Tim Salau

The former Chief Evangelist at WeWork and the founder and CEO of Guide, Tim Salau’s nickname is “Mr. Future of Work.”

Tim has forged a dynamic career as an innovator, global tech leader and humanitarian. As Chairman, co-founder and CEO of the global lifestyle brand Guide, his mission is to equip every creator with the skills, mindset and opportunities for a fulfilling career. In past roles, he has championed inclusive innovation and led product development at top Fortune 500 and hyper-growth companies including Google, Facebook, WeWork and Microsoft.

With the Guide life skills training app, Salau’s goal is to help low-income high school students learn essential life skills from their favorite creators — because he’s been there. Nigerian-born, Salau was raised in Southwest Alief, Texas — an area just outside of Houston that locals call “the SWAT,” because of the area’s levels of gang violence. As a first-generation college student at Texas Tech, he developed an interest in design thinking and user experience and went on to complete his master’s in Information Science at the University of Texas at Austin. According to Tim, the biggest lessons of his life so far have been that the only constant is change; and that adaptability, resilience and curiosity are the most essential skills of the 21st century.

Tim Salau is devoted to making the tech industry a more inclusive space for under-recognized leaders, women, and those pursuing technology with unconventional backgrounds. He's been recognized by the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, SXSW, Young Presidents Organization Opportunity Hub, LinkedIn, Google, The Millennial Mogul and other major media platforms for his work as a global tech influencer, community leader and expert on the future of work and innovation. Tim believes that businesses can architect solutions with deep intent and compassion by ruthlessly focusing on customers and the communities they serve. He strengthens communities by fusing digital literacy, culture, and purpose to create opportunity and sustainable resources for underserved and marginalized people in San Francisco and at global scale.