Leaders in Business, Academia and Policy to Meet at Future of Thought Conference in Tampa, FL October 22-24, 2008


WOBURN, MA--(Marketwire - June 25, 2008) - The Economist recently reported, "Wireless communication is changing the way people work, live, love and relate to places -- and each other." How these evolving changes impact corporations, educational institutions, governmental policy and society will be the focus of a unique two-day executive conference in October entitled "Future of Thought."

Dr. Karen Sobel Lojeski, author of "Uniting the Virtual Workforce," has gathered an unprecedented group of world leading scholars, business visionaries, educators, and international leaders to collaborate on the development of an actionable agenda that leverages existing research and knowledge to increase creativity, invention, and innovation in business, education, and policy-making.

"Most future conferences begin from the technological point of view. We will instead begin with people impact and work our way out to technological advancements and their potential future effects on thought, creativity, productivity, and innovation," said Dr. Lojeski. "Using this unique, interdisciplinary, and cross-institutional approach we will build an agenda for action that is people-centric, technology rich, and balanced."

Confirmed speakers include: Dr. Pamela Fusco, Chief Security Strategist, FishNet Security; Cheri Sterman, Director of Child Development and Consumer Relationships, Crayola; Dr. Martin Westwell, Director of Flinders Centre for Science Education in the 21st Century and former Director of the Institute of The Future of the Mind, Oxford University; Dorothy Gordon, Director-General of Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ITC; Guido Petit, Director of Alcatel-Lucent Technical Academy; Brad Reddersen, Founder and CEO of Stranova.com; Piet Hut, Astrophysicist and Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University; Adrian Machon, Director, Executive and Leadership Development, GlaxoSmithKline and Steven Tainer, Author and Contemplative Scholar and Professor, University of California, Berkeley.

"Never before have we as technology experts, leaders and evangelists come together to understand the future state of technology as it relates to our human existence," said Dr. Pamela Fusco. "Working in tandem we will ascertain the value of humanity in combination with the infinite technological growth to address common objectives."

"This will be the beginning of an extraordinary global initiative to build bridges between researchers and pragmatists, educators and business executives to ensure a thoughtful future across all stages of human and organizational development," Lojeski added.

Following the two-day conference, a book will be published showcasing the participants' discussions and action plan. Whitepapers, training and educational frameworks, and implementable plans for executives and educators to take back to their organizations will be developed.

The Future of Thought Conference will take place at the Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Florida and will begin with a Welcome Reception on Wednesday, October 22, followed by two days of conference sessions. The Conference is being developed by Karen Sobel Lojeski, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Virtual Distance International and produced by Mansfield Sales Partners. To learn more, visit www.futureofthought.com (781-460-2103). To register, visit http://events.travizonmcc.com/futureofthought2008.

Contact Information: Contact: Amy Riemer 978-475-4441