takeaways from 2021, discussing subjects that range from the ongoing effect of Covid on different industries, the impact of a transformed workplace for both employees and employers, the permanence of disruption, the Great Resignation, technology predictions, and the new Nomad Futurist Foundation. 

Phil speaks about how the new demand for digital acceleration across so many industries has raised awareness of the little understood world of critical infrastructure. 

“When the pandemic started almost two years ago, there was a huge focus on the importance of the underlying infrastructure that operates our digital world. Given that people have started to acutely depend on digital infrastructure, you now have people focused on the resilience of the internet connectivity in their own homes.”

Phil and Nabeel discuss the Great Resignation and the growing appeal of what one could call the Nomad lifestyle — one in which people are moving away from feeling defined by a single company that they work for, in which more people are increasingly working for themselves, to achieve greater benefits and control over their lives.

As Nabeel makes predictions of the next big tech trends, particularly of a totally connected world, Phil communicates their vision of a more inclusive future that bridges the current digital divide.

“We need to be sure that we are not leaving people behind. This should be an opportunity for everyone to grow and to have more efficiency and productivity within their lives.”

Both men talk about their desire to make a meaningful contribution to society, to make the world a better place and their desire to do so through the Nomad Futurist Foundation. In Nabeel’s words:

“We need to help the younger generation and pass the baton!”

In that spirit, Phil and Nabeel express their hope to raise funding to help teach children technical skill sets and to develop scholarship funds for kids in underserved communities. Phil captures the core mission:

“We’re trying to build a foundation and make sure that children who are exposed to technology at a young age understand not just how it works but why it works…that’s going to be the way that we create the leadership of tomorrow.”

Phil and Nabeel close by inviting the Nomad Futurist audience to meet them on the road as well as to keep tuning in for the next series of podcasts.

“Your help is imperative. We can’t do this without you!”

Phillip Koblence and Nabeel Mahmood are the co-founders of the Nomad Futurist Podcast and the Nomad Futurist Foundation. They share a common passion for examining the evolution of technology and society, and for developing technology leadership.