"My favorite keynote speaker I've ever heard. (And I've heard a lot!)"

For most of human history, technology has been humanity’s ally: expanding our capabilities, freeing us from drudgery, and creating space for deeper, more meaningful work. The printing press democratized learning. The telescope expanded our capacity for wonder. Even the calculator liberated us from tedious computation so we could focus on higher-order thinking.

Put differently, each advance gave us the opportunity to become more human. To do more of what makes us unique and gives voice to our aspirations.

But artificial intelligence represents something fundamentally different. For the first time, we have technology that offers to do not just our support work, but our soul work: the thinking, creating, synthesizing, and meaning-making that forms us as human beings. AI doesn’t just augment our capabilities; it threatens to replace the very activities that form our sense of purpose and identity.

So the question is: how do we leverage these amazing new tools while maintaining our drive, intuition, and sense of purpose?

KEYNOTE DESCRIPTION
We need practical new principles for how to use the infinite lever of AI to enhance and extend our capabilities while protecting our capacity to do the human work that makes us unique and makes us irreplaceable.

Archimedes famously said, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” The principle is elegant: with sufficient leverage, even the most immense tasks require minimal effort. AI represents something close to that infinite lever—a tool so powerful that it can move mountains of work with barely a push from us. It can write our emails, generate our ideas, synthesize our research, even craft our creative output. The promise is intoxicating: Why struggle when a small prompt can accomplish in seconds what might take you hours or days?

But here’s the question that reveals everything: When the lever becomes so long that you barely have to push at all, are you still doing the work? When AI generates the first draft, the strategic framework, the creative concept, and you simply review and approve, whose work is it really? At what point does “leverage” become “replacement”?

This is the paradox of the infinite lever: The very efficiency that makes it so appealing is precisely what threatens to hollow out the work that forms us, that builds our expertise, that makes us irreplaceable. The tool designed to amplify our capabilities can, if we’re not careful, quietly automate away our capacity to do the work at all.

The Infinite Lever introduces a framework for understanding what makes AI a uniquely “deconstructive” technology, one that dismantles every previous narrative about technology’s purpose and humanity’s role. More importantly, it provides practical wisdom (including a 5-part framework – VERVE) for navigating this new landscape. You’ll discover how to discern which work to automate and which work to fiercely protect, how to use AI as an ally without surrendering your agency, and why some struggle is essential to reaching your full potential personally and professionally.

The stakes are high. We can use these tools wisely and continue to sharpen our craft, or we can outsource the work that matters most and lose something irreplaceable in the process. This keynote is about choosing wisely, about understanding the difference between work that serves you and work that forms you, and having the courage to protect what matters most.

KEY INSIGHTS INCLUDE:

• The crucial distinction between “support work” and “soul work” and why confusing them makes you replaceable
• How over-reliance on AI degrades creative capacity through atrophy of creative muscles, loss of problem-finding skills, and acceptance of mediocrity without awareness
• Why AI-assisted work leads to a dangerous social dilemma where individuals benefit but collective creativity and diversity of thought diminish
• A practical framework for deciding when to use AI and when to resist based on what the work does for you, not just what it produces
• Why AI is a fundamentally different kind of technology than anything humans have created before, and what that means for creative professionals, leaders, and anyone who works with their mind
• Five principles for using AI wisely without surrendering agency, judgment, or the creative process that makes your work authentically yours
• How to maintain intimacy with your craft in an age when machines can do increasingly
• sophisticated creative work while preserving the struggle that builds creative capacity

THE BIG IDEA

High-performing creative teams require a unique leadership approach. By understanding the needs of talented, ambitious creative pros and implementing the right targeted strategies, leaders can unleash their team’s full potential—driving innovation, productivity, and sustainable success.

