LARRY SMITH is an adjunct associate professor of economics at the University of Waterloo. He is a recipient of the University of Waterloo’s Distinguished Teacher Award.

During his long-standing tenure, Smith has taught more than 23,000 students, representing more than 10 percent of UW’s alumni. And, of course, millions from all over the world have viewed his provocative TEDx talk, and the numbers continue to grow on a daily basis.

Professor Smith is also president of Essential Economics Corporation, an economic consulting practice that serves a wide range of public and private clients. The firm specializes in forecasting and in the economics of innovation and development.

He also advises UW students who start their own ventures. Smith has now worked with more than 450 teams of student entrepreneurs. Many have gone on to create companies of significant size and success. They include enterprises in such industries as communications, software, robotics, culture, entertainment, design, real estate, and professional services.

He lives in Kitchener, Ontario.