Investing in Disruptive Innovation and Exponential Technologies

Catherine Wood is CEO/CIO of ARK Invest. With over 40 years of experience identifying and investing in innovation, Cathie founded ARK to focus solely on disruptive innovation while adding new dimensions to research. Through an open approach that cuts across sectors, market capitalizations, and geographies, Cathie believes ARK can identify large-scale investment opportunities in the public markets resulting from technological innovations centered around DNA sequencing, robotics, artificial intelligence, energy storage, and blockchain technology. As Chief Investment Officer (“CIO”) and Portfolio Manager, Cathie led the development of ARK’s philosophy and investment approach and has ultimate responsibility for investment decisions.

Andile Ngcaba is Chairman, Founder and majority shareholder of the investment group Convergence Partners and is also the former Executive Chairman of Dimension Data Middle East and Africa, a subsidiary of the Dimension Data plc Group, which was recently acquired by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT). Through Convergence Partners, Ngcaba is also involved in significant new communications infrastructure projects across Africa including Seacom (the first undersea fibre optic cable system serving Africa's East Coast) which was ready for service on 23 July 2009, the first private sector satellite in Africa (Intelsat New Dawn) which was launched on 22 April 2011, a joint venture to bring high capacity, long-haul terrestrial fibre to South Africa (FibreCo) and recently a new joint venture with Google to invest in CSquared, a broadband infrastructure company headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.

Paul A. Pagnato is Founder PagnatoKarp and Co-Chairman Cresset, and a top financial advisor with more than 28 years of industry leadership. Paul migrated from a career as a scientist looking for life in outer space to one of the top financial advisors in the U.S. He is ranked #1 in N. Virginia on Forbes Top Wealth Advisors and #2 in Virginia on Barron’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors lists. Paul is Founder of the TrueFiduciary® Institute, a non-profit with a Massive Transformative Purpose (MTP) of positively impacting one million lives through digital education. He is also author of the book Transparency Wave: Exponential Changes That Will Transform Our World.

Mic Mann is a storyteller, futurist, entrepreneur and speaker on how exponential technologies #futureproofAfrica. Mic believes the future will be abundant as the power and potential of exponential technologies increases and their price gradually drops to zero, ultimately democratizing numerous industries and improving the lives of all.

Mic is co-founder of Mann Made, an award-winning experiential brand agency that has worked with top global and local Fortune 500 companies. He has 19 years of experience in the media, marketing and event industry. Mic is a prolific speaker and strategist on exponential technologies, the future of work and the changing role of professionals.

After completing the Singularity University Executive Program, Mic established the non-profit SingularityU South Africa Chapters to create employment, drive education and stimulate the economy. In 2018, Mann Made established the fifth Singularity University country partnership and the first in Africa. Mic is co-CEO of SingularityU South Africa.