Ross Rosenberg

Brainstormer, Business leader, Change agent, Environmentalist, Investor, Jewish, Parent, World traveler, Writer/Editor

Ross leads technology companies through disruption, transformation and growth. He is the CEO of Magic Leap, a pioneer in Augmented Reality technology. In Bain Capital’s technology portfolio, he helped software companies bring the future of computing to legacy systems. As the Chief Strategy Officer at a $3 billion networking communications and cybersecurity software company, he led the drive improve the safety, security and productivity of knowledge workers around the world. Formerly, Ross led marketing, strategy and M&A at First Solar, the world's largest provider of utility-scale solar power solutions. Ross helped solar energy become mainstream by leading a team that developed, constructed, financed and operated solar power plants equivalent to displacing over 4 million metric tons of CO2 and removing nearly 1 million cars from the roads. He is a reformed accountant, a recovering investment banker and, most importantly, a father of 3 amazing kids.

Re-inventing college, navigating cognitive biases and how to spur passion and curiosity

We systematically over-value stability, comfort, consistency and routine and systematically under-value change, disruption and adventure.

Climate Change, Cybersecurity, Renewable Energy and Project Development, Software, Transformation

Although I read about the original TED conference as a teenager in the mid ‘80’s, I watched my first TED talk on-line in 2006 not long after Chris Anderson (TED’s curator) utilized the emerging web video platforms to bravely open up (for free!) the long secretive, mysterious and elitist TED conference to the global village. In 2007, a TED talk by John Doerr changed my life (ok, my career). A venture capitalist crying on stage about global warming? Really? Maybe it was capitalist theater but a bell was rung and a seed planted. A year later I found myself walking away from running a $500 million global business to join the solar industry. Ideas worth spreading, indeed! Fast forward 5 years and I became a TED devotee, sharing links to talks with friends and most profoundly my wife and kids, who innocently asked “Dad, why don’t you go to the TED conference?” As usual my daughters were wise beyond their years and through a serendipitous friendship with a long-time attendee, I found myself applying for membership on a cold February night in a hotel room in Frankfurt, Germany. After my application and expensive registration fee was accepted, I booked my tickets for LAX and soon the TED attendee book arrived in which I (absurdly) shared space with the likes of 1,400 other impressive people. A decade later, I couldn't imagine not attending TED.

Hiking waterfalls