𝓒ultural 𝓣heorist + 𝕯igital 𝓐nthropologist + 𝓢trategist + 𝓦riter explaining media and social shifts to advise partners on the future —

𝓟roviding cultural foresight and applied strategy to investors, the UN, journalists, philanthropies, and the world’s largest brands

Currently:

  • Head of Global Foresight, Reddit

  • Resident Futurist, Hannah Grey

  • Expert Advisor, Canvas8

  • Author of ZINE

KLEIN

KLEIN

Closest thing to Gen Z’s Marshall McLuhan.

— Elliot Aronow
Creative Director

Matt empowers us with perspective and agency to right the ship to our own likings.

— Dr. Marcus Collins
Author & Professor

Matt is original, clever, amazingly honest, and unfiltered.

— Faith Popcorn
Author & Futurist

Matt’s investigations get at deeper, unspoken territories, illuminating revolutionary change.

— Chris Perry
Chair, Weber Shandwick

ZINE: Webby Award’s “Best Independent Publication”

Essays and interviews critically researching overlooked trends for the culturally curious

“𝕿he foremost published and trusted cultural theorist. An authority on the zeitgeist and rare blend of theory and practice.”

A Webby-winning writer and Insights 250’s Top Voice in Market Research, Klein is a trusted advisor to organizations seeking to make sense of cultural change.

With a decade of experience in trend forecasting, innovation, and strategic communications, Klein partners with investors, the UN, journalists, philanthropies, and brands to author resonant, future-proofing strategies.

He’s advised on the cultural implications of generative AI for Google, fandom for the NBA, and partnership between American Airlines and The James Beard Foundation.

His award-winning publication ✉️ ZINE, critically researches overlooked trends, reaching tens of thousands globally. ZINE offers executives, government officials and students alike cultural intelligence, 💬 interviews and deep dives covering 🎨 Cultural Stasis, 📖 The Decline of Higher Education, ⛪ Rise of Modern Religion, 👄 Ethics of Virtual Influencers, and 🥚 Reality & Myth Making.

Advancing foresight, he’s also written about 💡 The Radical Potential of Cultural Strategy, 🐢 How Trends Lost All Meaning and 📣 Foresight as Activism.

Effectively explaining emerging social shifts, he’s a relied upon 📰 source for the WSJ, DAZED and VICE, and contributor to WARC and Forbes where he served as a media critic.

Klein is a 🎤speaker at SXSW, IDEO, and MoMA, and guest lecturer at universities including NYU and The Ross School of Business at The University of Michigan.

He’s the author of the 🔮 META Trends Report, an annual meta-analysis commenting on the zeitgeist, 🔬Audience Capture, a zine exploring the dynamics of audiences on creators, Co-Founder of 🪴 The Tiny Awards, honors for the cozy web, and Creator of 🎒 The Understanding Media Seminar Series in partnership with The McLuhan Institute.

Completing the first-ever joint degree in Psychology and Film & Media Studies from Franklin & Marshall College, Klein’s honors dissertation and concentration was in 📱CyberPsychology: Online Sharing as Identity Creation & Self Presentation. He holds certificates in network theory, crisis communications and futurism from the Institute for the Future & The Future Laboratory.

Klein’s focus is to increase cultural fluency, empowering autonomy and allowing us to author our preferred futures.

He’s a cyclist, (respectful) film and wine snob, and volunteer with Big Brothers NY.

Klein lives in New York City.

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