104 - Have a meal with Jennifer Brace, Chief Futurist, Ford Motor Company

Jennifer Brace is the Chief Futurist at Ford where she leads discussions on long-term thinking, planning and strategic development. By researching demographic shifts, identifying market outliers and developing data driven scenarios for the future, she challenges her colleagues to think through a broad range of possible narratives before settling on a plan of action. This helps organizations across the company to approach problem solving with a new lens, navigate uncertainty and deliver strategies that are robust and resilient. Throughout her 19 year career with Ford  she has launched multiple versions of SYNC in vehicle technology, lead user experience research projects on autonomous vehicles and drove innovation in mobility from Greenfield Labs in Palo Alto, California.  She has served the company as a technology spokesperson at events across the US, been featured as a keynote speaker at Women in Technology International, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, Smithsonian Future of Transportation and has starred in 4 national advertising campaigns for Ford. Jennifer holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a MS in Engineering Management from the University of Michigan. She currently resides in Plymouth, MI with her husband, son, and English Bulldog named Bubbles.