Anna Escobedo Cabral
42nd U.S. Treasurer | Chair, BBVA Microfinance Foundation | Co-Founder, The Cabral Group | Former Senior Advisor, Inter-American Development Bank
Harper Reed
CTO, Obama for America 2012 | CEO, 2389 Research Inc. | Founder, Modest Inc. (Acq. PayPal) | AI, Big Data & Digital Innovation Expert
Harper Reed built the technology that helped re-elect a president, sold a startup to PayPal, and is now leading a venture-backed AI company building the next generation of intelligent automation. One of tech's most original minds, he speaks with the rare authority of someone who has repeatedly shipped products that changed how the world works — and the candor of a hacker who has learned just as much from what didn't.
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Harper Reed biography
Harper Reed is one of the most original and battle-tested technologists of his generation — a hacker, entrepreneur, and builder who has spent three decades at the intersection of technology, culture, and innovation. From pioneering crowdsourcing at Threadless to architecting the most sophisticated digital campaign in political history, to building and selling a startup to PayPal, to now leading a venture-backed AI company, Reed’s career is a master class in applying technology to problems that matter at scale.
Technology speaker Harper Reed is best known as the Chief Technology Officer of Obama for America — Barack Obama’s 2012 presidential reelection campaign. Recruited to lead the campaign’s technology operation, Reed assembled an engineering team poached from Google, Twitter, Facebook, and other leading tech companies, and built Project Narwhal: a centralized data integration platform that unified voter outreach, fundraising, and ground-game operations into a single system. The campaign raised over $700 million online and demonstrated, for the first time at this scale, what happens when Silicon Valley’s engineering culture is applied to democratic participation. It permanently changed how political campaigns — and large organizations — think about data, technology, and coordinated action.
Before Obama, Reed served as CTO of Threadless, the Chicago-based crowdsourcing clothing company, helping grow it from a 12-person startup into a multimillion-dollar enterprise and earning the company a spot on Inc.‘s list of most innovative companies in America. After the campaign, he founded Modest, Inc., a mobile commerce startup that produced four patents and was acquired by PayPal, where Reed subsequently served as Head of Commerce at Braintree and Entrepreneur-in-Residence.
Building for the Next Era of the Internet
Reed’s most recent chapter brings together everything he has learned about technology, teams, and the future. In 2024, he co-founded 2389 Research Inc., a venture-backed AI company where he serves as CEO, focused on building multi-agent workflows that unlock new possibilities for intelligent automation and commerce. His work in AI is deeply hands-on — rooted in practical experimentation with large language models, agent orchestration, and real-world applications rather than abstract speculation.
Beyond his operating roles, Reed is a board member of Keeper, a leading password manager; a Trustee at Cornell College; a board member of the Pardee RAND Graduate School; and an advisor to the Royal United Services Institute and the MIT Media Lab. He holds a B.A. in computer science and philosophy from Cornell College.
As a speaker, Harper Reed brings rare credibility: he has not just observed technological transformation, he has repeatedly built it. His keynotes are energetic, honest, and grounded in real engineering experience — exploring AI’s practical implications for business, the future of intelligent automation, what big data actually means in practice, how to build high-performing technology teams, and what leaders need to understand about the wave of change reshaping every industry. Audiences leave not with hype, but with clarity.
Harper Reed Speaking Videos
Harper Reed - The Internet: High Speed Everything
Harper Reed - When work becomes fun
Harper Reed Keynote Topics
Reed has a simple framework for AI: treat it like a brilliant intern — extraordinarily capable, but inexperienced and occasionally wrong. In this keynote, he cuts through the hype to offer a practical, engineer's-eye view of what AI can and cannot do today, how organizations can integrate it responsibly into real workflows, and what leaders need to understand about multi-agent systems, large language models, and the automation wave reshaping every industry. Grounded in his hands-on work at 2389 Research, this is one of the most pragmatic AI talks available on the speaking circuit.
