From PayPal to presidential elections, technology speaker Harper Reed has brought the future within reach of the rest of us. An engaging and uplifting public speaker, Harper Reed brings the lessons of a pioneering career unforgettably to life.

Harper Reed has built a storied career by applying new technologies to resolve old headaches. He travels the world exploring new possibilities for tech and also sharing his experiences in support of the greater good.

As CTO of crowdsourcing pioneer Threadless, Reed helped grow a 12-person startup into a multimillion-dollar business. His work was instrumental in Threadless earning Inc.’s nod as “The Most Innovative Small Company in America.” Reed then joined President Obama’s reelection campaign as its CTO, and revolutionized the use of tech in campaign politics.

After Obama’s reelection, Reed fulfilled a longstanding dream by launching his own company, Modest, Inc. Modest produced four patents related to e-commerce, and was purchased by PayPal, where Reed served as Senior Director. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Reed built online communities and facilitated the flow of reliable information.

Reed was a Director’s Fellow at MIT’s Medialab and now is a Senior Fellow at USC’s Annenberg Innovation Lab.