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David Kirkpatrick (author)

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For other people named David Kirkpatrick, see David Kirkpatrick (disambiguation).
David Kirkpatrick
BornJanuary 14, 1953
St. Louis, Missouri
Alma materAmherst College
Occupation(s)journalist, technology writer

David Kirkpatrick (born January 14, 1953) is a technology journalist, author, and organizer of technology-oriented conferences.[1] He is the author of The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company that is Connecting the World.[2] Published in 2010, Kirkpatrick's book chronicles the history of the company since its inception in 2004 and documents Facebook's global impact.[3] Formerly Senior Editor of Internet and Technology at Fortune magazine, Kirkpatrick was until the end of 2022 the editor-in-chief of Techonomy Media Inc., a tech-focused conference company which he founded in 2011.[1][4]

Journalism career

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Kirkpatrick graduated from Amherst College in 1975 with a degree in English, and also studied painting at the New York Studio School for Drawing, Painting and Sculpture for two years.[1] He began his career with Time Inc. in 1978 as a copy clerk while working as a video artist. (A video artwork he co-produced was exhibited in New York's Museum of Modern Art in 1978). In 1983, he started at Fortune magazine as a reporter, becoming a writer in 1989, and then began writing exclusively about technology in January 1991.[5] From 2002-2008, he wrote a weekly tech column called "Fast Forward."[1][6] Kirkpatrick also developed and hosted Fortune's Brainstorm conference, an annual gathering in Aspen, Colorado, which began in August 2001. Brainstorm attendees during the conference's 5 years included President Bill Clinton (who attended and spoke at the conference three times), Google founders Larry Page and Sergei Brin, Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy, Senator John McCain, FBI Director Robert Mueller, ecologists Paul Ehrlich and Amory Lovins, Under-Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, and venture capitalist John Doerr.[7]

Kirkpatrick has written profiles of Jack Dorsey and Sean Parker in Vanity Fair, and writes articles about technology and society for Forbes magazine.[8][9] He is regularly ranked one of the world's top technology journalists, and has been a member of the World Economic Forum's International Media Council, consisting of 100 global media leaders, since 2006, as well as a member of the Council of Foreign Relations.[1][10]

The Facebook Effect

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After meeting Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg in September 2006, Kirkpatrick began writing frequently about Facebook in Fortune.[1][11][12] In January 2008 Zuckerberg agreed to cooperate on a book about the company. Kirkpatrick left Fortune in August that year to begin work on the book, which was published in June 2010.[13] The New York Times best-selling book is the only profile on which Facebook and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg have officially cooperated, and is a best-seller in countries including Taiwan, Japan, and China. It has been published in 32 languages, including Vietnamese, Croatian, and Catalan.

Techonomy

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Since leaving Fortune, Kirkpatrick has continued to host and program conferences. He established Techonomy LLC in 2010, which segued into Techonomy Media in 2011.[14] It focuses on the impact of technology on business, economics, and society.[4] Forbes Media invested in Techonomy Media in July 2011.[15] The company's mission is "to illuminate the connections between technology, innovation, economic growth, and social equity," and its annual Techonomy conference aims to provide a forum for leaders and innovators in tech and other industries to discuss the possibilities and implications of rapid technological acceleration.[16] Participants at the conferences have included Bill Gates, Jack Dorsey, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Marissa Mayer, Sean Parker, Marc Benioff, and Dan Hesse.[17][18][19][20]

Techonomy Media also publishes editorial content, including video journalism, on its website. Since 2012 the company has separately held an annual conference in Detroit to address competitiveness, jobs, and the urban future in an age of technology.[21]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "About the Author - David Kirkpatrick '75". Amherst College. Archived from the original on 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  2. ^ "An Interview with "The Facebook Effect" Author David Kirkpatrick '75". Amherst College. Archived from the original on 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  3. ^ Kakutani, Michiko (7 June 2010). "Company on the Verge of a Social Breakthrough". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  4. ^ a b Matt, Marshall (25 May 2010). "Fortune editors launch Techonomy, a media company that preaches technology can solve all ills". VentureBeat.com. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  5. ^ "FORTUNE Magazine's David Kirkpatrick to Lead General Session Panel at EPCglobal US Conference 2004" (Press release). BusinessWire. Retrieved 2013-07-29.
  6. ^ Kirkpatrick, David (2008-08-01). "Farewell to Fast Forward". CNN Money. Archived from the original on 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  7. ^ Kirkpatrick, David (2008-06-27). "We want Brainstorm Tech to rock!". CNN Money. Archived from the original on 2013-07-19. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  8. ^ Kirkpatrick, David (April 2011). "Twitter Was Act One". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  9. ^ Kirkpatrick, David (October 2010). "With a Little Help From His Friends". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  10. ^ Zachary, G. Pascal (2010-06-13). "'The Facebook Effect,' by David Kirkpatrick". SF Gate. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  11. ^ Kirkpatrick, David (6 October 2006). "Why Facebook Matters". Fortune. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  12. ^ Kirkpatrick, David (29 May 2007). "Facebook's Plan to Hook Up the World". Fortune. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  13. ^ Kirkpatrick, David (6 May 2010). "Mark Zuckerberg: The temptation of Facebook's CEO". Fortune. Archived from the original on 18 August 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
  14. ^ "NYS Division of Corporations, State Records, & UCC - Corporation Search Results: TECHONOMY MEDIA, INC". New York Department of State. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  15. ^ "Company Overview of Techonomy Media Inc". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on March 30, 2014. Retrieved 2013-07-18.
  16. ^ Kirkpatrick, David. "How to Be an Optimist in a Pessimistic Time: A Techonomy Manifesto". Forbes. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  17. ^ "Bill Gates on Reinventing Capitalism at Techonomy". CNBC. 6 August 2010. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  18. ^ Ludwig, Adam. "A Conversation with Jack Dorsey at Techonomy 2011 (Video)". Forbes. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  19. ^ Miller, Michael. "Techonomy: DreamWorks Discovers the "Holy Grail" with Real-Time Rendering in Animation". PCMag. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  20. ^ "Techonomy Convenes Leaders in Detroit to Discuss Technology's Role in Competitiveness, Jobs and the Urban Future". Business Wire. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
  21. ^ "Twitter founder returns to headline Techonomy Detroit conference". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2013-07-19.
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