Innovation, crowd-powered companies, and what AI changes about how work gets done — from someone who turned an open whitepaper into an 800-person, 40-country company. In person or virtual, in English, German or Italian.
Every talk is grounded in what it actually took to build HyperloopTT — the deals, the failures, the 800 people who worked for equity — and ends with something the room can do on Monday.
How an open whitepaper became a global company — the deals, the failures, and what moonshots teach about ordinary companies.
800 people in 40 countries working for equity instead of salaries — the model Harvard turned into two case studies, and how to apply it.
What AI changes about how companies get built — and the practical playbook for leaders who refuse to be left behind.
He demonstrated to our 12,000 participants a new future of possibility. We recommend him as a speaker on stages around the world.
Open Innovation Forum
Everybody was impressed by your very passionate speech. You have lit the audience's fire!
Global Business Bureau, Nikkei Inc.
Dirk Ahlborn is the founder of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, the company that turned an open whitepaper into a global effort of 800+ contributors in 40 countries, with government partnerships on three continents and two Harvard Business School case studies on its crowd-powered model. A former Berlin banker who built and sold companies in Italy before incubating startups out of NASA Ames research, he now teaches founders and professionals how to build with crowds, capital and AI, and speaks on innovation and the future of work on stages worldwide.
Please credit as "Dirk Ahlborn, founder of HyperloopTT". Click a photo to open the full-size file.
Tell us about the event and the budget you have in mind. Replies come from Dirk's office, usually within two working days, with availability and terms. Travel is arranged from wherever Dirk is that month, so one combined figure for fee and travel keeps things simple.
Prefer email? mail@dirk.it