Baratunde Thurston

Co-Creator and Host, Life with Machines

Baratunde Thurston is a storyteller exploring interdependence across our relationships with each other, nature, and technology. He is an Emmy-nominated host, writer, public speaker, and proud Earthling. His newest creation is Life With Machines , a YouTube podcast focusing on the human side of the A.I. revolution. He is also host and executive producer of the PBS TV series America Outdoors , creator and host of the How To Citizen podcast, and a founding partner and writer at Puck . His comedic memoir, How To Be Black , is a New York Times best-seller. In 2019, he delivered what MSNBC’s Brian Williams called “one of the greatest TED talks of all time.” Baratunde is unique in his ability to integrate and synthesize different and difficult topics in a style that’s intelligent, compassionate, and humorous. Baratunde serves on the boards of Civics Unplugged and the Brooklyn Public Library and lives in Southern California.