Whether he is advising elite Fortune 500 companies or lecturing at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, Jeff DeGraff is a widely respected authority on innovation, creativity, and leadership values. The ideal speaker for corporate events and industry conferences alike, his pioneering approach to professional development is showcased through Innovatrium, the consultancy firm founded by Jeff, and his keynote speeches. Renowned for his mission, “the democratization of Innovation”, his influence is transformational.
Best known for his book, The Innovation Code, television programme, Innovation You, and radio show, The Next Idea, Jeff’s media influence is a testament to his popularity amongst professionals. In 2011, he hosted his hit PBS show, which supplied a toolbox of innovation strategies to improve people’s personal and professional potential. Such mainstream appearances ensure that audiences instantly recognise Jeff at events.
Jeff later published The Innovation Code in 2020, Leading Innovation, Competing Values Leadership, Creativity at Work and The Creative Mindset, to name just a few of his bestselling books. Making Stone Soup was even nominated for several book awards, a testament to Jeff’s talent and expertise.
Jeff is internationally recognised for the Competing Values Framework, a successful model centring around conflicting values – how to appreciate and integrate them into the corporate landscape to spark open collaboration. When booked for events, he teaches audiences both the importance of innovation and how to apply such techniques to the workplace. A pioneering thought leader, his approach has been discussed in Business Week, World Report and US News, and booked by General Electrics and Coca Cola.
As a Professor, Jeff teaches at nearly all levels of higher education, including MBA and Executive Education courses - made possible with his own PhD in Educational Technology. Specialising in innovation and change management, his methodology has influenced students, business owners, and audiences alike, arming them with the tools needed to innovate the future.
Jeff is widely known as the Dean of Innovation, a term coined from his powerful work as the Managing Partner of Innovatrium. When booked for events, audiences benefit from Jeff’s award-winning insight, which has previously been honoured with the 2011 Voices of Staff Award from the University of Michigan. He teaches businesses how creativity and innovation can unlock their potential.
How to hire Jeff DeGraff
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Jeff DeGraff for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do not accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
When he is booked for events, Jeff is known to discuss the following speaking topics.
- Leading Innovation: How to Jumpstart your Organisation's Growth Engine
- Business Design in the New Tech Centric World
- The Power of Diversity and Teams
- Connecting the Dots of Innovation: Making Collaborative Innovation Work Where You Work
- Doing the Creative Work the Company Can't
- Innovation You: Four Steps to Becoming New and Improved
"Innovation is a skill, not a gift. It can be routinized like any other business imperative such as productivity, leadership, or quality. DeGraff shows you the way." - Drew Boyd, Director at Johnson & Johnson
"Jeff's presentation was far and away one of the best that I saw last week. Our team debriefed for quite some time on it and are reviewing how we can implement some of the suggestions." - Valassis
"There's no room for complacency in today's business environment. Jeff's approach to innovation instils the habits required for today's leaders to succeed." - Chris Kearney, President & Chief Executive at SPX
"Simply put, Jeff DeGraff's methods work! In working with Jeff and his framework to transform various aspects of our business model, it became increasingly clear that he was also subtly transforming me and my team. It's clear that the step by step process he's used to transform business, can likewise, be unleashed to re-shape and transform the individual." - Pfizer Inc
"I could not be any more pleased with how well it went over, and I know my team feels the same way. It truly was a very valuable experience for everyone." - Richard D. Barber, Chief Executive Officer at Environment Data Resources Inc
"We got tons of great feedback on Jeff, his presentation and his work. The presentation was high energy and simple, yet insightful. The model presented was very helpful in providing a common language to help categorize, discuss, and - most importantly - create choiceful decisions as to where and how to innovate." - Ashland Inc
"We received very positive feedback... folks wanted more. I think that Jeff has put us on the right track. Looking forward to seeing these proof of concepts come to life." - Wendy Race, General Electric Company
"Jeff was a huge success at our meeting! He definitely hit a home run with our attendees and many of his talking points (including his '4 Colors') were referenced throughout the entire weekend. Jeff certainly set the stage for our most successful Matrix Leadership Meeting to date." - Suzanne Ziemnik, American Society for Clinical Pathology
"Jeff is not only the best in his field of unleashing innovation, he also has a heart of helpfulness. He just brought the house down at the Air Force Association's Innovation Symposium, and now he is offering his amazing skills by helping the USAF set up its Innovation Education effort." - Col. Johnny Barnes, Air Education and Training Command and Air University Liaison to the National Capital Region
"Jeff has provided marketing professionals across GE with a collaborative, measurable process that leverages existing creativity." - Beth Comstock, General Electric
"Jeff DeGraff has a unique ability to combine entertaining and thought-provoking material into a truly enjoyable evening of learning and growth! We can't wait to use him again in one of our corporate programs." - David Daugherty, VP of Talent Management at Plastipak Packaging
