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Josh Linkner

CEO, Entrepreneur & Innovation Speaker

ransforming Organizations Through Creativity, Leadership, and Breakthrough Growth

Josh helps organizations unlock new business value

Josh Linkner is a powerful choice for financial-services audiences navigating rapid change, rising client expectations, competitive pressure, and technological disruption. A New York Times bestselling author, serial tech entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and lifelong jazz guitarist, he brings a rare blend of creative thinking and disciplined execution that resonates deeply with advisors, wholesalers, leaders, and teams. His experience founding five tech companies, guiding major venture funds, and mentoring more than 100 high-growth startups gives him a practical, market-relevant perspective on innovation—one that fits perfectly with the demands of today’s wealth and financial-advice profession.

Leaders in financial services value Josh because he doesn’t just inspire teams—he equips them with a repeatable process for everyday innovation. His approach helps advisors differentiate their value, deepen client relationships, accelerate growth, and respond confidently to volatility and evolving expectations. Whether addressing leaders, top advisors, field teams, or national conferences, Josh translates innovation into clear, actionable steps that improve performance and fuel firmwide momentum.

Why book Josh Linkner

Helps advisors and leaders differentiate in a crowded market through creativity, relevance, and innovation.
Provides practical frameworks—especially his Find a Way™ mindset—to drive client acquisition, deepen relationships, and elevate daily performance.
Connects innovation to real-world financial-services challenges: disruption, compliance constraints, competition, commoditization, and rapid change.
Delivers a high-energy, engaging experience that inspires teams to think boldly and act decisively—even in uncertain markets.
Aligns with firm goals around growth, retention, culture transformation, and advisor development.

Why Financial Audiences Love Josh

Practical tools and frameworks advisors can use immediately
Research-backed strategies relevant to client acquisition, retention, and differentiation
Engaging stories from start-ups, venture investing, and global brands
Highly interactive delivery with “try-it-now” exercises for advisors

Innovation You Can Execute
Turning Uncertainty Into Opportunity
Creative Problem-Solving for Modern Advisors
High-Performance Mindset in a Complex Industry
Driving Growth Through Non-Linear Thinking
Future-Ready Leadership

OUTSTANDING. Every example resonated. We need to have you back. You nailed it. Exactly what we wanted.”
Richard Davis, CEO, US Bank.

“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.”
Vice President, Daimler Financial Services

Our entire team and our clients have thoroughly enjoyed your presentations and have taken so many great ideas away. Your feedback scores average 98% … from D.C. to Atlanta! We so appreciate the energy, enthusiasm, excellent content, and delivery you bring to each conference.”
Jeanne Gaudette, Marketing Manager, Fidelity Investments

“The speed of invention is threatening traditional products and services, already relegating some to history. No business can afford to pause for a moment from the headlong drive to meet new challenges. Josh reminds us that to reinvent the workplace we must continually reinvent ourselves as leaders.”
Deborah Hopkins, Chief Innovation Officer, Citibank

A Partial List of Financial Services Clients

State Farm
Sun Life
T. Rowe Price
UBS
US Bank
VISA
American Express
Bank of America
BMO Financial Group
CIBC
Citibank
Discover Financial Services
Edward Jones
Fidelity Investments
Pacific Life
PNC Financial Services
Rocket Mortgage

Demo Reel

Find A Way

Disciplined Dreaming

Big Little Breakthroughs: How Small, Everyday Innovations Drive Oversized Results

Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity

Travels From: Michigan
City: Detroit

$30,001 and Up

Biography

Josh Linkner is a New York Times bestselling author, serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and innovation expert whose career has been shaped by equal parts grit, creativity, and reinvention. Born and raised in Detroit, he grew up immersed in the city’s entrepreneurial hustle and musical soul—launching his first small business at age eleven and performing paid jazz gigs by thirteen. His early passion for music led him to study jazz performance at the Berklee College of Music before earning a degree in advertising from the University of Florida, developing a unique blend of artistic discipline, curiosity, and business instinct.

