Afshin Molavi is one of the world’s most compelling voices on the forces reshaping our global economy, geopolitics, and society. A Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, founder of the widely read Emerging World newsletter, and columnist for Forbes, Molavi delivers dynamic, insight-rich keynotes that... Read more
Afshin Molavi is one of the world’s most compelling voices on the forces reshaping our global economy, geopolitics, and society. A Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, founder of the widely read Emerging World newsletter, and columnist for Forbes, Molavi delivers dynamic, insight-rich keynotes that connect the dots between geopolitics, demographics, technology, trade, capital flows, and the shifting balance of global power.
A former journalist and development banker, Molavi brings rare range and depth to the stage. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Economist, Businessweek, and Institutional Investor, and his reporting career includes roles at Reuters, The Washington Post, and the Financial Times. He has served as a senior global advisor at Oxford Analytica, worked at the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, and co-founded both the World Economy Roundtable and emerge85 Lab, an initiative exploring transformative change across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East, home to 85% of the world’s population. He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Molavi describes globalization as a “relentless and historic series of flows”, an evolving force shaping everyday life. As he often tells audiences: “Globalization isn’t somewhere distant, it’s in your cup, your car, your home, your meal.”
From the coffee we drink in the morning to the microchips powering our devices, Molavi reveals how global supply chains, capital markets, energy transitions, demographic shifts, and technological disruption shape boardrooms and communities alike, and how recent policy shifts in Washington and other major capitals are accelerating what he calls our “new global operating system,” one increasingly defined by power politics, resource competition, new alliances, technological realignment, and profound demographic change.
Known for his approachable style, sharp insight, and engaging wit, Molavi draws on history, literature, film, and even pop culture and sports to make complex global issues vivid and accessible. He moves seamlessly from Wall Street to Main Street, from European boardrooms to Asian and Middle Eastern cities, offering audiences clarity in a world defined by uncertainty.
From Dallas to Dubai, Atlanta to Amsterdam, and Los Angeles to London, Molavi has delivered impactful keynotes for corporations, investor forums, family offices, trade associations, and global institutions. His presentations blend data, storytelling, and strategic foresight, leaving audiences not just with a clearer understanding of where the world is headed, but with practical insight on how to position themselves for what comes next.
If you want your audience to understand the new global operating system, and find opportunity within it, Afshin Molavi brings the map.
The global map is being redrawn in real time. From intensifying U.S.–China rivalry and the aftershocks of the war in Ukraine to supply chain realignments, industrial policy, and energy security, geopolitical risk has moved from the margins to the center of strategy. Afshin Molavi delivers a sharp, fast-paced tour of...
Crises dominate headlines. Flows shape history. Rather than focusing only on shocks, Afshin Molavi highlights the enduring movements of trade, capital, energy, data, and people that quietly determine global power and prosperity.
From shipping lanes and semiconductor supply chains to digital platforms and migration corridors, Molavi reveals how these...
Some forces transcend elections, trade disputes, and economic cycles. Afshin Molavi identifies five structural trends—urbanization, demographic shifts, middle-class expansion, technological acceleration, and hyper-connectivity—that continue to power global transformation regardless of political noise. Through data-driven insight and real-world examples, Molavi equips leaders with a long-term strategic compass. Audiences leave understanding not...
Globalization is not abstract. It is embedded in your morning coffee, your smartphone, your supply chain, and your retirement portfolio. Afshin Molavi connects daily life to the vast global systems of trade, energy, finance, and technology that power it. By tracing how shifts in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the...
Eighty-five percent of humanity lives outside the West—in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. That “85% World” includes the BRICS nations and extends far beyond them to the fast-growing cities, expanding middle classes, industrial corridors, and capital markets that are steadily reweighting global power. Afshin Molavi explores how...