Hi, I'm Josh.
I'm a tech entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and jazz guitarist who's managed to write five bestselling books on innovation and creativity.
I've spent my career at the intersection of business, art, science, and building things from scratch.
But I didn't start there.
NYT
Tech Entrepreneur
Venture Capital
Jazz Guitarist
EY
US Presidential Champion
I grew up in a single-parent household in Detroit, filled with self-doubt and insecurity. I always felt a little weird, constantly questioning the way things were (I still do). Without a clear path forward, I had to make my own—starting an illegal fireworks business at 11, playing my first paid jazz gig in a smoky club at 13, and figuring things out as I went. I've had my share of setbacks, failures, and face-plants along the way.
To get from there to here, I had to rely on ingenuity, creativity, agility, and reading between the lines—attributes that we all have as human beings.
I don’t have superhuman grit or unusual talent. Instead, I developed a learnable system for unlocking creative capacity, one I've been refining for over 30 years.
Like you, I’m still
Finding A Way...
Today, I help leaders and organizations build that same capability: the creative capacity to navigate uncertainty, make faster decisions, and build cultures where innovation isn't a department—it's how everyone works.
What
Drives Me.
Everything I've built—every company, every book, every song, every investment—came from the same place: developing ingenuity and creativity as daily practices.
These aren't gifts I was born with. They're skills I built. And they're skills anyone can build. That's why it bothers me when someone says, "I'm just not creative." Or when a company assumes their culture isn't wired for innovation. It's simply not true. Creative capacity is in there—it just needs to be unlocked. Helping people and organizations discover that is the work I find most meaningful.
Outside of the professional milestones, I'm most proud of continuing to grow as a collaborator, a husband, and a father of four. I'm still a work in progress, and expect I always will be.
These days, I split my time between a few ventures.
As Managing Partner of Mudita Venture Partners, I invest in early-stage, AI-first software companies building the future of how we work, learn, and live.
As Chairman of Platypus Labs, I help some of the world's largest brands build cultures of innovation—where creative problem-solving becomes everyone's job, not just the "creative" team's.
I also deliver around 80 keynotes a year and do my best to keep my jazz guitar chops one step ahead of rusty.
Most importantly, I try to be present for my wife Tia, our four kids (Noah, Chloe, Avi, and Tallia), and our 3.5-pound Yorkie, DaVinci. It's a full life—and I'm grateful for every bit of it.
I realize how fortunate I am to have found my way.
My Core
Beliefs.
A few guiding principles have shaped how I work and live.
Give generously, don't keep score.
I believe in abundance. Helping others provides its own reward, and it feels better to walk around life seeking to give instead of get.
Smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy.
Life is too short for drama and friction. I try to be easy to work with in every interaction. To me, kindness, compassion, and low-maintenance collaboration are a feature, not a bug.
Play jazz, not classical.
After 40 years as a jazz guitarist, improvisation is in my bones. I stay open to fresh thinking, adapt to changing conditions in real time, and would rather create something new than repeat old formulas.
Reach for Eleven.
In business, relationships, and impact—I'm always trying to push past previous limits. On a scale of one to ten, I strive for eleven.
Find A Way.
I deeply believe that every problem is figureoutable. Instead of looking at obstacles as insurmountable, I try to use inventive thinking and creative problem solving to break through barriers and seize opportunities. From the big stuff to the small, there’s always a way… let’s take the initiative and find it.
Let's Find A Way Together.
Keynotes + Workshops
Curated keynotes and hands-on workshops that give leaders and teams practical tools for creative problem-solving, navigating uncertainty, and building cultures of everyday innovation.
Innovation Labs
Platypus Labs helps organizations build innovation into the way they operate—unlocking creative capacity at every level through research, training, and consulting.
Start-up Studio
Mudita Venture Partners backs early-stage founders building the future of how we work, learn, and live. We take a people-first approach—because great companies start with great people.