Foster a culture of innovation and ongoing reinvention with bold frameworks for navigating volatile markets from CPG & Direct-to-Customer speaker Josh Linkner.
Key trends and opportunities that Josh helps CPG & Direct-to-Customer leaders navigate
As a pioneer of digital and data-driven marketing, Josh has extensive experience in the CPG field, dating back 25 years. He led groundbreaking digital marketing campaigns for industry titans such as The Coca-Cola Company, Conagra Foods, P&G, General Mills, and Kimberly-Clark. He has worked with senior CPG leaders to foster a culture of innovation and ongoing reinvention. For leaders in the CPG industry, Josh offers bold frameworks for navigating volatile markets.
Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Growth
In an era where traditional business models are being questioned, the surge in Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) platforms stands out as a testament to innovation.
Companies like PepsiCo and Heinz are leading the charge, demonstrating that by eliminating intermediaries, brands can not only enhance their margin but also forge deeper connections with their consumers. This approach challenges the status quo, encouraging companies to rethink how they deliver value.
Emergence of Challenger Brands
The rise of new DTC brands is a fascinating study in agility and disruption.
Brands like Dollar Shave Club have flipped the script, proving that with a clear value proposition and direct engagement, smaller players can outmaneuver established giants. This trend underscores the importance of adaptability in the modern marketplace, where being nimble can often outweigh the advantages of size and scale.
Private Label Expansion
Retail giants like Amazon and Walmart are not just retailers but are becoming influential brand creators. This move highlights a broader trend in the market where control over the end-to-end process enables companies to better meet consumer demands while enhancing profitability.
Omnichannel Shopping Experiences
By creating seamless transitions between online and offline channels, brands are acknowledging and adapting to the fluid nature of modern consumer journeys. This trend is a call to action for organizations to become more consumer-centric, recognizing that the path to purchase is no longer linear but a multi-dimensional web of interactions.
Generative AI in CPG
From product development to personalized marketing, AI's potential to understand and anticipate consumer needs in real-time is groundbreaking. This trend is a powerful reminder of the ongoing digital transformation, pushing companies to rethink how technology can be harnessed to deliver more personalized, engaging consumer experiences.
Josh Linkner helps organizations discover and exploit their strengths in a changing business world.
He clearly shows how to reignite innovation and unlock new business value such as speed, agility, persistence, and
partnership."
Alan Boehme
Chief Innovation Officer and Global CTO, The Coca-Cola Company
It was quite literally one of the most motivating and thought-provoking two hours of my professional career.
Robert Cunningham
Vice President, Heineken
Hi, I'm Josh.
Josh Linkner — a New York Times bestselling author — is a rare blend of business, art, and science.
On the business front, he’s been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which created over 10,000 jobs and sold for a combined value of over $200 million.
He’s the co-founder and Managing Partner of Muditā Venture Partners - an early-stage venture capital firm investing in groundbreaking technologies.
Over the last 30 years, he’s helped over 100 startups launch and scale, creating over $1 billion in investor returns. He’s twice been named the EY Entrepreneur of The Year and is the recipient of the United States Presidential Champion of Change Award.
As a pioneer of digital and data-driven marketing, Josh has extensive experience in the CPG & Direct-to-Customer field dating back 25 years. He led groundbreaking digital marketing campaigns for industry titans such as The Coca-Cola Company, Conagra Foods, P&G, General Mills, and Kimberly-Clark and has worked with senior CPG leaders to foster a culture of innovation and ongoing reinvention.
While proud of his business success, his roots are in the dangerous world of jazz music. He’s been playing guitar in smoky jazz clubs for 40 years, studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, and has performed over 1000 concerts around the world.
His experiences in both business and music led him to become one of the world’s foremost experts on innovation. Josh is the co-founder and Chairman of Platypus Labs, a global research, training, and consulting firm.
Today, he’s on a mission to help leaders Find A Way™ through creative problem-solving, inventive thinking, and ingenuity.
Keynote Topics
+ Outcomes
Find A WayTM
Every problem can be solved, and every opportunity can be seized. Through a proven innovative framework, you'll discover new paths to explosive growth, competitive advantage, and sustainable results.
Expand organization-wide capability for creative problem-solving and inventive thinking.
Big Little BreakthroughsTM
Instead of high-risk moonshots, the most innovative leaders cultivate a high volume of ‘micro-innovations’ and build a culture of everyday innovation.
Gain the tools to become an everyday innovator.
The Music of Business
What business leaders can learn about agility, collaboration, creativity, and performance under pressure from the mysterious world of jazz.
Inject artistry and agility into your business through an unforgettable, interactive experience.
*Please note this topic requires additional talent + gear. Accordingly, additional costs apply.
The Innovative Leader
Become an unstoppable force by unlocking your and your team's ingenuity, gaining confidence, and boosting results in times of dramatic uncertainty and disruption.
Elevate your capacity to lead and win in volatile times.
Disciplined DreamingTM
A proven system for driving breakthrough creativity. Learn how to balance raw imagination with business rigor to achieve profound and predictable results.
Boost creativity and rigor simultaneously to achieve better outcomes.
Rethink. Reboot.
Reinvent.
The business you’ll be running in five years will be dramatically different than today. Unlock the definitive playbook on reinvention, relevancy, and sustainable success.
Gain the confidence to venture into the unknown and thrive, no matter what the future brings.
Innovation in the Age of AI
A modern framework to unlock sustained profitable growth at the intersection of technology and human creativity.
Josh shows you how the path forward involves integrating human creativity with artificial intelligence to thrive amidst uncertainty, rapid change, and disruption.
For CPG & Direct-to-Customer Meeting Professionals
5 Ways Josh Turns Your Event Up To "11"
Sparks a mindset & movement.
His authentic, relatable, research-backed content - with real-world case studies and a high-energy delivery - will inspire your audience to uncover and activate new opportunities every day.
Moves your team into action.
Your audience will not only be energized, motivated, and inspired, they’ll become better equipped with specific tools, frameworks, and techniques to drive meaningful results in the months and years ahead.
Handcrafted, not canned.
Josh takes the time to listen deeply before custom-building a keynote experience just for you. This ensures that every minute is on-point, relevant, and targeted to your unique challenges and opportunities.
Real and accessible.
Josh applies Find A Way™ principles in his everyday work as a leader, venture capitalist, musician, and author. Leaders inspired by his keynote often reach out to him for help finding a way in their everyday work.
Impact - 11, Drama - 0.
Coming from a place of humility and service, Josh believes that a great keynote is about the audience, not the speaker. Meeting professionals often call Josh one of the best keynote speakers to work with.