For Speaking Bureaus
The AI space is full of experts who've never shipped anything. Alex ran a $1.1 billion innovation portfolio across 14 countries, generated $400 million in revenue, and delivered 310 keynotes for the organizations that move markets: Google, AWS, Disney, Pfizer, IBM, Dell, Amgen, and hundreds more. Forbes named Alex one of the world's top innovation experts. WSJ bestselling author. AI advisor to the largest public university system in the United States. 99% audience recommendation score. Zero vendor conflicts. Ever.
Zero conflicts.
No firm. No vendor. No product. Nothing to sell from the stage. Ever.
One of the only AI keynote speakers who can say that — and whose clients can verify it. No consulting firm to protect. No vendor relationship to disclose. No agenda except the room's.
What has he actually done?
Ran Cisco's $1.1B Global Innovation Centers across 14 countries, generating $400 million in revenue and empowering 300,000+ employees. Real P&L — not a research role, a live program he built, scaled, and handed off. Co-authored ISO 56002, the international standard for innovation management. Now advising the California State University system — the largest public university system in the United States. Forbes named him one of the world's top innovation experts.
Is he selling anything from the stage?
Nothing. No consulting firm, no software sponsor, no product pitch. The audience knows the difference between someone sharing hard-won experience and someone protecting a vendor relationship. Alex has nothing to protect. Under his leadership, Cisco was named Forbes' #1 Best Place to Work for Innovators. That track record is the credential — your client's audience will feel the difference immediately.
Will our audience actually respond?
99% recommendation score. 97% relevance. 100% content quality. Measured live via Talkadot across 582+ post-event responses — real-time data collected as people walked off the floor, not a testimonial approved three months later. WSJ bestselling author of Fearless Innovation. Published in Forbes, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur. The number procurement will ask for — we have it.
Can he hold a mixed room?
Engineers and the board in the same keynote — the CFO and the VP of Engineering both leave referencing the same moment. 310 keynotes for Google, AWS, Disney, Pfizer, IBM, Dell, Amgen, PwC, Bosch, Caterpillar, Honeywell across 40 countries and 6 continents. Financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, government, higher ed. The room holds because the experience is real — he's been in that room as a leader, not just a speaker.
The pitch that closes your client
"Forbes named him one of the world's top innovation experts. He ran a $1.1B innovation portfolio at Cisco across 14 countries, helped build GenAI practices at Dell, ran AI pilots at Amgen, and now advises the largest public university system in the United States on AI adoption. WSJ bestselling author. 310 keynotes. 99% audience recommendation score. Zero conflicts. Ever."
The only thing growing faster than AI is the number of so-called AI experts.
Very few have run a $1.1B innovation program at Cisco across 14 countries, written a WSJ bestselling book on it, helped build a GenAI consulting practice at Dell, run hands-on AI pilots at Amgen, deployed agentic AI at institutional scale, served as Innovator-in-Residence at Tulane University, advised the largest public university system in the United States on AI adoption, and contributed to ISO's global innovation standards. Alex has done all of it — and delivered 310 keynotes for Google, AWS, Disney, Pfizer, IBM, Dell, Amgen, PwC, Bosch, Caterpillar, Wells Fargo, and hundreds more across 40 countries.
Need a cheat sheet for sorting the real ones from the rest? We made one →
"One of the world's top experts on innovation."
— Forbes · Also featured in Fast Company · Entrepreneur · WSJ
Every program is scoped with a discovery call. No recycled decks. No generic AI slides. Workshops available standalone or combined with a keynote.
What sets Alex apart from other top AI speakers and innovation experts?
With AI and innovation elevated to buzzwords, there are plenty of speakers in this space. While many offer insightful keynotes, few can bring the depth of understanding, hands-on experience, and diverse viewpoints that Alex can. Alex doesn’t just talk about AI and innovation. He’s led it at Dell, Pfizer, and Cisco. He’s sat across from C-Suite execs to build global innovation plans. And he’s resonated with audiences at Google, AWS, Disney, Coca Cola, and dozens of other companies with keynotes tailored to their unique AI opportunities. A frequent contributor to Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and Fast Company, Alex has been identified as a Top AI Voice on LinkedIn. He is also the author of a Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Fearless Innovation. Alex’s style is personable, approachable, and human. It’s never caught up in techspeak, or jargon so he resonates with any audience. Learn more about what sets Alex apart. Get in touch.
How does Alex customize keynotes and workshops?
No two organizations’ AI or innovation opportunities, or challenges, are the same. So canned keynotes or one-size-fits-all workshops just won’t do. Instead, Alex uses AI and data to tailor his engagements with available pre-event surveys. Analyzing responses, Alex customizes his content to address key needs and pain points, ensuring his message is meaningful. Speaking with leadership and other event stakeholders, Alex further customizes the content to ensure resonance and relevance, engaging audiences. Add it all up and you have keynotes and workshops that feel like they’ve been created for you—because they were. Learn more about Alex’s methodology. Get in touch.
What events and audiences are right for Alex?
With so much experience leading large-scale innovation initiatives, Alex is able to reach and resonate with any audience, no matter their knowledge level, industry, culture, or department. Captivating audiences from a live stage, or a virtual event, Alex is a fixture at C-Suite summits, innovation conferences, policy talks, offsites, and employee all hands meetings, plus governmental and academia events. An audience looking for fresh perspectives, real solutions, and custom content will find Alex’s keynotes engaging and actionable with ideas they can start applying right away. Curious about Alex’s recommendations for your event? Get in touch.
What companies and organizations have worked with Alex?
Alex’s roster of past clients, keynote engagements, and employers reads like a Wikipedia entry of the world’s most innovative, respected organizations. Disney, Coca Cola, ISO, AWS, Google, LEGO, CAT, IBM, Cisco, Dell, and dozens of other organizations have benefited from Alex’s keynotes, workshops, and strategic advisory services. As the former Managing Director of Innovation Strategy at Cisco, leader of global Innovation Centers and Smart City programs in 7 countries, and creator of innovation tracks for 3 Olympics, Alex’s real-world experience magnifies his impact upon any organization he partners with. Additionally, Alex has worked hands-on with governments, industry groups, startups and scaleups, plus large academic institutions, like the University of Delaware and the California State University system, impacting 460,000+ students and thousands of faculty.
What topics does Alex Goryachev cover in keynotes and workshops?
While every keynote or workshop is customized to an event or audience, Alex is often requested by clients to bring a fresh perspective and real-world expertise on topics, including: AI’s impact on work and education, innovation in the age of AI, building buy-in and reducing hesitancy towards AI, policy and ethics related to AI, C-Suite and leadership insights on AI, employee engagement in innovation, the impact of AI on society, use cases and strategies for AI and innovation, innovation culture and proven frameworks, reskilling and workforce preparedness, education and academia policy, and government AI policy and legislation. For additional topic ideas and recommendations for your event, get in touch.