Fred Dawkins – Speaking from Experience, Walking into the Future

At 80 years old, Fred Dawkins has had a life full of experiences – co-founding one of Ontario’s best-known retail destinations by making it worth the drive, launching a number of successful ventures in different areas from manufacturing to land development and in retirement walking 800 kilometers in Spain with his grandson followed by writing books and becoming a published author. Today he brings those hard-earned insights to life to share with warmth, wit and wisdom.

Whether unpacking  the global tensions behind his geopolitical thriller “The Noah Project”, or sharing the heart and humour of his Camino journey, or drawing on decades of his entrepreneurial grit,  Fred connects with audiences of all ages. His talks inspire reflection, spark conversation and leave listeners with more than just a story -they leave with a perspective.

Catering to groups of all sizes in person or online. Fred enjoys the interactive dialogue meeting with book clubs. As a `past president of Guelph PROBUS he’s appreciative of the receptive audience offered by these and similar groups. 

Why not let your group be next?

Contact Fred

Current Topics

*My Camino – Things I Learned Walking with Our Grandson*

A heartwarming, often funny and reflective travel memoir about a life-changing walk across Spain with my 22-year-old grandson when I was seventy-one.

Buy on Amazon.com Buy on Amazon.ca Read an Excerpt

*The Noah Project*

A gripping, forward-looking geopolitical thriller set in 2032, exploring U.S.–China tensions, technology, and the human struggle for survival.

These books couldn’t be more different—yet both are born from a lifetime of experience, curiosity, and the will to keep learning and writing even at 80.

Books may be purchased directly from the author, on Amazon, or through book outlets around the world.

Buy on Amazon.com Buy on Amazon.ca Read an Excerpt

Past Topics

  • The New Era of Entrepreneurship: For the past fifty years our business schools have been focused on a flawed model committed to turning out business executives to function in the structured controlled environment of large corporations.  Now we find ourselves in an era dominated by an unprecedented rate of change that places a premium on the ability to solve problems, make things happen and embrace adaptability and resilience, all key attributes for an entrepreneur. We live in an environment where governments bail out companies that are “Too Big to Fail” even while companies are sucking up unprecedented profits and individuals are facing declining real wages and diminished opportunity for upward mobility. Every college and university offers courses in entrepreneurship which is the economic wonder drug of the 21st Century. Why?
  • The Creative Destruction Lab – A Critical Canadian Initiative:  It is both enlightening and alarming to discover that more than 350,000 Canadians live and work in Silicon Valley. More than one percent of our population and a much higher portion of our intellectual capital have left us for the world’s most prestigious and most productive ecosystem. This is both a problem and an opportunity but not one that government can solve or even try to solve. So how do we stem the tide? There is no quick fix. We are producing world class talent and such talent is inevitably attracted to the epicentre of success and achievement but most of all opportunity. It is the opportunity that we need to focus on. The Creative Destruction Lab does that. It creates opportunity here in Canada
  • Brave New World- Why Individual Enterprise is Essential: Big Data; Machine Learning; Artificial Intelligence; Cloning; Stem Cell Regeneration; Snowdon and Surveillance……. Are we on the doorstep of Huxley’s Brave New World where technology takes us beyond our limits? Precarious Employment; Wealth Disparity; Limited Upward Mobility; Declining Middle Class ….. Is Corporatism about to replace Capitalism allowing large corporations to capture most of the rewards in the process leaving the majority of individuals controlled instead of being in control? The most valuable skill we can learn today is the ability to create and manage our career against all odds. We must all trade in stability for agility at a time when resilience and adaptability, the prime characteristics of entrepreneurs, are absolutely vital.
  • Breaking Down Age Barriers in the Fast Paced Global Economy of the Future: Coming out of the Great Depression and Two World Wars western society created high expectations of a new life anchored in stability. More of our children would enjoy higher education. Good jobs would be readily available for all new graduates. All of us would retire early attaining Freedom 55 through generous pensions. While the Baby Boomers came closest, no generation has enjoyed this Utopian lifestyle. Instead the youth of today are saddled with a high rate of generational unemployment, often taking part-time or low paying jobs to try and get their careers started. At the other end seniors who are living longer with lower savings and/or pensions than expected are being forced to extend their careers even though the demand for their skills is diminishing. Where can these shoulder groups find opportunity?
  • Is the Family Business Still Relevant in our Fast Paced Global Economy? Over the next ten years thousands of family businesses will face retirements by owners who depend on those businesses to fund their senior years. All too often the next generation is not interested. What are the implications? Is the family business, long the key to opportunity for immigrants on its way out as market domination by large corporate entities increases?