AI is Here—Empowering Innovation to Transform Your Business, Culture, and Growth.
Innovate or Perish!
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Elevate your events with pragmatic and actionable Innovation insights
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Since 2000, over 52% of Fortune 500 companies have vanished, largely because they failed to adapt and innovate. Today, AI represents an even greater transformation than the internet, reshaping how we live, work, and connect. The stakes have never been higher, with AI expected to add $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Innovation is what will help you survive—and realize this tremendous value.
Named by Forbes as “One of the World’s Top Experts on Innovation” and a frequent contributor to Fast Company, Entrepreneur, and Forbes, Alex Goryachev is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author and a global authority on business innovation, cultural transformation, and strategic growth. As one of the contributors to the International Standards Organization (ISO) on Global Innovation Standards and the author of numerous publications, Alex has helped define the frameworks that organizations worldwide rely on to thrive in an AI-driven era.
With a global footprint, Alex’s work spans diverse industries, governments, and nonprofits, where he brings a unique perspective on ecosystem innovation and the power of co-innovation in the age of AI. As Managing Director and Global Head of Innovation Strategy at Cisco, Alex pioneered company-wide innovation initiatives, establishing Cisco’s Global Innovation Centers across five continents. His groundbreaking approach transformed how industries harness AI and emerging technologies, making Cisco’s innovation program an industry benchmark, recognized by SHRM and the Human Capital Institute. Known for fostering an intrapreneurial culture, Alex empowered employees at all levels to act as entrepreneurs, equipping them with practical skills through training programs rooted in Design Thinking, Lean Startup principles, and agile methodologies. This approach prepared teams to turn innovative ideas into actionable solutions that drive real-world impact.
Known for his pragmatic, hands-on style, he has delivered over 100 keynotes on innovation, always focusing on actionable, real-world solutions. A firm believer in co-innovation, Alex has engaged with organizations worldwide to share best practices and insights on AI, innovation, and business transformation. He also led the sponsored innovation track for three Olympic Games, introducing transformative technologies that enhanced both operations and spectator experiences on a global stage.
Central to Alex’s approach is the belief that AI transformation is as much about people as it is about technology. His bestselling book, Fearless Innovation: Going Beyond the Buzzword to Continuously Drive Growth, Improve the Bottom Line, and Enact Change, serves as a practical guide for organizations looking to embed innovation deeply into their culture. Through his keynotes, masterclasses, and hands-on workshops, Alex empowers organizations to reimagine their technology, culture, and strategy, positioning them as resilient leaders in the digital age.
Popular Topics Alex Covers in his Business Innovation, Culture & Transformation Engagements:
- Innovate or Die: Understanding the crucial role of innovation in the AI era.
- Learning from the Past: Lessons from early innovation and why they still matter.
- Secrets of the World’s Most Innovative Companies: Proven strategies that drive success.
- Why Innovation? Why Now?: The urgency of embracing change.
- Creating a Culture of Innovation: Practical steps to make innovation accessible.
- Empowering Every Employee to Innovate: Building a workforce of everyday innovators.
- Designing a Comprehensive Innovation Program: Blueprint for enterprise-wide success.
- Measuring Innovation’s Impact: Key metrics for assessing and scaling innovation.
- Setting Realistic Innovation Goals: Focusing on achievable, impactful results.
- Calculating ROI on Innovation: Linking innovation to financial outcomes.
- Delivering Results: How to drive meaningful, lasting change through innovation.
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Building AI Expertise and Talent
According to a World Economic Forum report, 97 million new AI-related roles will emerge by 2025, while many current jobs will become obsolete without reskilling efforts.
Institutions must urgently invest in AI education to prepare both educators and students for this transformation. Without a skilled workforce, organizations risk falling behind in adopting AI technologies, limiting their ability to compete and innovate in a global market increasingly driven by AI advancements.
NSF is boosting AI research in academia with up to $500M in funding. Discover how this opportunity could shape the future of education and innovation.
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Embracing AI Innovation in a Measured and Ethical Way
Everybody knows we must embrace AI innovations, but how do we do this the right way? As AI tools rapidly transform education, addressing the challenges surrounding their use has become paramount.
Studies show that nearly 25% of students have turned to AI tools like ChatGPT for “academic assistance”, making plagiarism increasingly hard to detect, with detection tools often generating false positives. To navigate this new landscape, institutions must adapt to implement AI in a responsible way that helps meet academic goals. Addressing key issues is critical as AI reshapes the way we teach and learn.
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Building Trust and Transparency
Research shows that 70% of change initiatives fail due to employee resistance or lack of management support. In the context of education, AI is often met with skepticism, as faculty and staff worry about job displacement and the ethical implications of AI tools.
To overcome these barriers, it’s critical to build trust through transparency and clear communication. Institutions need to involve all stakeholders—educators, students, and administrators—early in the process, ensuring they understand that AI is here to enhance their work, not replace it, while strictly adhering to academic standards.
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Global AI and Innovation Keynote Speaker
Meet Alex Goryachev
Recognized by Forbes as one of the world’s top innovation experts and a Wall Street Journal Bestselling author, Alex Goryachev has driven transformative change at major global brands including Cisco, Dell, IBM, and Pfizer.
Continuing to advise some of the most innovative scaleups and Fortune 100 companies on earth, Alex helps organizations and teams overcome AI resistance and realize innovation opportunities through insightful keynotes and hands-on workshops.
Alex is a fixture at global innovation summits, C-suite boardrooms, policy discussions, and anywhere AI and innovation need to be unleashed next—including .
Turn your next event into AI and innovation action.
These aren’t just better ways to use ChatGPT, or create short-term buzz. This is what the most influential organizations on earth use to shape the future.
