Erik Wahl Speaker Biography
Artist, Author and Expert on Creativity and Innovation
Erik Wahl stands as an internationally recognized graffiti artist, a #1 bestselling author, and a dynamic entrepreneur. More than just a typical presenter, Wahl redefines the role of the keynote speaker. Drawing from his diverse background as both a seasoned businessman and a passionate artist, he has emerged as a highly sought-after corporate speaker in today’s market. Consequently, Erik’s captivating on-stage painting seamlessly evolves into a powerful visual metaphor, directly addressing the core of his message. Ultimately, he inspires organizations to achieve greater profitability through embracing innovations and cultivating superior levels of performance. As a leading innovation speaker, Wahl provides unique insights into fostering creativity and driving impactful change within businesses.
Prestigious Clients and Recognition
His impressive roster of clients includes industry giants such as AT&T, Disney, the esteemed London School of Business, Microsoft, FedEx, Exxon Mobil, Ernst & Young, and the groundbreaking XPrize Foundation. Furthermore, Erik has garnered significant recognition, including being featured as a compelling TED presenter. Indeed, the feedback received from his presentations has been overwhelmingly positive, consistently earning enthusiastic standing ovations as a testament to their impact. Therefore, his ability to connect with diverse audiences and deliver memorable experiences underscores his effectiveness as a speaker.
Bestselling Books on Creativity and Action
His recent publication, The Spark and the Grind, delves into the essential elements required to transform innovative ideas into tangible action. Moreover, his forward-thinking perspectives have garnered praise from prominent figures in both the artistic and business spheres. Previously, Erik’s bestselling book, Unthink, received high acclaim, with Forbes Magazine labeling it “The blueprint to actionable creativity” and Fast Company Magazine describing it as “provocative with a purpose.” Thus, his literary contributions further solidify his reputation as a thought leader in the realm of creativity and innovation.
An Expert Forged in the Fires of Disappointment
Erik’s profound understanding of vision initially took shape amidst professional setbacks. Following an eight-year tenure as a partner in a corporate firm, he grew increasingly disillusioned by the noticeable absence of innovative thought and the subsequent impact on profitability within the business landscape. Consequently, he resolved to challenge companies to fundamentally rethink their approaches, while simultaneously pursuing his own deeply held artistic passions. Subsequently, he rediscovered his profound love for art, and now uniquely engages with the business world by channeling his insights through his artistic expression. This journey underscores his credibility as an innovation speaker who has personally experienced the need for transformative thinking.
A Groundbreaking Artist with a Powerful Message
Over the past decade, he has effectively shared his compelling message with some of the world’s largest and most influential organizations. Significantly, he often leaves behind his distinctive artwork as a tangible reminder of his unwavering dedication to fostering breakthrough thinking. In a playful yet insightful manner, he has been likened to “the Warhol of Wall Street, the Renoir of ROI, the Picasso of Productivity, the Jobs of… well, having a Job.” Ultimately, he is Erik Wahl: a multifaceted individual encompassing the roles of graffiti artist, accomplished author, successful entrepreneur, and dedicated philanthropist.
Erik Wahl Speaking Topics
THE ART OF VISION
The best sustainable edge in business is the ability to differentiate yourself from your competition. Through this entertaining and highly practical program, we will uncover new ways to make your organization more creative, innovative and profitable, but more so, help your employees see the need to become better storytellers within and for your company and industry. By embracing innovative strategies, professionals at all levels can achieve superior levels of performance by creatively and visibly differentiating themselves from the competition. No matter what kind of organization you have—from a small company to a large corporation—employees at all levels will better able to embrace the future by becoming more innovative, more productive and ultimately more profitable. Organizational excellence • Differentiation, differentiation, differentiation • Telling a better story • Outthinking the competition Embracing change • Working smarter, not harder • Sustaining excellence in a changing economy • Leveraging chaos to capitalize on opportunities
THE ART OF LEADERSHIP
Today’s leaders face a pressure to innovate—or else perish—unlike any other time in history. Advances in social, mobil and cloud technology, coupled with fierce global competition has made the business landscape nearly unrecognizable from what it was a mere 10 years ago. Erik Wahl’s entertaining and invigorating Art of Leadership presentation paints a compelling new portrait for what the successful leaders of tomorrow will look like. He inspires audiences to shed old ways of thinking and “business as usual” processes that are outdated, inefficient and detrimental to productivity. Audience members learn new ways to build an emotional connection to drive future employee engagement. Erik’s presentation stretches traditional assumptions on leadership. The end results include: • innovative solutions to further your organization • attracting and engaging quality employees • new efficiencies and the end of detrimental redundancies Growth and comfort cannot co-exist. When leaders come from a place of authenticity, curiosity, exploration and purpose, this leads to more meaningful connections among team members and with clients and customers—and ultimately, a more profitable organization. An engaged employee equals an engaged customer.
