Speaking

Frank Catalano has been a regular presence at technology and education industry conferences — often to speak about trends or to provide lively moderation of a PowerPoint-free session.

Frank Catalano photo at SXSWedu
In addition to being a panelist or moderator at industry gatherings, Frank has keynoted large-group events (such as the National Association of College Stores’ CAMEX and Blackboard Transact’s annual conferences) or small-group events (such as Acer America’s Education Advisory Council) with thoughtful, well-researched and engaging custom talks.

Selected audio and video of some of Frank Catalano’s speaking engagements:

  • GeekWire Summit, Seattle, WA: discussion, “Science fiction and the future of technology” (story and audio plus video).
  • EdTech for Export, Wellington, New Zealand: closing keynote, “Edtech trends to watch — and fads to avoid” (video plus slides).
  • Seattle Public Library: conversation with New York Public Library Chief Digital Officer Tony Ageh, “Innovation, privacy and the public good in the digital age” (story and audio).
  • EdNET conference, Baltimore and Denver: closing “Catbird Seat” analyst session, 2012 to 2014 (2014 video).

During the pandemic, Frank Catalano’s (remote) appearances included:

  • The session at Futuresource Consulting’s Ed Tech Collaborative 2021 on “Exploring Innovation in Content Delivery.”
  • A conversation with NetSupport Radio‘s Al Kingsley on what trends are driving post-pandemic K-12 education.
  • A podcast with EdTech Today about the future of education conferences and trade shows after the pandemic.
  • A discussion with MarketScale’s Voices of E-Learning on how to evaluate reports on education trends.

Frank also emceed the 2021 SIIA EdTech CODiE Awards ceremony, spoke at the 2022 Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association Nebula Conference about major mistakes in a writing career, was a panelist in 2023 at a Norwescon 45 tribute to author Greg Bear and moderated or spoke on sessions about education technology, MoPOP and Seattle as an innovation hub at 2025’s 83rd World Science Fiction Convention in Seattle.