Bio

Brent Dixon is an interdisciplinary designer, educator, and facilitator. He most recently served as Chief Design Officer for Trabian, a digital technology studio that builds fintech with startups, financial institutions, and major service providers like Q2, Jack Henry, and Fiserv. Trabian recently joined the MVB Bank family to lead technology innovation for new ventures.

Brent has spent his career creating pathways for inclusive innovation in consumer finance, education, government, and humanitarian response.

Previously, Brent worked as an Innovation Specialist within the United Nations Secretariat. During this time, he led the creation of Unite Labs, an experimental think-and-do-tank housed in the UN’s Office of Information and Communication Technology, co-chaired the newly-created UN Innovation Network, and increased public participation in the UN system through the UN’s Non-Governmental Liaison Service.

Brent is a thought leader in the consumer finance space, with over 15 years of experience working with some of the largest community financial institutions in North America. He has a unique ability to take complex concepts and translate them into actionable plans that help organizations achieve their goals.

He worked with the Filene Research Institute to launch new advisory and strategic planning services focused on meeting the needs of young adults with the next generation of financial services. Through Filene, he worked with countless financial institution leadership teams across North America to translate those services into direct impact for their organizations.

Brent has partnered with PBS Kids, TEDxAustin, South by Southwest, and Dell Children’s Hospital, among others, to create hands-on science, technology, art, and design learning experiences for kids.

He was Future of Finance Teaching Fellow at Singularity University and mentored 80 entrepreneurs and researchers from 36 countries on using disruptive technology to address global challenges.

Brent currently lives in the Bay Area with his wife, 3-year old son, and a surely-yet-lovable cat.

Speaking Topics

From ChatGPT to the Future: A Deep Dive into Generative AI

Brent Dixon invites you on a journey through the transformative world of Generative AI. Beginning with the story of ChatGPT, an AI tool revolutionizing our approach to tasks, he highlights its diverse applications and its potential to reshape our interactions. The narrative then expands, exploring how AI is leaving its footprint on the financial sector, enhancing efficiency and opening new avenues. Brent also takes a critical look at the accompanying challenges, discussing the ethical quandaries and practical obstacles that arise with technological advancement. Concluding with a peek into what the future might hold, he explores the idea of AI-driven financial institutions, prompting us to consider the shape of things to come. This session is an exploration, a reflection, and a preview of the exciting intersection of AI and finance.

None of Us is as Smart as All of Us: Using Collective Intelligence to Build Teams of Problem Solvers

• How to gather and use new sources of data
• How to improve your shared understanding of complex problems
• How to create and find solutions to current problems
• How to make more informed and inclusive decisions
• How to facilitate space for employees to think collectively

Frictionless Leadership

Friction. It's the force that resists the motion of one object against another. And in the world of work, it's the enemy of productivity.

How much time do you spend every day fighting friction? Dealing with unnecessary bureaucracy. Wading through mountains of irrelevant information. Pushing back against outdated processes.

It's time to put an end to the madness. It's time to get rid of the friction in your organization.

Brent Dixon is on a mission to do just that. In this talk he takes us through the causes of friction, and how we can heroically save our organizations from its wrath.

In this playful and interactive session, Brent uses Filene research to show us how bad organizational friction is the effect of well-intentioned systems and processes that overload employees, waste their time, and devalue their work. He then provides concrete examples of how we can overcome friction and make our organizations more productive, efficient, and human-centered.

If you're ready to tackle the enemy of productivity head-on, then this session is for you.