Recognized nationally and globally for his work in the innovation space, Shawn Kanungo has his finger on the pulse of disruptive innovation. He operates at the intersection of creativity, business, and technology as the general partner at Queen & Rook Capital, where he helps mature businesses integrate new technologies and business models to their day-to-day operations.
Having worked with hundreds of companies on their digital transformation journeys, Shawn draws on the latest innovations and research from behavioural economics, user-centered design, artificial intelligence, and more to help organizations, leaders, and teams disrupt before they’re disrupted.
We caught up with Shawn to learn what this new decade may bring us in innovative new tech, as well as how companies, no matter their size, can remain nimble to meet the demands of this rapid state of change we live in.
1. Last decade brought a lot of surprises to businesses across industries. What do you think the 2020s will bring?
Although I’m not big into make predictions, I’m incredibly optimistic about this decade. The hype has always been around technology, but it is quickly becoming a commodity. Emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence, will become like electricity. As a result, we’re going to see a creative revolution — radically new jobs, companies, industries, and opportunities.
2. Disruption seems to be the new normal, but some organizations still struggle with it. How can a company become more attuned to change and remain nimble?
In order for organizations to become flexible and nimble in this new era, it’s not just about adopting new technologies or developing new products and services. Organizations will have to work harder at engaging their ecosystems — building unique partnerships and alliances to improve, innovate, and grow. Leaders must develop the courage to drop old business models in order to move their organizations into unchartered territories. If disruption is going to be a lifestyle, we better start developing a mindset around it.
3. What’s the coolest, break-through tech/disruptive innovation you’ve seen recently, and hope will go mainstream?
The most breakthrough technology will be… no code. Building technology has always been a mystical endeavour restricted to geeky, computer nerds. But now you have companies like Bubble, Zapier, and Webflow, that are building platforms that enable individuals to build web apps without writing code. This is so disruptive that it will empower anyone to have the power of the talented, most brilliant software engineers at their fingertips.
Interested in learning more about Shawn and what he can bring to your next event? Email us at [email protected].