Creating opportunities in constant change: A conversation with April Rinne

April Rinne is equal parts global authority, advocate, ally and adventurer. She sees trends early, understands their potential, and helps others do the same. She’s a global citizen who brings insights, access and perspective to companies, governments, investors and organizations worldwide. But April is not only a thought leader; she’s also a doer. She connects people, ideas and resources in ways that say "wow, that's what the world needs" – and then makes it happen.

Advisor: April is a pathfinder within the digital economy, platform economy and sharing economy. She advises startups and established companies, local and national governments, policy makers, think tanks and investors, working across for-­‐profit and non-­‐profit models. Her areas of expertise include policy reform; global expansion; the future of work; travel and tourism; sustainable development; cities; and emerging markets. She is known for her skill in bridging the private, public and social sectors -­‐-­‐building a more inclusive and responsible sharing economy in the process.

Speaker & Writer: April is an acclaimed keynote speaker and contributes regularly to news and media about the new economy, future of work and global citizenship. She has presented at a wide range of events, from Davos to the EU Commission, industry convenings and private workshops.

Education: April holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an M.A. in International Business and Finance from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and a B.A. summa cum laude from Emory University. She is a Fulbright Scholar and has also studied at Oxford University, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and the European University Institute.

Memberships: April is a Young Global Leaderat the World Economic Forum where she leads the Sharing Economy Working Group and is a member of the Global Futures Council for the Future of Mobility and the Urbanization Advisory Group. She is a member of China’s National Sharing Economy Committee and serves on the Advisory Boards of the Sharing Cities Alliance, Seoul Sharing City (South Korea), Amsterdam Sharing City (The Netherlands), Sharing Economy Denmark (SEDK), the National League of Cities (USA) and World Pulse (global). She is also a founding member of BBPDX.

Michael has two decades of experience with both the private and public sectors encompassing strategic planning, business process redesign, strategic communications and marketing, performance management, change management, executive and team coaching, and risk-financing.

Michael leads the IBM Center for The Business of Government's leadership research. As the Center’s Leadership Fellow, his work is at the nexus of the Center’s mission – connecting research to practice. My work at that the Center complements frontline experience of actual government executives with practical insights from thought leaders who produce Center reports – merging real-world experience with practical scholarship. The purpose is not to offer definitive solutions to the many management challenges facing executives, but to provide a resource from which to draw practical, actionable recommendations on how best to confront such issues. Michael also hosts and produces the IBM Center’s The Business of Government Hour. He has interviewed and profiled hundreds of senior government executives from all levels of government as well as recognized thought leaders focusing on a range of public management issues and trends. Over the last four years, Michael has expanded both the show’s format and reach – now broadcasting informational and educational conversations with dedicated public servants on two radio stations five times a week and anywhere at anytime over the web and at iTunes. Michael is also the managing editor of The Business of Government magazine, with a targeted audience of close to 14,000 government and non-government professionals. Additionally, he manages the Center’s bi-annual proposal review process that awards stipends to independent, third party researchers tackling a wide range of public management issues.

Prior to joining the Center, Michael worked as a senior managing consultant with IBM GBS (Global Business Services) and as a principle consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ Washington Consulting Practice (WCP). He led projects in the private and federal civilian sectors including the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, FEMA, and the Veterans Health Administration. Before entering consulting, he worked in the private sector as product development manager at a New York City based risk financing firm.

Since 2003, Mr. Keegan has been a reviewer for Association of Government Accountant’s Certificate of Excellence in Accountability Reporting (CEAR)© program, keeping abreast of the most recent developments in authoritative standards affecting federal accounting, financial reporting and performance measurement. He is also a member of APPAM, the NYU Alumni Association, and the Data Center & Cloud Talent, USA. He holds masters in public administration and management from New York University and was the founder of its DC alumni group as well as previous treasurer of the NYU graduate school’s alumni board.