whurley *
Chaotic Moon
Austin, TX, UNITED STATES
Co-founder, Chaotic Moon Professional Innovator, Open Source Advocate, International Genius.
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Biography
He’s been called a visionary systems theorist, a mad scientist, and an evil genius (International Genius). What he is, is innovative. Over his 20-year career, whurley has demonstrated a talent for innovation and a passion for open source software. In 2010 he co-founded Chaotic Moon, a leading mobile development and strategy company, and quickly built a portfolio of A-list clients. Names like Microsoft, CBS Sports, Sanrio, Pizza Hutt, and News Corp, for whom Chaotic Moon developed the first iPad-only digital newspaper.
In 2011 he could have stood pat. Instead he doubled down, helping launch Chaotic Moon Labs to focus on “innovation on demand.” As General Manager of the lab in 2012, he created what Wired Magazine described as “the best of CES,” an all-terrain skateboard controlled by hand motions. Powered by an Xbox Kinect™ and a Samsung tablet, the board achieved an exhilarating top speed of 32 mph. For dessert, he built a mind-controlled version that Jason Bradbury, host of the Europe’s The Gadget Show, said was “. . . like something out of a science fiction movie” and “comic book crazy.”
He then created a rapid prototype of the shopping cart of the future. The Smarter Cart™ not only guided customers to items at Whole Foods’ flagship store, it also scanned their food to help manage their dietary needs, notify them of FDA food recalls, and accelerate their check-out.
Today whurley keeps the world's top brands decades ahead of the curve, predicting not only the next iteration, but delivering on the demands of the next generation.
Industry Expertise (10)
Computer Software
Information Technology and Services
Computer Hardware
Graphic Design
Computer Gaming
Design
Audio Visual
Corporate Training
Corporate Leadership
Internet
Areas of Expertise (4)
Innovation
Technology
Mobile
Internet
Accomplishments (7)
International Genius Grant (professional)
2012-11-01
The Appsterdam Foundation and the City of Amsterdam
Best Evil Genius (professional)
2008-10-01
Austin Chronicle
Top Leader in Open Source Business (professional)
2008-01-01
LinuxWorld Magazine
Apple Design Award (professional)
2004-04-01
Apple Computer
Master Inventor (professional)
1999-09-01
IBM
Pervasive Computing Award (professional)
1999-08-01
IBM
Golden Apple for Innovation (professional)
1995-06-01
Apple Computer
Links (2)
Testimonials (12)
Bob Metcalfe, Ethernet inventor and now UT Austin Professor of Innovation | Food, the City, and Innovation
When whurley takes the stage, you soon start to fear what he'll do next, which breaks any spell you're under, and opens your mind to innovation.
Hugh Forrest, Director, SxSW Interactive Festival | SxSW
whurley has spoken several times at the SXSW Interactive Festival. He has a large following and always delivers high-quality insights in a high-energy speaking style. In short, whurley is a great fit for talking about top-level tech trends at your next event.
Professor Rosental Alves, Knight Chair in Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin | International Symposium on Online Journalism
whurley was one of the most creative, original and engaging speakers I have ever had at the International Symposium on Online Journalism in the 14 years I have organized the event at the University of Texas at Austin. He also volunteered to speak to the robotics team of my son’s High School and was equally brilliant and surprising. He can connect with CEOs as easily as he can with High School seniors. He is not the usual speaker. He surprises and engages any audience.
Sean Lowery, Executive Director, InnoTech Conference | Innotech
In my 20 years of producing events and conferences, very few individuals have the natural ability to educate and entertain a crowd as professionally as whurley does. My top sponsor states we need a speaker that can educate and entertain the attendees. In the past 5 years of producing events and conferences whurley is the one speaker that consistently draws top marks and positive social chatter. As the producer of IT and Innovation events in multiple cities around the US, whurley is one of the only speakers I consider a must have. He consistently packs a room for 90 minutes for a 60 minute presentation. That speaks volumes.
