Rebecca D. Costa

Author of The Watchman's Rattle: Thinking Our Way Out of Extinction

Rebecca Costa is a sociobiologist whose unique expertise is to spot and explain emerging trends in relationship to human evolution, global markets, and new technologies.  A thought-leader and provocative new voice in the mold of Jared Diamond, Thomas Friedman and Malcolm Galdwell, Costa is part biologist, psychologist and entrepreneur, whose insights result from examining the “big picture.” Her successful career identifying global trends, combined with her keen ability to perceive the unifying concept within diverse and interrelated fields, uniquely qualify her to present a multi-disciplinarian approach to complex, systemic issues affecting our world today. 

A riveting and engaging speaker, Costa is a sought-after presenter and welcomed guest on panels whose topics range from economic trends and pop culture, to education and environmental policy.  Acting as a bridge between science and society, Costa has a unique understanding of sociobiology and the ability to translate highly technical information into language the man on the street can appreciate.

Retiring at the zenith of her acclaimed career, Costa spent five years researching and writing The Watchman’s Rattle: Thinking Our Way Out of Extinction.  In her new book, she explains how the principles governing evolution cause, and provide the solution for, global gridlock. When asked why the book has special significance in today’s turbulent marketplace, Costa said, “Every person I know, rich or poor, educated or not, wants to know why our government gets more in debt, our air and water more polluted, our jails more crowded, our security more tenuous, our children more violent.  The Watchman’s Rattle: Thinking Our Way Out of Extinction gives equal weight to the big and small picture and prescribes a way out of the mess.”  

A former CEO and founder of Silicon Valley start-up, Dazai Advertising, Inc. (sold to J. Walter Thompson in 1997), Costa has a proven track record of introducing new technologies for over three decades.  Her clients have included industry giants such as Apple Computer, Hewlett-Packard, Oracle Corporation, Borland, 3M, Amdahl, Seibel Systems and General Electric Corporation.

Costa is also known for marketing the world’s first computer-aided design (CAD) systems, first enterprise computer networks, and first low-cost multimedia semiconductors which led to an explosion of new cellular phone technologies.  She also pioneered the early markets for optical disk storage, internet-based marketing, electronic engineering records retrieval, wireless keyboards, digital scanners, just-in-time inventory and a host of other pivotal innovations universally accepted around the world today.   

Raised in Tokyo, Japan, Costa lived during the Vietnam conflict in Vientiane, Laos, where her father worked in covert CIA operations.  She attributes her natural ability to spot global patterns to a cross-cultural education and upbringing.   She graduated from The University of California, Santa Barbara with a BA in Social Sciences and earned her master’s degree from Santa Clara University. 

Rebecca Costa lives on the central coast of California. The Watchman’s Rattle: Thinking Our Way Out of Extinction is her first book. For more information, please visit www.rebeccacosta.com.