Kaihan Krippendorff

Speaking topics

Presentations listed below include in-person and virtual keynotes, as well as workshops, fireside chats, and other presentation formats.

• Outthink the Competition: Proven Tools and Future-Ready Insights to Win the Future

  We live in an accelerated age of technology, disruption, volatility, and uncertainty. It demands that we lead our teams and organizations in radically new ways. Success depends not only on our own ability to think and act strategically, but on our ability to enable our team to think boldly, think differently, share ideas, and act.

  Next-era leaders and teams need practical tools, structures, and frameworks that liberate them to achieve better business outcomes and problem-solve using AI, technology, contextual knowledge, and their own human creativity. Companies that activate this Outthinker mindset are proven to be six times more likely to recruit and retain top talent and three times more likely to outperform financially — faster revenue growth, higher profit margins, greater business value.

  In this keynote, top 20 globally recognized management thinker, bestselling author, podcast host, and Founder of Outthinker, Kaihan Krippendorff helps audiences “Outthink the Competition” with his proven five-step framework and toolset that can be applied immediately to move to the next level of success.

  Audiences will leave with:

  • Insights into emerging strategic technology, trends, and approaches being used by top companies leading their markets.
  • The Outthinker IDEAS process: A proven framework for strategic thinking and driving growth that reduces risk and creates optionality.
  • Actionable strategies for future readiness.
  • Clarity, confidence, and energy to move forward.

• Unleashing Agile

  In a world marked by accelerated change, disruption, and volatility, leaders must be able to rapidly observe, analyze, and connect information to seize opportunity and defend against possible threats to their business. Mental agility and agile adaptation are now a non-negotiable part of the business skillset.

  In this interactive and practical keynote, globally recognized strategy expert and bestselling author Kaihan Krippendorff shares a proven framework and tools for unleashing agile problem solving and strategic thinking in everyday work. Inspiring stories handpicked for your event bring to life a playbook of the top five strategies being used today by agile disruptors to beat the competition.

  Make agility a part of your organizational DNA so you can respond faster to change, seamlessly shift focus to the right priority for now, efficiently build and sustain momentum, and boost resilience that endures beyond any single initiative.

  Audiences will leave with:

  • A framework for agile thinking and analysis that can be used by anyone in any role.
  • Increased ability to connect seemingly unrelated information to recognize opportunities and potential risks.
  • A playbook of the top five strategies used by agile disruptors today to beat the competition.
  • A boost of energy and confidence to tackle their work.

• Proximity Revolution: Leading Beyond Disruption

  In a world of constant disruption, technological change, and megatrend turbulence, how do we transform the way we lead and work? How do we see through the noise and make sense of what is important to our business?

  The answer is proximity — a simple yet powerful idea that helps leaders turn chaos into clarity.

  Based on the groundbreaking new bestselling book, Proximity, which was hailed by Malcolm Gladwell’s Next Big Idea Club as a must-read and Thinkers50 as one of the most important new ideas in business this year, Kaihan Krippendorff guides audiences on a journey of understanding to make sense of disruptors like artificial intelligence, machine learning, IoT, data proliferation, renewable energy, virtual reality, quantum computing, 3D printing, and new ways of working.

  This high-impact keynote arms leaders with a proximity roadmap to navigate the future with a fresh mindset and the practical tools they need to take bold action and thrive.

  Audiences will learn:

  • How to understand the business impact of megatrends and disruptors like generative AI, 3D printing, precision agriculture, dark factories, and renewable energy — and how to harness them for growth and resiliency.
  • How to build a proximity roadmap — three steps to winning the future.
  • How to prepare their organization and people with the mindsets needed to lead through change.
  • How to map out where to rethink growth plans, innovation and investments, operations, and customer expectations.

• Driving Innovation from Within: Drive Growth, Agility, and Resilience by Turning Employees Into Intrapreneurs

  In our accelerated world of technology and disruption, the benefits of turning employees into innovators are well documented. Companies that treat their people as “intrapreneurs” are building a competitive advantage that infuses innovation, adaptability, and future-readiness into their DNA.

  Kaihan Krippendorff’s research debunks the story of the disruptive startup and shows that 70% of society’s most transformative innovations were conceived within large established organizations. Active intrapreneur networks are three times more likely to be in the top quintile of financial performance and enjoy a six-times advantage in their ability to recruit and retain top talent.

  In this high-impact keynote, top-20-ranked innovation expert, podcast host, and founder of Outthinker Krippendorff shows how leaders can build capacity for enterprise-wide transformation and smart innovation. Using his proven IN-OVATE framework, Krippendorff offers a playbook for intrapreneurs to navigate barriers, overcome resistance, and take the initiative to drive transformation without quitting their job.

  Audience takeaways include:

  • The IN-OVATE framework: Proven tools to identify and overcome the seven blockers of innovation.
  • Five mindsets and habits of successful intrapreneurs.
  • How to take “smart risks” and test ideas within the context of a large organization with resource and time constraints.
  • How to lead and create organizational support structures that encourage innovation.
  • Inspiration, energy, and intent to innovate even if “innovation” is not a part of their title.

• Be the Disruptor, Not the Disrupted

  We are experiencing a historic acceleration in the pace of change in our world. Artificial intelligence, digitization, robotics, 3D printing, climate change, political instability, deglobalization, and the rise of purpose-driven enterprises are reconfiguring how every conceivable industry operates. These changes are dividing us into two camps: the “disruptors” and the “disrupted”.

