My Meeting with Forbes CEO Mike Federle

It’s not every day that you have the opportunity to meet one of the most influential people in American business and media. So, you can imagine that I was pretty excited when I met Forbes CEO Mike Federle at the 2019 CIO Summit in Half Moon Bay, CA. The event gathered the most influential leaders in machine learning, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and more, for two days of debate, collaboration, and idea generation.

How I Ended up at the CIO Summit

I wish I could say that the beginning of this story was as simple as receiving an invitation to the 2019 CIO Summit, but it was a bit more interesting than that. One day, I was navigating YouTube, as many of us tend to do, and I stumbled upon a video of Mike Federle discussing blockchain technology. The event had Federle discussing a few key points that attracted my attention.

It was refreshing to hear Federle, the leader of a mainstream media source, say that his goal at Forbes was to “inform and educate.” Federle went on to discuss his first report on Bitcoin back in 2012. Federle had sent a journalist out to write a story on how long the reporter could live by using only Bitcoin. With crypto adoption just beginning around that time, the journalist didn’t get very far and could only buy pizza with Bitcoin. Fast forward to 2018 and 2019, and there are vast improvements that society has made to adopt blockchain technology.

Recently, Forbes ran a couple of tests monitoring the supply chain of fish from Indonesia and beef from Wyoming. The idea was to have a full meal using food that was tracked entirely with blockchain technology. The tracking test was a success, and it shows just how many real-world applications there are for blockchain technology, with the number growing by the year.

Federle’s speech was an inspiring one. When I found out that he was speaking at the 2019 CIO Summit, I made it my goal to attend the event.

Meeting Mike: 2019 CIO Summit Review

With forty of the most intelligent tech minds speaking at the 2019 CIO Summit, there was no shortage of highlights. When I eventually sat down with Mike, we both agreed that Jessica Pointing’s performance on Quantum Computing was the most exciting and inspiring. Jessica is a 25-year-old Ph.D. student at Stanford University. Already, she has worked at Google, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley, created the Stanford and Harvard College Quantum Computing Association, and more.

Both Mike and I were blown away by her intelligence. Each time Mike spoke about her, I could see the light in his eyes. Indeed, he has a genuine passion for helping the younger generation push the boundaries of technology and business. We both agreed that we are living in a crucial time, a time where technological advancements are changing our society, right in front of us.

Propy’s Role in the Blockchain Revolution

As a platform that’s at the center of blockchain technology and automation, Propy had a great deal to learn from this summit. It was encouraging to hear Mike Federle praise blockchain technology in a public forum, and it gave me hope that this technology is here to stay. Mainstream media cannot avoid its impact anymore. Propy is just one small example of how blockchain and automation are pushing the boundaries of “old world” industries each day.

Transparency, accountability, and automated processes are some of the qualities that will lead us into this new age. Of course, adjusting to the changes will be a challenge. However, with events like the 2019 CIO Summit, I’m confident that we can work together to discuss this evolution and adapt accordingly.