UNTHINK™
Somehow we’ve come to believe that creativity is reserved for the chosen few: the poets, the painters, the writers. The truth is bigger and better than that. Creativity is in all of us. We simply need to rediscover the keys that will unlock our potential. UNthink is the keynote experience that will push members of your organization beyond their traditional thought patterns and habitual levels of performance. UNthink will inspire audiences to realize they are capable of so much more than they have been led to believe. The UNthink program helps reframe your organization’s thinking so that new creative actions become possible. Learning how to UNthink will inject your daily grind with new passion, allowing employees to see how the organization wants and needs all of their talents and energies, not just the ones they’ve been using so far. You’ll begin the process of rethinking your life as a blank canvas of limitless opportunity on which to create your masterpiece. This program will allow your organization to: 1. Step outside convention to discover new and unexpected solutions to business challenges 2. Challenge pre-conceived notions about what’s possible 3. UNthink your way to increased creativity, productivity and passion
THE SPARK AND THE GRIND
It’s one thing to understand the importance of creativity to the success of your business, but what most people don’t understand is to how to put a structure in place so that innovation can find its way. The paradox of creativity is that structure creates freedom. Even the wildest minds require extreme orderliness and attention to detail so that they have the space and discipline to create. Consider: • Beethoven sat down everyday at daybreak, regardless of season, and composed until 3:00pm. • Kafka started writing at 11:30pm each night. • Mozart taught lessons by day and composed only in the evenings. • Picasso ate lunch each day with his family in silence and only allowed visitors one day per week. • Mark Twain awoke at 5:30 am, ate a hearty breakfast, and wrote until 5:00 pm. This program will allow your organization to: 1. Deconstructs the discipline of the creative process to ignite ideas to action. 2. Explores The Psychology of Success and the Science of Innovation to achieve superior levels of performance. 3. Harness The mental toughness required to navigate ambiguity and master complexity in a rapidly changing business environment 4. Disruption is the new normal. Are you creating or reacting?
ERIK AND TASHA WAHL: A CANDID CONVERSATION
Join Erik and Tasha Wahl for a dynamic, 60-minute curated Q&A exploring their journey of building a successful business, consulting for organizations worldwide, and navigating 30 years of marriage. With honesty and insight, they share lessons on growth, failure, resilience, and gratitude, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at the intersection of creativity, entrepreneurship, and personal evolution.
Erik Wahl Books
The Spark and the Grind: Ignite the Power of Disciplined Creativity
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Unthink: Rediscover Your Creative Genius
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Erik Wahl Articles
Erik Wahl Speaker Testimonials
“Erik’s presentation was one of the highlights of our three day conference for financial institutions! People were not just inspired, they were challenged to look at things differently, which I believe will make a positive impact on the financial service’s industry. Erik and his entire team were wonderful to work with and I would definitely hire him again and highly recommend him to others!”
- Digital Insight, an NCR company | Gwen Peters, Senior Event Manager
“Erik Wahl was the highlight of our entire conference. He captured everyone’s imagination with his creativity and added a whole new dimension to the usual motivational message. Not to mention his artistic finale was a complete knockout!”
- | AT&T
“Erik’s keynote set our twitter feed on fire. His revolutionary show gave our attendees an experience they won’t soon forget”
- | Association for Talent Development
"Game Changer"
- | Microsoft
