Embrace change, disruption, and ultimately transformation with a breakthrough mindset and bold frameworks for innovation and creativity from retail keynote speaker Josh Linkner
Key trends and opportunities that Josh helps Omnichannel Retail leaders navigate
Josh brings deep experience in multichannel retail, spanning a 30+ year career at the forefront of technology, marketing, and merchandising. From advising early e-tail pioneers like Bluefly and Zappos to helping significant brands like the Gap, Target, and BestBuy enter the digital arena, Josh has helped multichannel retailers and market leaders, including Verizon, CVS, Home Depot, HyVee, and Staples, embrace change, disruption, and ultimately transformation.
Sustainability and Eco-Conscious Shopping
As awareness about climate change grows, so does the consumer's preference for sustainability.
It's becoming clear that eco-friendly products are not just better for the planet—they're also better for business. Companies that prioritize green practices are not only meeting customer expectations but are also setting a new standard for the industry. Sustainability is no longer an option; it's a necessity.
The Blending of Digital and Physical Retail
The future of shopping experiences will seamlessly transition from online browsing to in-store purchasing and back. It's an innovation playground where digital prowess meets physical authenticity, crafting a narrative where every customer journey is unique, personalized, and, most importantly, memorable.
AI and Machine Learning
We're on the cusp of a retail revolution, powered by AI and machine learning.
This isn't just about algorithms and data; it's about crafting stories from insights, predicting the needs of every customer, and personalizing their journey. It's a blend of art and science where predictive analytics meet creative problem-solving, opening a realm of possibilities for both retailers and consumers.
Operational Agility
In the fast-paced multi-channel retail arena, operational agility is the linchpin of success.
It's the ability to dance in the rain rather than waiting for the storm to pass, embracing change, and turning challenges into opportunities. Brands that master this ballet of flexibility and innovation not only thrive but set new benchmarks, proving that agility is not just an operational strategy but a growth catalyst.
Owned Channels and Audiences
By focusing on direct relationships with customers, businesses can control the narrative and build stronger, more personal connections. This direct approach not only enhances customer loyalty but also drives better business outcomes.
You were amazing this morning!
I heard so many positive comments from customers that it was interesting, inspiring and they found some practical things they could use. Plus, you incorporated our industry and audience so well! Great job!!! You rocked it.
Michael McGarry
CEO, Transitions Optical
Hi Josh. I just wanted to reach out and tell you how much I enjoyed working with you and your team in preparation for our event.
Our members really enjoyed what you had to say and the inspirational manner in which you expressed yourself. I was standing in the back during your keynote, and one of our long-time members who often facilitates for us, turned and gave me a thumbs up, whispering “He’s gooooood.”
Klein Merriman
Executive Director, Association for Retail Environments
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.
Leanne Logan
Principal Global Digital Marketing, FedEx
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.
Josh brings deep experience in multi-channel retailing, spanning a 30+ year career at the forefront of technology, marketing, and merchandising. From advising early e-tail pioneers like Bluefly and and Zappos to helping major brands like the Gap, Target, and BestBuy enter the digital arena, Josh has helped multichannel retailers embrace change, disruption, and ultimately transformation. He’s spoken to a who’s who of market leaders including Verizon, CVS, the Home Depot, HyVee and Staples.
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 Omnichannel Retail 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.