BIOGRAPHY
Josh Linkner – who started his career as a jazz guitarist – personifies innovation, entrepreneurship, and breakthrough disruption. He has been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which sold for a combined value of over $200 million.
Josh is a New York Times bestselling author, and an internationally recognised expert on innovation and applied creativity. His first book, Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity(2011), became one of the most definitive works on the topic of innovation, and has since been published in 13 languages.
His other two books, The Road to Reinvention: How to Drive Disruption and Accelerate Transformation (2014), and Hacking Innovation: The New Growth Model from the Sinister World of Hackers (2017), have both received critical acclaim and have pushed the boundaries of business leaders worldwide.
Josh is also the Founding Partner of Detroit Venture Partners, investing in and/or mentoring over 100 startups. Today he serves as Chairman and co-founder of Platypus Labs, an innovation research, enablement and consulting firm.
Josh has twice been named the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year and is a President Barack Obama Champion of Change award recipient. He is a regular columnist for Forbes, The Detroit Free Press, and Inc. His work on innovation has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, CNN, and The New York Times.
JOSH’S TALKS
Josh has been at the forefront of innovation for years, and has built a global reputation for his powerful speeches that inspire audiences to become game-changing disruptors themselves.
His key speaking themes include:
FIND YOUR SPARK: INSPIRING DISRUPTION, GROWTH, AND ACTION
HARNESSING INNOVATION: TURNING RAW IDEAS INTO POWERFUL RESULTS
THE GRAVITY-DEFYING LEADER: INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO HYPER-GROWTH LEADERSHIP
ENTREPRENEURIAL FIRE: THINK AND ACT LIKE A STARTUP (EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT)
HACKING INNOVATION: THE NEW BUSINESS GROWTH MODEL FROM THE SINISTER WORLD OF HACKERS
THE MUSIC OF BUSINESS: TRANSLATING IMPROVISATIONAL THINKING FROM THE JAZZ STAGE TO THE BUSINESS WORLD
TESTIMONIALS
“When Josh speaks, business improves.”
— Earvin “Magic” Johnson
“Thank you a million times over—you nailed it with the presentation yesterday and it was spot on for our team! You sparked so many follow-on discussions yesterday and were a continued theme throughout our meeting—people are already brainstorming great new ideas about how to implement small innovations and use your tips to break down barriers on our teams.”
— Melissa Fillpek, Director Public Affairs, American Express
“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 Twells, Assoc. Vice President Customer Marketing, The Coca-Cola Company
“Josh Linkner is a truly special entrepreneur; Part of a rare breed.”
— Eric Lefkosfsky, CEO, Groupon
“Josh, Thanks for a simply magnificent job yesterday with our Cox Automotive leadership team. You hit it outta the park. Folks were still talking about you last night. This was dynamic for all.”
— Sandy Schwartz, CEO, Cox Automotive
“Josh, you were fantastic and an absolute delight to work with. Wow – what can I say except a huge THANK YOU. Your presentation was so excellent and a wonderful way to kick off our Annual Meeting. I heard so many of our members making reference to your presentation throughout the Meeting. And, signing books for two hours was a true testimonial to how well your presentation resonated with our members. Plus, you were a pure delight to work with . . . very low maintenance.”
— Anne Blouin, Chief Learning Officer, ASAE
“A journey that will lead to better ideas and breakthrough thinking.”
— Bill Ford, Jr., Executive Chairman, Ford Motor Company
“OUTSTANDING. Every example resonated. We need to have you back. You nailed it. Exactly what we wanted.”
— Richard Davis, CEO, US Bank