We deliver keynote addresses that foster innovation in organizations and communities.

Rainforest Strategies authors and partners speak at large conferences, as well as giving private talks for small groups. We custom-tailor presentations to fit your needs and your audience; we motivate and entertain audiences with stories of our field work across various industries, domains and locations. We educate with eye-opening insights on innovation, human nature, and ecosystems. We make it memorable by building in relevant audience activities for every keynote engagement.

FORMAT: 

  • 30-60 minute presentation with slide show followed by a Q&A. 
  • 1-3-hour workshop on a Rainforest topic customized for your audience. We inspire audiences to work with our concepts and tools in real-time. Your audience leaves with a vision, a high impact experience, and actionable insights they can implement immediately.
  • We offer graphic facilitation, a technique used to enhance our presentations and workshops with engaging and colorful real-time visual syntheses. Presentations, audience interaction and workshop outputs are all captured. 
  • Presentations and graphic facilitation can be delivered remotely by WebEx.

 

CONTENT:

  • Our presentations bring to life the Rainforest principles and constructs so audiences grasp what innovation ecosystems are, how they thrive, and what makes innovation happen naturally. We commonly speak to:
    • Innovation Rainforest vs. Production Farm - distinguishes innovation ecosystems from command/control environments.
    • Culture, Strategy and Leadership for Innovation - how strategic elements align with Rainforest principles for breakthrough results.
    • Rainforest Scorecard - empirical tools for measuring the specific attributes that foster innovation in organizations and communities.
    • Rainforest Master Plan (RaMP) - how to systematically grow a culture where innovation flourishes.
    • Local Capacity, Velocity, and Sustainability - necessary design criteria for long-term innovation success.

 

Out of the box Presentations:

  • Welcome to the Rainforest - What makes Silicon Valley tick?
  • Rainforest Leadership - When institutional innovation wins over the status quo.
  • Municipality as Rainforest - How cities can drive community engagement & innovation.
  • Free Agent Ecosystem - How Rainforest entrepreneurs collaborate for success.
  • From University to Prosperity - How technology commercialization happens in the Rainforest.

 

EXAMPLES:

Global Innovation Summit, San Jose, CA
Our partners were instrumental in the design, production, and facilitation of the three-day long Global Innovation Summit that was held three times in the last four years at a venue in Silicon Valley. In 2015 we presented Rainforest principles and facilitated over 300 participants from around the world in exercises to assess their collective innovation capabilities, identify strategic issues, and develop potential world changing initiatives. For an example of ground-breaking conference technique, see the Microsoft Bing case example. Click here for the 2015 Global Summit Summary.

 
 

HEALTH
Dignity Health - Performance Excellence Conference 2015
The Rainforest presentation (45 min.) was followed by facilitation of 150+ managers and leaders from this major healthcare system to assess innovation attributes contributing to successful nursing across the system. This was followed by a half-day workshop to identify strategic improvement opportunities based on the assessment, and develop innovation initiatives. Read more on the Dignity Health client case study.
 

BANKING
Inter-American Development Bank
Following the Rainforest presentation (60 min), the 90 participants in this department retreat, assessed their strengths and improvement opportunities for improving customer service to internal stakeholders. They then used our tools to build eight scenarios that explored highly innovative improvements. They ultimately produced a consolidated vision that leadership could act upon to improve the institution's culture. Read more on the Inter-American Development Bank client case study.
 

REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Maine Technology Institute Tech Walk 2014
Rainforest Strategies provided a keynote address and two-hour workshop on applying Rainforest concepts to improving Maine’s innovation ecosystem for better social, environmental, and economic outcomes. Read more on the Main Technology Institute client case study. 

Email or call us to start the conversation about a speaking engagement for your organization or region. If you're looking for a 1-day program, see our Rainforest Immersion.