Mark Stevenson
Encyclopedia
Mark Stevenson is a London
-based British
author
, comedian
, businessman, public speaker and futurologist
, as well as a former semi-professional musician
. He is Chief Operating Officer
and a founder of Flow Associates, a cultural learning agency and a principal at ReAgency, a science communications agency. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. Stevenson's recent book, An Optimist's Tour of the Future, was released in the United Kingdom in January 2011 (February 2011 in the United States).
in 1992 with a first-class honors degree in Information Technology
.
. There, he co-authored reports on e-commerce and smart card technology and edited material related to CASE (computer-aided software engineering)
.
After leaving Ovum, Stevenson worked as a freelancer, consulting primarily in the field of cryptography
.
Throughout this period, Stevenson was also a semi-professional musician. As a founding member of the band Clear, he co-wrote both music and lyrics, sang and played bass. The band's sole album, Coming Around, had the unique distinction of being funded by a company founded by the members but owned in part by the band's fans. The album, recorded in 2004, was produced by Andy Metcalfe
at the studios of Glenn Tilbrook; it was mastered at Abbey Road. Though now defunct, the band occasionally does reunion concerts.
. His stand-up material is primarily focused on science
. He has appeared at many comedy clubs, festivals and other venues. And although his current duties as businessman and author preclude a full-time career in comedy, he still occasionally makes appearances at clubs and on programs. He recently (November 2010) did a spot on BBC Radio 4
's long-running program You and Yours
.
Stevenson is also a playwright
, having co-authored (with Jack Milner) One Thing Led to Another, a play in casting phase as of January 2011.
, April 2012) and the Space Foundation
's National Space Symposium (USA, April 2012).
Stevenson is also launching a new organization to promote the ideals of pragmatic, solutions-oriented optimism as espoused in his book. The League of Pragmatic Optimists (aka LOPO) was slated to hold its inaugural event in London in October of 2011, with future chapters of the organization planned worldwide. A chapter in Cambridge/Boston
(Massachusetts
, USA) was already in pre-launch phase as of September 2011.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, businessman, public speaker and futurologist
Futurology
Futures studies is the study of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures and the worldviews and myths that underlie them. There is a debate as to whether this discipline is an art or science. In general, it can be considered as a branch under the more general scope of the field of...
, as well as a former semi-professional musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He is Chief Operating Officer
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
and a founder of Flow Associates, a cultural learning agency and a principal at ReAgency, a science communications agency. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. Stevenson's recent book, An Optimist's Tour of the Future, was released in the United Kingdom in January 2011 (February 2011 in the United States).
Education
Stevenson graduated from the University of SalfordUniversity of Salford
The University of Salford is a campus university based in Salford, Greater Manchester, England with approximately 20,000 registered students. The main campus is about west of Manchester city centre, on the A6, opposite the former home of the physicist, James Prescott Joule and the Working Class...
in 1992 with a first-class honors degree in Information Technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
.
Early career
Stevenson began his career working for Ovum, an information technology think tankThink tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
. There, he co-authored reports on e-commerce and smart card technology and edited material related to CASE (computer-aided software engineering)
Computer-aided software engineering
Computer-aided software engineering is the scientific application of a set of tools and methods to a software system which is meant to result in high-quality, defect-free, and maintainable software products...
.
After leaving Ovum, Stevenson worked as a freelancer, consulting primarily in the field of cryptography
Cryptography
Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties...
.
Throughout this period, Stevenson was also a semi-professional musician. As a founding member of the band Clear, he co-wrote both music and lyrics, sang and played bass. The band's sole album, Coming Around, had the unique distinction of being funded by a company founded by the members but owned in part by the band's fans. The album, recorded in 2004, was produced by Andy Metcalfe
Andy Metcalfe
Andy Metcalfe is an English bassist, keyboardist and producer, who played mainly with The Soft Boys , Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians , and with Squeeze off and on during the period 1985-1994.He co-produced several of the Egyptians albums Andy Metcalfe (born 1956, Bristol, England) is an...
at the studios of Glenn Tilbrook; it was mastered at Abbey Road. Though now defunct, the band occasionally does reunion concerts.
Comedy
After leaving Clear, Stevenson turned to stand-up comedyStand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
. His stand-up material is primarily focused on science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
. He has appeared at many comedy clubs, festivals and other venues. And although his current duties as businessman and author preclude a full-time career in comedy, he still occasionally makes appearances at clubs and on programs. He recently (November 2010) did a spot on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's long-running program You and Yours
You and Yours
You and Yours is a British radio consumer affairs programme, broadcast on BBC Radio 4.-History:It began broadcasting in October 1970, its first presenter was Joan York. In the great rescheduling of April 1998 it was increased from a 25 minute programme to 55 minutes. In the 1980s it briefly ran...
.
Writing
Stevenson recently released a book entitled An Optimist's Tour of the Future (published by Profile Books in January 2011 in the UK and by Avery in February 2011 in the United States), which predicts that invention and innovation can help overcome several of humanity's current problems.Stevenson is also a playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, having co-authored (with Jack Milner) One Thing Led to Another, a play in casting phase as of January 2011.
Current Activities
Stevenson continues his roles at Flow Associates and ReAgency. Following the success of his book, he has recently (2011) also become internationally popular as a public speaker. Upcoming engagements include being the keynote speaker at The Licensing Executives Society conference (New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, April 2012) and the Space Foundation
Space Foundation
The Space Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports the global space industry through information and education programs. It is a resource for the entire space community - industry, national security organizations, civil space agencies, private space companies and the military around the...
's National Space Symposium (USA, April 2012).
Stevenson is also launching a new organization to promote the ideals of pragmatic, solutions-oriented optimism as espoused in his book. The League of Pragmatic Optimists (aka LOPO) was slated to hold its inaugural event in London in October of 2011, with future chapters of the organization planned worldwide. A chapter in Cambridge/Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
(Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, USA) was already in pre-launch phase as of September 2011.