Josh Linkner – Creative Troublemaker & Entrepreneur

Five-time tech entrepreneur, hyper-growth CEO, New York Times bestselling author, venture capitalist, professional jazz guitarist, host of Creative Troublemakers Podcast, and keynote speaker on a mission to drive creativity, innovation, and reinvention.

Josh Linkneris a Creative Troublemaker.

He has been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which sold for a combined value of over $200 million. He’s an internationally recognized expert on innovation and is the author of four books on the subject including the New York Times Bestsellers, Disciplined Dreaming and The Road to Reinvention.

Josh is passionate about starting and building companies.

He’s the co-founder and Managing Partner of Muditā Venture Partners – an early-stage venture capital firm – and was previously the CEO and founding partner of Detroit VenturePartners.

Over the last 30 years, he’s helped over 100 startups launch and scale.Today, Josh serves as Chairman and co-founder of Platypus Labs, an innovation research, training, and consulting firm.

He has twice been named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and is a recipient of the United States Presidential Champion of Change Award.

SPEAKING TOPICS

BIG LITTLE BREAKTHROUGHS

How small, everyday ideas drive gigantic results

The pressure to generate big ideas can feel overwhelming.

We know that bold innovations are critical in these disruptive and competitive times, but when it comes to breakthrough thinking, we often freeze up.

Instead of shooting for a $10 billion IPO or a Nobel Prize, the most prolific innovators focus instead onBig Little Breakthroughs–small, creative acts that unlock massive rewards over time.

By building a daily habit of creativity, leaders and organizations not only enjoy a high volume of small wins, but also the daily practice of micro-innovations —the fastest route to discover the massive breakthroughs we seek.

How did a convicted drug dealer use a Big Little Breakthrough to launch and scale a massively successful fitness company?

Why was a nurse practitioner able to use daily micro-innovations to solve healthcare problems that the biggest corporations couldn’t crack?

How did a tattoo lead to a 30% boost in performance for a publicly traded restaurant company?

Big Little Breakthroughs isn’t just for propeller-head inventors, fancy pants CEOs, or hoodie-donning tech billionaires.

Rather, it is a simple yet effective method for all of us to cultivate the power of human creativity.

Focusing on a simple and deliberate approach to daily practice, the system enables people from all backgrounds, training, and walks of life to expand their creative skillset and mindset.

It helps everyday individuals and leaders unlock inventive thinking and harness innovation to tackle tough challenges and seize bold opportunities.

The Big Little Breakthroughs framework provides a specific and practical approach to unlocking dormant creative capacity.

Instead of wild, risky and expensive moonshots, participants learn to unleash small, daily creative acts to drive gigantic results over time.

In fact, cultivating high volumes of micro-innovations not only de-risks the creative process, it builds the much-needed skills that lead to colossal transformations…and the creative confidence to take responsible risks.

FIND A WAY

Expand creative problem solving to tackle the challenges of COVID-19In these uncertain times, we can no longer rely on the models of the past and expect the same results.

How can we confront the new realities of the COVID-19 era and emerge stronger and better equipped?

Creative problem solving has long been the core ingredient in overcoming adversity and seizing new opportunities.

In this inspiring keynote, famed tech entrepreneur and New York Times bestselling author Josh Linkner explores the realities, challenges, and opportunities created by COVID-19 and delivers an inspiring path forward. Participants will learn specific techniques and leave both energized and better equipped to conquer challenges and seize possibilities.

How can leaders bounce back and recover after facing painful setbacks?

How can creative resilience be harnessed to conquer adversity?

How can we rewrite the rules after a massive sea change like the coronavirus?In this high-energy session, participants will see how creative problem solving can become their most powerful resource.

They’ll uncover practical tools to unlock inventive thinking and win even against daunting odds and unprecedented challenges.

THE CREATIVITY UPGRADE

Lead your team to the next level of innovation, growth, and sustainable successOn a regular basis, we upgrade our cars, software, and wardrobe.

But when was the last time you upgraded your imagination?

Isn’t it about time to give your team a boost of inventive thinking, creative problem solving, and everyday innovation to drive better outcomes?

From your upgrade, you will:In this inspiring keynote, Josh will help your team grow, as both business leaders and as people.

Your audience will learn to solve problems in creative, non-traditional ways and expand their creative capacity to drive growth and sustainable success.

Your group will laugh hysterically, feel thoroughly energized, get deeply inspired, and leave better equipped. Now that’s an upgrade that’s simply irresistible.

1. Learn and understand the mindsets of innovators
2. Graspthe need for –and urgency –of change
3. Become inspired to act and forge a new path
4. Acquirespecific techniques for creative problem solving
5. Leveragehuman imagination to outpunch the competition
6. Understandhow and where to use inventive thinking to fuel growth
7. Discoverfresh possibilities with heightened level of creative awareness
8. Recognizethat we are all creative, and that everyday innovation is accessible for every role and job function
9. Demystifythe creative process
10. Emergewith specific tools to close the Creativity Gap to achieve full potential
11. Launch a new version of you –as a powerful creative

THE 5 MINDSETS OF INNOVATION

How the world’s most innovative leaders think and act.

Having interviewed hundreds of top innovators, leaders and organizations around the world, New York

Times bestselling author and tech entrepreneur Josh Linkner uncovered the five most powerful mindsets that are the building blocks for jaw-dropping innovation. In this high-energy keynote, your audience will learn to embrace these powerful approaches in order to conquer adversity and fuel growth.

How did an oddball idea save the cattle industry over $1 billion?

How did a large hotel chain create a new revenue stream and drive competitive differentiation without investing a penny?

How did the leaders of a small organization stave off a near-certain extinction, even when they were overwhelmingly outmatched by a powerful enemy?

Each mindset is reinforced through surprising, real-world examples, laugh out loud moments, and practical takeaways.

The five mindsets are portable and can be applied immediately to any role, job function, or industry.

This memorable session will leave your audience inspired, moved, and better equipped.

WHAT CLIENTS SAY

Josh, as always you are amazing. It is quite obvious that you took the time to prepare to bring everything you have. Thank you for your coaching and support throughout. I am sending you so much gratitude. You amaze me…always!

Kathy Vice President, The Coca-Cola Company

When Josh speaks, business improves.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson

Linkner hit the ball out of the park!

Marco, Vice President, ABC Television

We truly appreciate how your keynote talk set the stage for the day and inspired the audience with innovative ideas, empowered them with the knowledge we can all be creative, and how you customized your session so we all felt that you knew FedEx intimately and were talking directly to us. Great job! Really enjoyed it.

Leanne, FedEx