“I DIDN’T EXPECT TO LEARN SO MUCH ABOUT THINGS I ASSUMED I ALREADY UNDERSTOOD.”
PARTNER, AMLAW 50 LAW FIRM
SPEAKING
THE RESEARCH CAME FIRST.
James didn’t develop ideas to become a speaker. He became a speaker because nearly thirty years of research gave him something worth talking about. His presentations are compelling because the work is compelling, not the other way around.
A highlight reel can show you that James can hold a room. It can’t show you what happens when he has one. His clients, stages, testimonials, and the people he’s shared them with provide a better record of that.
Bloomberg New Economy Forum
°
SXSW
°
Aspen Ideas Conference
°
Festival of Dangerous Ideas
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Chicago Ideas Week
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Bloomberg New Economy Forum ° SXSW ° Aspen Ideas Conference ° Festival of Dangerous Ideas ° Chicago Ideas Week °
ONLY
KEYNOTE
One hour. A single idea, built to stand on its own.
Safer. Easier. Better
60 MIN · STICKY KEYNOTE
The three drivers behind every connection that endures — and why organizations that chase "easier" first put everything else at risk.
Explore this idea on the Relationships page →
The Blue Frog Problem
People become what their environment requires of them, often without realizing it. To change what people become, change the conditions they’re adapting to.
Explore this idea on the Culture page →
60 MIN · STUCK KEYNOTE
Unstuck
60 MIN · STICKY KEYNOTE
Why stuck is the default — for people, organizations, and civilizations — and the three questions that reliably move a room out of it.
Explore this idea on the Change page →
60 MIN · STUCK KEYNOTE
Gamemakers
60 MIN · STUCK KEYNOTE
What seven principles of game design reveal about how the best teams stay curious, engaged, and hard to beat.
Explore this idea on the Possibility page →
Age of Ignorance: The Other AI
What seven principles of game design reveal about how the best teams stay curious, engaged, and hard to beat.
Explore this idea on the Possibilities page →
(For leaders and managers)
The idea, then the room puts it to work together.
Safer. Easier. Better + Sticky by Design
60 MIN · KEYNOTE + 90 MINUTE BREAKOUT
The three drivers behind every connection that endures — and why organizations that chase "easier" first put everything else at risk.
See the full breakdown on the People page →
Unstuck + Black Cat Challenge
60 MIN · KEYNOTE + 90 MINUTE BREAKOUT
Why stuck is the default — for people, organizations, and civilizations — and the three questions that reliably move a room out of it.
See the full breakdown on the Change page →
60 MIN · KEYNOTE + 60 MINUTE BREAKOUT
Age of Ignorance + Gamemakers
Why stuck is the default — for people, organizations, and civilizations — and the three questions that reliably move a room out of it.
See the full breakdown on the Change page →
+ WORKSHOP
KEYNOTE
MULTI-DAY
& RETREATS
For leadership teams who want to build something, not just hear something.
Sticky & Stuck: Building the Conditions
2-DAY RETREAT
A working retreat that moves from diagnosis to construction — teams leave with real mechanisms for safety, time, and support, not just a framework.
Inquire about this format →
PROOF
What rooms actually say afterward.
“From the content to the structure to the design and the delivery, this was, by far, the best presentation I've ever seen.”
— Public Relations Society of America
"Prepare for a TedTalk on Steroids"
— Aspen Ideas Conference
“When a speaker is so good you are transfixed and unable to look away.”
— Silicon Valley Community Foundation
"I've never seen a speaker make complex ideas feel this simple and actionable."
— SR. Event Planner, L'ORÃEAL
Not sure which format fits your event?
A short conversation is faster than guessing from a page.