Redesigning the human-machine relationship: Deep dive into the trends shaping the future

Growth is sharply in focus as technology continues to blur the lines between innovation, the customer experience, and business strategy. In this episode of FWD: Technology, hosts Brett Davis and Simona Spelman speak with Colie Edison, Chief Growth Officer of the WNBA, about how she's leading the charge to build a growth function from the ground up and turning a clear consumer mandate into action. Edison shares how the WNBA is making it easier, and more exciting, to be a fan with innovative digital products, athlete affinity initiatives, expanded media access, and strategic partnerships. The conversation offers a practical lesson for leaders: Tech creates enormous value when it's used to implement strategy, align teams to business goals, and keep the customer at the center of it all.

The strongest brands don't try to be everything to everyone. For Crunchyroll, that means protecting the hand-drawn artistry and human creativity that make anime so beloved by its fans, while using technology to enrich the fan experience rather than replace the creative process. In this episode of FWD: Technology, hosts Bill Briggs and Simona Spelman talk with Scott Donaton, Global Head of Brand and Community at Crunchyroll, about how Crunchyroll has turned fandom into a business model and continues to practice leadership discipline while keeping human creativity at the heart of its identity. Donaton shares how passionate communities can create conversation, advocacy, and co-ownership around new ideas. He discusses how Crunchyroll demonstrates, rather than simply claims, authenticity—and how the company strives to better understand the role it plays in its customers' lives. The upshot? Growth becomes more durable when strategy begins with a real relationship, not a broad demographic.

Lyft isn't just a transportation company. It's building a broader mobility platform connecting riders, drivers, destinations, advertisers, and new services. In this episode of FWD: Technology, Deloitte's Chief Technology Officer, Bill Briggs, and Chief Human Officer, Simona Spelman, speak with Suzie Reider, EVP of Marketing, Ads, and Business at Lyft, about the strategy shaping Lyft's growth. Reider shares how Lyft is building a more connected mobility experience, using context to make advertising more impactful, and treating trust as an essential part of the consumer experience. She also discusses acquisitions, integration, work redesign, and why leaders shouldn't simply refine last year's business strategy when change is happening so quickly. Bottom line? Growth requires both ambition and operational discipline.

Breaking a world record takes more than speed. It requires digging deep to find out whether human instinct can adapt to hard evidence. On FWD: Technology, hosts Simona Spelman, Deloitte's Chief Human Officer, and Bill Briggs, Deloitte's Chief Technology Officer, join Hunter Woodhall, US Paralympic Gold Medalist, to explore the Unbreakable Twin project. By running simulations and live-testing hypotheses on the track, the team uncovers performance gains that conventional wisdom and instinct may miss. For business and technology leaders, Hunter's experience offers a powerful lesson: Progress often begins when we set ego aside, trust the people and tools around us, and act on the data.

AI didn't just change jobs. It changed what "ready for work" means. In this episode of FWD: Technology, Bill Briggs (Deloitte's chief technology officer) and Simona Spelman (Deloitte's chief human officer) break down the skills college graduates need to thrive in a fast-moving, AI-shaped workplace, and what higher education may need to rethink as a result. They are joined by Dr. Harrison Keller, president of the University of North Texas, for a practical conversation about workforce readiness, curriculum evolution, and how leaders can better define what day-one success looks like now.