Jerri Chou, Organizer, The Feast | The Feast
whurley inspires innovation through provocation. He unlocks the potential of those in the room through his fearlessness to say what everyone is thinking, empowering them to think in ways few ever have, and to imagine what no one's thought possible
Dieter Oude Kotte, Senior Manager Foreign Investments | City of Amsterdam / amsterdam inbusiness
We invited Whurley for the “Appsterdam International Genius Grant” in Amsterdam where he spoke at many different occasions about innovation, technology, creativity and entrepreneurship. He spoke at conferences, seminars and workshops for students, creative professionals, tech entrepreneurs and CEO’s of established companies. Regardless of the audience, Whurley’s energy, passion and sense of humor captured the hearts and minds of us. He alternates his personal stories with best practices about creating business value out of existing technologies. His creative mind gives you a vision of the future when pushing the boundaries of technologies and the human brains. Thank you Whurley!!
Tam Thao Thi Pham, Head of Ecosystems & Strategic Initiatives, US Consulting Innovation, Deloitte LLP | TEDx Westlake
whurley made our heart stop in six different ways - but everything worked out, no one was hurt, and the Board of Awesomeness made it to its final destination. Seriously, whurley killed it - his talk was a highlight of the event and on top of that, he was a real joy to work with. Certifiably awesome.
Kathrine Bailey, Planning, Committee Chair, Innovative Professors Conference, Austin Peay State University | Innovative Professors Conference
Warning: Innovative, creative, and honest. whurley’s keynote made an impact and brought a vision of the real world that resonated with our audience at the Innovative Professor Conference. whurley is engaging, timely, and always welcome back.
Todd Lewis, POSSCON Chair | POSSCON
whurley absolutely killed it while speaking at our conference. We knew he was one of the best technologists in the world but we didn't know his communication skills were even better. The audience loved him, from the uber geek to the tech novice. I've worked with hundreds of speakers over the years but whurley is the absolute best I've seen. A rare individual.
David Sutherland, Founder and Managing Director, Launch Institute, Inc. | Launch Institute, Inc.
whurley addressed the top 120 executives at Dana Corporation during an Innovation Summit about his stands on innovation. Through a totally provocative and entertaining presentation, he fundmentally shifted the executives' perspectives from "wait and see" to "we must do this", establishing a "can do" group dynamic that lead to a set of exciting (and potentially) highly lucartive business ideas.
Rob Woodbridge, Founder | UNTETHER
whurley is captivating. From the moment he walked on stage at UNTETHER.talks until the final word ushered, the audience was hooked. whurley delivered an insightful, inspiring, thoughtful and motivational keynote in a disarming, approachable and human way that made the experience unlike anything that came before it. A true storyteller, whurley mesmerized the crowd while on stage and off - his keynote was the standout moment while generating the most conversation throughout and beyond the event.
Lou Morgan, Conference Producer | Future Insights Live
Whurley is the first speaker I have worked with who crowd sourced his slides DURING a presentation at #FILive! I'll admit I was a little nervous at first but he totally owned it and the session was big hit!
Sample Talks (4)
[Enter Topic Here]
A 100% crowd-sourced spectacle, during which whurley works with the audience to build a slide deck in the first five to seven minutes, and then delivers the presentation the audience built. It's a dynamic, fast-paced, one-of-a-kind presentation that will demonstrate to the audience just how much they can accomplish in such a short time. Like whurley says, “If this presentation sucks, it's your fault!”
Innovation On Demand
Innovation: a goal of every organization on the planet. Yet few are actually able to execute innovations. The same principles that make organizations stronger—x, y, and z—prevent innovation from becoming an integral part of a company's culture. Whurley introduces "innovation on demand," a revolutionary process that allows companies to innovate in a faster, more iterative, more collaborative way that still allows for risk mitigation in the larger organization.
Vaporware to Makerware
Slide decks, vision videos, and other vaporware are obsolete. You won’t close the deal pitching mere concepts in a market where customers demand usable prototypes for everything from your latest mobile app to the next world-changing device. The “Vaporware to Makerware” movement has ushered in an age of physical presentations. With the advent of easy-to-use prototyping tools and affordable 3D printing technology, makerware is the new presentation standard. Whurley will wal
Your Topic Here
whurley will tailor any presentation for your group. Pick a technology or innovation-related topic, and whurley will deliver.
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