Josh Linkner

Early life

Born in 1970, Josh Linkner grew up in Detroit, Michigan. His first business venture was an illegal fireworks stand at 11 years old. He was a creative child who excelled at playing music, specifically the jazz guitar, and played his first paid nightclub gig at age 13. As a young man, Josh Linkner studied jazz guitar at Berklee College of Music,  where he achieved the highest rank of any incoming jazz guitarist as a 17-year-old. Between 1990 and 1994, he attended the University of Florida where he earned a bachelor of science degree in advertising.

Career

In 1999, Josh Linkner founded ePrize, a digital promotions company whose success would lay the foundation for his future entrepreneurial success. Over the years, he ultimately founded and led five tech companies, including his earliest effort, GlobalLink New Media in 1995, HelloWorld, Inc. in 1999, and Platypus Labs and ImpactEleven, both in 2017. His entrepreneurial prowess has earned him accolades, including being named ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ by Ernst & Young in two non-consecutive years.

Josh Linkner branched out in his business career in 2010, when he assumed the role of CEO and Managing Partner at Detroit Venture Partners (DVP). Through projects initiated by DVP, Linkner endeavored to rejuvenate his beloved home city of Detroit by supporting entrepreneurs trying to make a positive difference. His commitment to Detroit’s revitalization earned him recognition as a United States Presidential Champion of Change in 2011.

In 2022, he co-founded Muditā Venture Partners, a venture firm dedicated to funding startups with a transformative and positive vision for the future.

These days, Josh Linkner divides his professional time into three roles. The first is Co-founder and Managing Partner of Muditā Venture Partners, which has helped to launch over one hundred startups. The second role is Co-Founding Partner of ImpactEleven, which is a firm that coaches and mentors talented people in a position to impact the world. The third role is Co-founder and Chairman of Platypus Labs, a boutique innovation studio with a global scope that offers keynote speeches, training, and consulting services to help companies spur innovation.

Josh Linkner is also a New York Times bestselling author. Since the publication of his first book, Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity in 2011, it has become generally recognized as one of the most definitive works on innovation and has since been published in 13 languages. His other three books, The Road to Reinvention: How to Drive Disruption and Accelerate Transformation (2014); Hacking Innovation: The New Growth Model from the Sinister World of Hackers (2017); and Big Little Breakthroughs: How Small, Everyday Innovations Drive Oversized Results (2021) have all sold well and met with critical acclaim.

Additionally, Linkner is a regular columnist for Forbes, The Detroit Free Press, and Inc. Magazine. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, CNN, and The New York Times.

Josh Linkner has become a renowned keynote speaker, receiving praise for his presentations on the topics of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. He was named one of the ‘Top 50 Keynote Speakers in the World’ by Real Leaders Magazine in 2024.

Josh Linkner holds honorary doctorate degrees from Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan, and Walsh College in Troy, MIchigan. He is also Entrepreneur-In-Residence and Adjunct Professor of Applied Creativity at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Net Worth

Unknown.