  Kaihan Krippendorff, Founder of Outthinker, author, and podcast host has spent decades studying patterns of disruption. Thinkers50 and Global Gurus have recognized him as a top 20 management thinker globally for his strategic analysis of why some companies thrive and others fall behind, and the emerging approaches companies can use to create competitive advantage and transform continually.

  Don’t underestimate the cost of standing still. Choose to be the disruptor with this engaging and practical keynote. Learn a proven design-thinking process to spark disruptive ideas and drive immediate results. Through entertaining stories of innovation — both successes and failures — audiences will leave inspired and armed with actionable tactics they can use right away.

  Audiences will leave with:

  • A framework for agile thinking and analysis that can be applied to any situation.
  • An understanding of emerging trends and disruptors shaping the future of their industry and competitive ecosystem.
  • A proven framework to generate and evaluate strategic options and innovations.
  • The Outthinker playbook: The top five strategies being used by disruptors today.
  • A tool to avoid killing off “crazy” (valuable) ideas and turn them into winning moves.

• Outside-In Strategy: Expanding Your Strategic Aperture

  The greatest competitive threats — and the boldest growth opportunities — rarely come from your industry peers. They increasingly come from unexpected players applying ideas, new business models, and technologies outside of your industry.

  Leaders excelling in today’s fast-moving world broaden their aperture, scanning across industries for patterns and practices that can be adapted to reduce their risk of disruption, cover blindspots, create efficiency, and unlock new growth. They use Outside-In strategy.

  Give your team a booster shot of Outside-In strategic thinking with author, podcast host, and Founder of Outthinker, Kaihan Krippendorff. Drawing from decades of tracking and analysis of outperformers and 500+ annual conversations with CXOs from across industries, Krippendorff will guide your team through a curated selection of strategic approaches, business models, and mindsets from outside your industry — the very ideas reshaping the global business landscape — to help you mitigate risk, solve problems, drive growth, and unlock efficiencies that impact your top and bottom line. Put Outside-In thinking into action with a proven process, tools, and frameworks developed with practitioners in mind.

  Audiences will leave with:

  • A sharper ability to see around corners, reduce risk, and cover blind spots.
  • Fresh insights into business models and strategies succeeding in other industries.
  • A proven and repeatable framework and tools to develop, prioritize, and begin testing a portfolio of Outside-In options.
  • A broader, more powerful strategic aperture for driving both growth and resilience.

• Outlead the Competition: Mindsets and Leadership for the Next-Era

  Today’s business environment rewards leaders who can think strategically, act with agility, and inspire their people to do the same. While many organizations focus on technology and innovation, the real differentiator is leadership — the ability to align, empower, and mobilize teams to act decisively amid uncertainty.

  In this high-impact keynote, author, podcaster, and Founder of Outthinker Kaihan Krippendorff shares how the most forward-thinking companies are developing leaders who continuously learn, adapt, and outlead the competition. This inspiring talk crafted just for your audience draws insights from across Krippendorff’s bestselling books (including Outthink the Competition, Driving, Innovation from Within, and Proximity), latest Harvard Business Review articles, and new research.

  Audience takeaways include:

  • An understanding of how leadership mindsets are evolving for next-era high-performing organizations.
  • A framework for leading through ambiguity, unlocking team potential, and translating strategy into action.
  • Spark leadership at all levels of the organization that drive better business outcomes.

  Audiences will leave energized and equipped to foster a culture of accountability, empowerment, and growth.

• Winning with AI, Technology, and People: Leading in the Age of Intelligent Systems

  Artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping every industry, redefining how we work, make decisions, and compete. Yet amid all the hype around data, platforms, and algorithms, one truth remains: people are the differentiator. From the boardroom to the front line, success in this new era depends on our ability to integrate technology’s power with human creativity, intuition, and strategic thinking.

  In this forward-looking keynote, globally recognized business thinker, podcaster, and author Kaihan Krippendorff, offers insights and proven tools that you can use to make sense of AI and emerging technologies from both a top management perspective and a personal, day-to-day lens.

  Audiences will leave with:

  • An understanding of how AI, data, and automation are transforming their own business.
  • A proven framework and tools that leverage and pull the best from both people and technology.
  • A sense of agency and mindset of urgency/desire to accelerate use of AI and technology in their work.
  • Insights for how to build teams and cultures that use technology to create efficiency and better business outcomes.

• 2026 Trends, Tech, and Forces: Threats and Opportunities Defining the Year Ahead

  Change is and will always be the only constant in business. As the pace of change accelerates more each day, businesses need to look ahead and create options to ensure their survival. Leaders must monitor and embrace AI, APIs automation, platform thinking, and intelligent predictive data systems while simultaneously managing regulatory shifts, global uncertainty, talent transformations, and sustainability imperatives.

  In this keynote, futurist Kaihan Krippendorff outlines the critical trends, technologies, and strategic opportunities that will mark the coming years of business. Drawing on insights gathered from Chief Strategy Officers (CSOs) across diverse industries, decades of trend tracking, and ongoing research, Krippendorff challenges leaders to not just sense the future but shape it — calling for organizations to rethink how they allocate attention, build capability, create their next competitive advantage, and orchestrate partnerships.

  Audiences will leave with:

  • An understanding of key trends that will shape the future.
  • Clarity of the big picture and implications for your business.
  • A framework to identify immediate opportunities and get ahead of change.
  • Motivation to lead in an era defined by complexity and ambiguity.