Josh Linkner (who started his career as a jazz guitarist) personifies creativity, entrepreneurship and disruptive innovation. He has been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which sold for a combined value of over $200 million.
Josh is the author of five books, two New York Times bestsellers: Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity, and The Road to Reinvention: How to Drive Disruption and Accelerate Transformation, as well as his latest book, Hacking Innovation. He is also the Founding Partner of Detroit Venture Partners, investing in and mentoring over 100 startups. His latest book is Big Little Breakthroughs: How Small, Everyday Innovations Drive Oversized Results.
Josh has twice been named the Ernst & Young 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. Magazine. His work on innovation has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, CNN, and The New York Times. And yes, he still plays a mean jazz guitar.
Josh Linkner brings a unique and diverse set of experiences to any project, and helps organizations drive creativity, innovation, and performance. He ignites immediate and profound results and will show how to unleash hidden creativity and fresh thinking in every setting – from weekly staff meetings to major innovation sessions to new product breakthroughs. Organizations learn to tap into a deep well of inspiration and new ideas — any one of which lead to dramatic outcomes to leadership, innovation and performance. People come alive as they engage their curiosity and wonder – what seemed ordinary becomes an opportunity for new discoveries.
Deeply passionate about his hometown, Josh is playing a key role in the much-publicized turnaround of Detroit, Michigan. A multi-generational Detroiter, he is working on the front lines to reinvent his troubled city.
“Josh, thank you again for presenting today at the CMO Summit. You were fabulous and we have received wonderful feedback!”
“Josh Linkner made a huge impact on our organization. His message on creativity and innovation was spot-on and his work has had a lasting effect. After hiring him for one conference where he was voted the top speaker by far, we promptly invited him back to present to a larger audience. His keynote was high-energy, interactive, and left us with specific tools and techniques to improve our creative output.”
“Josh has unmatched ability to embrace innovation. At his repeated visits to Viacom, Josh has consistently offered the strategic ideas and practical techniques necessary to drive creative thinking.”
“Josh, everyone had nothing but great things to say about your presentation. You did a wonderful job at entertaining and enlightening the crowd with your message. Thank you so much!”