Ola Rosling is a Swedish statistician and the president of the Gapminder Foundation, which he co-founded with his father, Hans Rosling, and his wife, Anna Rosling Rönnlund. Known for his innovative approach to data presentation, Ola has tirelessly worked to dispel misconceptions about the world through interactive visual tools that simplify global statistics. His main mission is to improve public understanding of global trends and the quality of life worldwide. Gapminder is renowned for making complex development data accessible, transforming it into engaging charts that reveal surprising truths about global progress.
Throughout his career, Ola Rosling has been a pioneer in democratizing data. In 1999, he led the development of Trendalyzer, a software tool that visualizes statistical data through dynamic charts, which was acquired by Google in 2007. During his time at Google, Ola and his team transformed Trendalyzer into the Google Motion Chart, a tool that revolutionized data visualization. As Google Public Data Product Manager, he played a key role in creating DSPL (Data Set Publishing Language), which integrated official statistics sources into Google search results, making public data more accessible.
In 2013, he returned to Gapminder to develop free educational materials and launched the Ignorance Project, an initiative aimed at measuring and correcting widespread ignorance about basic global facts. His work on this project culminated in the co-authorship of Factfulness, an international bestseller that reveals how public perceptions of the world are distorted by pessimism and misinformation, offering a more optimistic view based on facts.
Ola Rosling’s conferences are dynamic, educational, and eye-opening. With a clear and accessible style, Rosling focuses on debunking common myths about the state of the world, demonstrating how data can radically alter perspectives on issues like poverty, education, and global health. His TED Talk, “How Not to Be Ignorant About the World,” has been acclaimed for blending humor with statistical analysis, making complex topics easy to grasp. Through visual examples and impactful data, Rosling challenges the audience’s preconceived notions, equipping them with tools to interpret the world more accurately and realistically.
In this talk, Ola Rosling shows how most people, even the well-educated, have a deeply flawed understanding of global trends. Using statistical examples and visually compelling charts, he explains why our worldview is skewed and provides practical methods to think more rationally and factually about the world.
Based on his book *Factfulness*, this talk challenges the widespread pessimistic view of the world. Ola Rosling uses data to show how humanity has made progress in areas like health, education, and poverty reduction, presenting a more realistic and hopeful outlook on the future of global development.
If you’re looking for an eye-opening and transformative talk on the power of data and global perception, you can book Ola Rosling through Thinking Heads. As one of the most influential figures in data visualization and public education, Ola offers expert insights into how data can help us understand the world more clearly and accurately. Contact Thinking Heads today for more information and secure his participation at your next event.
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