In 2012, Reed assembled a team of Silicon Valley engineers and built a data infrastructure that changed how a presidential campaign — and the world — thinks about technology-driven coordination. In this keynote, he walks audiences through the decisions, the failures, and the breakthroughs behind Project Narwhal, extracting the principles that made it work: how to hire engineers from outside your industry, how to build systems that unify disparate data sources, and how to operate at scale under extreme time pressure. The lessons apply far beyond politics — to any organization managing complex operations across large, distributed teams.
Everyone says they want to be data-driven. Very few organizations actually are. Reed — who built some of the most sophisticated data systems in political history and advised organizations across sectors — cuts through the buzzwords to explain what being data-driven actually requires: the infrastructure, the culture, the talent, and the discipline to let metrics drive decisions rather than just decorate presentations. This keynote is practical, occasionally provocative, and full of real examples from a career spent building systems where the data had to work.
The best technology is built by the best teams — and the best teams are built deliberately. Drawing on his experience hiring engineers from across Silicon Valley for the Obama campaign, scaling Threadless, and building multiple startups from scratch, Reed explores what it takes to attract, organize, and inspire technology talent. This keynote covers the principles of engineering culture, how to hire for builders rather than résumés, how to maintain startup agility inside larger organizations, and what leaders outside of tech need to understand about the people who are building their future.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Harper Reed
Why Harper Reed?
Booking Harper Reed means bringing one of the most credible and unconventional technology voices on the speaking circuit to your event. Reed is not a commentator on the tech industry — he is a serial builder who has operated at its frontier for three decades. He architected the data infrastructure behind one of the most successful presidential campaigns in history, built and sold a startup to PayPal, and is now leading a venture-backed AI company focused on multi-agent automation. He speaks from the inside out, with the directness and humor of a hacker who has shipped real products, led real teams, and navigated the full arc of multiple technology waves. Whether your audience needs a grounded perspective on AI, practical insight into big data and digital transformation, or a masterclass in building innovative teams, Reed delivers with energy, candor, and ideas that stick. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to check availability and speaking fees.
What did Harper Reed build for the Obama 2012 campaign?
As CTO of Obama for America, Harper Reed assembled a world-class engineering team drawn from Silicon Valley's leading companies — Google, Twitter, Facebook, and others — and built Project Narwhal, a centralized data integration platform that unified all of the campaign's technology systems. This allowed the campaign to coordinate voter outreach, digital fundraising, and field operations in an unprecedented way, helping raise over $700 million online and enabling highly targeted, data-driven ground operations across swing states. The approach was novel: rather than relying on traditional political technology vendors, Reed applied the engineering culture and methodologies of the tech startup world to a presidential campaign for the first time at this scale. The result is widely regarded as having permanently transformed how political campaigns — and large organizations managing complex, distributed operations — approach data and technology.
What is 2389 Research and what does Harper Reed do there?
2389 Research Inc. is a venture-backed AI company that Harper Reed co-founded in 2024 and leads as CEO. The company focuses on building multi-agent workflows — systems in which multiple AI agents collaborate to automate complex processes — with a particular emphasis on commerce applications. Reed's work at 2389 Research reflects his longstanding interest in practical, production-grade technology: the goal is not to theorize about AI but to build systems that work reliably in real business contexts, combining predictive analytics, real-time decision-making, and agent-based automation to address the limitations of traditional digital commerce infrastructure.
What topics does technology speaker Harper Reed cover?
Harper Reed speaks on a range of technology topics grounded in his direct experience as an engineer, entrepreneur, and technology executive. His core themes include the practical implications of artificial intelligence for businesses and teams, multi-agent systems and the future of intelligent automation, big data strategy and what it actually means to be data-driven, digital transformation and how organizations can adopt a technology startup mindset, cybersecurity and responsible technology use, and how to build and lead high-performing engineering teams. His talks are well-suited for technology, business, and executive audiences. To book speaker Harper Reed for your event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Harper Reed as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Harper Reed as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Harper Reed's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Harper Reed or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Harper Reed speaking fee?
Harper Reed speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Harper Reed to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Harper Reed.
How can I contact Harper Reed?
We only work with Harper Reed on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Harper Reed and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Harper Reed speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Harper Reed for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Harper Reed for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Harper Reed is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Harper Reed for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
