Ted Souder - Is the former Head of Industry, Retail at Google, former Vice-Chair of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce & current Board Director at 1871, the top-rated technology incubator in the world.
One of Google’s earliest employees, Ted spent 20+ years helping write one of the greatest business stories of all time. From its origin as a fledgling Search engine trying to find its footing after the “dot com” crash in 2000 to becoming one of the largest and most important companies in the world, Google helped define an era. During his time at Google, Ted held many different positions both in Chicago and in Paris, France, ultimately leading to his dual roles as Founder of the Google CFO Forum and Head of Industry, Retail.
Now Ted is bringing the best of the “Google Playbook” to organizations around the world in an effort to help them accelerate out of the pandemic. Outside of Google, Ted was formally Vice Chairman of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and is currently on the Board of Directors at 1871, the No. 1 technology incubator in the world. Ted is also a co-owner of the Monthly Barometer based in Chamonix, France. The Monthly Barometer (monthlybarometer.com) is a content platform and advisory boutique that provides its members with high-quality macro analysis combined with in-person community gatherings (summitofminds.com) that sit at the intersection of Economics, Geo-Politics, Climate, Technology & Society.
An early digital adapter, Ted has also held numerous leadership roles at early online brands America Online and Excite, as well as groundbreaking social music startup, Echo Networks.
Ted lives in Chicago with his wife Lori who is the founder of HTAT Journeys, LLC (HereTodayAfricaTomorrow.com), a conservation-focused safari operator in Eastern and Southern Africa.
Ted speaks at events all over the world on the topic of digital transformation and the positive impact it can have on your business, your community, and your life.