That fusion of creativity and strategy became the foundation for Linkner’s entrepreneurial career. He founded and led five technology companies that collectively created more than 10,000 jobs and generated over $200 million in exits. He later served as CEO of ePrize, scaling it into the world’s largest interactive promotions company, and as Managing Partner of Detroit Venture Partners, where he invested in and mentored over 100 startups focused on revitalizing Detroit’s innovation ecosystem. Today, Linkner continues his work as Managing Partner of Mudita Venture Partners and co-founder of Platypus Labs, bringing deep venture, leadership, and innovation expertise to organizations navigating rapid change.

As a thought leader, Linkner has written four bestselling books—Disciplined Dreaming, The Road to Reinvention, Hacking Innovation, and Big Little Breakthroughs—which have become widely used playbooks for unlocking creativity, driving transformation, and fostering everyday innovation. His insights have been featured in major publications including Forbes, Fast Company, and The Wall Street Journal, and his work has earned him recognition as a Champion of Change by President Barack Obama as well as two Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards.

A lifelong jazz guitarist with more than 1,000 performances, Linkner brings the improvisational mindset of music into the worlds of business, leadership, and innovation. His keynote presentations are known for their high energy, memorable storytelling, and immediately actionable tools. Whether advising top executives, inspiring large audiences, or helping teams embrace change, Josh Linkner empowers people and organizations to think boldly, innovate continuously, and “find a way” to win in times of complexity and opportunity.

Presentations

How advisor teams and leaders can outthink—not outspend—the competition using small, “everyday” innovations that improve productivity, differentiation, and the client experience. Josh shows that innovation isn’t reserved for tech giants or deep-pocketed firms—it’s a daily habit anyone can build. Through practical examples and simple frameworks, he demonstrates how small creative shifts can unlock meaningful results. Audiences leave with tools they can apply immediately.

A practical framework for navigating industry volatility, including regulatory shifts, technology disruption, investor psychology, and rapidly changing consumer expectations. Josh helps financial professionals see uncertainty not as a risk but as a catalyst for reinvention. He shares examples of organizations that turned disruption into competitive advantage. Attendees walk away with strategies to stay confident, proactive, and growth-focused in any market environment.

Simple, repeatable tools to break through bottlenecks, reimagine service and planning models, and craft fresh solutions for client acquisition and retention. Josh teaches advisors how to escape default thinking and open new pathways when traditional approaches stall. Drawing from entrepreneurship and jazz improvisation, he demonstrates how creativity can become a competitive edge. The result is smarter decisions, stronger client experiences, and more consistent growth.

Behavioral and cultural shifts that help financial-services teams adapt faster, collaborate more effectively, and consistently deliver above-market value. Josh reveals what high-performing teams do differently—how they think, communicate, and operate under pressure. He explores mindset habits that elevate productivity, resilience, and accountability across advisory and leadership groups. Participants leave with tools to strengthen focus and on-demand creativity.

How firms can innovate internal processes, client experiences, advisor workflows, and growth strategies—without additional budget or headcount. Josh shows how resourcefulness and creative experimentation open new possibilities inside existing constraints. He shares real-world examples of organizations that achieved big wins through unexpected, nontraditional approaches. This session empowers financial professionals to challenge assumptions and pursue breakthrough thinking.

How leaders can build cultures of experimentation, resilience, and strategic agility—critical capabilities in a world shaped by AI, demographic shifts, and rising client expectations. Josh outlines the traits of next-generation leadership and how to encourage innovation in highly regulated environments. He demonstrates how to empower teams to test, learn, and iterate with confidence. Leaders leave with a blueprint for building organizations that adapt—and thrive—amid accelerating change.

Areas of expertise

Everyday innovation and creative problem-solving
Leadership in times of disruption and rapid change
Entrepreneurial thinking inside large organizations
Business transformation and reinvention
Non-linear, resourceful growth strategies
High-performance team culture and mindset
Client experience innovation and differentiation
Navigating uncertainty with agility and confidence
Strategic creativity for competitive advantage
Future-ready leadership in an AI-driven world
Turning constraints into opportunities
Applying improvisation (from jazz performance) to business challenges

RO MORRISON & ASSOCIATES

A PERSONALIZED SPEAKERS BUREAU SERVING THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY

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