KEYNOTE DESCRIPTION
Assembling a team of top creative talent is just the beginning. The real challenge lies in leading and motivating these high-performers to achieve extraordinary results. Many leaders of creative professionals struggle to harness the full potential of their teams, despite having all the right pieces in place.
Through revealing often-overlooked aspects of leading creative teams, keynote speaker and best-selling author Todd Henry helps you discover surprising insights into what truly motivates high-performers. By mastering these techniques, you’ll be equipped to overcome common pitfalls, foster a culture of innovation, and lead your team to unprecedented success.

By the end of this keynote, you’ll be equipped with effective leadership approaches, time and attention management, and self-leadership techniques. Learn how to balance the seemingly conflicting needs within your team to nurture creativity while maintaining focus and productivity.

Based on Todd’s best-selling book, Herding Tigers.

THE BIG IDEA

Brilliance under pressure can be inevitable through five key practices that empower you to produce exceptional work consistently, even under tight deadlines. Learn to overcome creative blocks, manage your energy, and tap into a wellspring of inspiration to deliver outstanding results, time and time again.

KEYNOTE DESCRIPTION
In the fast-paced, create-on-demand world, the constant need to produce brilliant results can leave even the most talented creative pros feeling uninspired and burned out. Brilliance under Pressure provides a proven framework for maintaining peak creative problem solving, even under intense pressure.

Through engaging stories and practical insights, keynote speaker and best-selling author Todd Henry equips you with powerful strategies to defeat the common “assassins” of creativity that rob you of focus and productivity. You’ll discover how to order your world to master five areas of creative rhythm that will enable you to stay energized and avoid the pitfalls of burnout and frustration.

By the end of this keynote, you’ll be armed with a toolkit of practices that will transform your approach to creative work and enable you to consistently deliver brilliant results, no matter the circumstances.

Based on Todd’s best-selling book, The Accidental Creative.

THE BIG IDEA
In a world of volatile uncertainty, bravery isn’t just for heroes—it’s a daily necessity for creative problem solvers, leaders, and organizations. By developing “the brave habit,” you can confront uncertainty, challenge norms, and drive positive change in your business and community.

KEYNOTE DESCRIPTION
Organizations and society are crying out for courageous leadership in the face of uncertainty. The marketplace demands business owners who prioritize their employees and communities, even at risk of personal cost. We need more people willing to build empathetic bridges across ideological divides.

Bravery is often associated with grand, heroic gestures, but true courage manifests in daily actions: confronting uncertainty, challenging conventional wisdom, and resolving conflicts. Keynote speaker and best-selling author Todd Henry helps organizations face uncertainty with clear, decisive action to achieve greatness.

By the end of this keynote, you’ll learn the two critical factors necessary for cultivating habitual bravery. You’ll discover how leaders and creative pros can integrate “the brave habit” in their daily lives to foster a culture of courage that drives innovation, strengthens relationships, and propels organizations forward.

Based on Todd’s latest book, The Brave Habit.

THE BIG IDEA
Even the most talented, ambitious creative pros get stuck. Simply working harder doesn’t guarantee results. Understanding how to identify and overcome the seven most common pitfalls that lead to stagnation will help you rediscover your passion and ignite your drive to product brilliant work.

KEYNOTE DESCRIPTION
Creative problem solving can be a grind. Even the most talented leaders and creative pros can find themselves stuck, working hard but not achieving the results they desire. This unexpected stagnation and loss of passion is frustrating and demoralizing, impacting individual and organizational success.

Through practical strategies and thought-provoking insights, keynote speaker and best-selling author Todd Henry reveals how to overcome the seven “deadly sins” that lead to personal and organizational plateaus. You’ll learn how to break free from these common traps, challenge assumptions, and rediscover your passion for producing brilliant work.

By the end of this keynote, you’ll be equipped with the tools to overcome fear, foster collaboration, navigate the natural phases of personal and career growth, and overcome the fear of failure—and success. Discover ways to reignite your drive and achieve breakthrough results, no matter the challenges.

Based on Todd’s best-selling book, Die Empty.