Erik Wahl

Author, Artist, Creativity Expert

Erik Wahl is an internationally recognized artist, top TED speaker, and No. 1 bestselling author. His breakthrough experience as an artist and entrepreneur has translated into making him into one of the most sought-after corporate speakers on the circuit today. On stage, Erik’s keynote experience creates a dynamic multidimensional metaphor for how to systematically embrace innovation and risk.

  • Erik Wahl Keynote Speaker Fee Fee range is for U.S. events, depending on location and organization type

    Please Inquire

  • Languages Spoken

    English

  • Travels From

    California, USA

  • Erik Wahl Keynote Speaker Fee Fee range is for U.S. events, depending on location and organization type

    Please Inquire

  • Languages Spoken

    English

  • Travels From

    California, USA

Suggested Keynote Speaker Programs

INNOVATION AT THE CENTER OF ART & AI

The future of work is unfolding faster than ever, and organizations everywhere are being challenged to reimagine how they create, communicate, and compete. Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept, it’s a transformative force reshaping every industry. But at ...

The future of work is unfolding faster than ever, and organizations everywhere are being challenged to reimagine how they create, communicate, and compete. Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept, it’s a transformative force reshaping every industry. But at the center of this revolution lies something profoundly human: creativity.

Erik Wahl is a leading authority on the intersection of art, AI, and the future of work. His message is simple and powerful: AI isn’t here to replace creativity, it’s here to supercharge it. With bold ideas and dynamic energy, Erik inspires audiences to harness AI as a launchpad for innovation, productivity, and breakthrough thinking.

In this invigorating presentation, Erik reframes AI not as the competitor, but as the collaborator, an exceptionally powerful co-pilot that amplifies human possibility. He shows leaders and teams how to use AI as a tool that enhances our ability to innovate, adapt, and build authentic, meaningful connection. Because when used intentionally, AI doesn’t dehumanize your brand, it helps you humanize it.

The end results include:
– Greater innovation and faster creative problem-solving
– The ability to integrate AI tools without losing authenticity or trust
– Stronger emotional connection with clients, customers, and teams
– A future-ready mindset that embraces change rather than fears it

In a world being reshaped by technology, Erik helps audiences rediscover what makes them distinctly, and powerfully human. Creativity is no longer optional. It’s the competitive advantage.

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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 ...

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

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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 ...

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.

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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 ...

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

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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...

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?

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About Keynote Speaker Erik Wahl

Erik Wahl is a globally acclaimed artist, TED speaker, and No. 1 bestselling author, recognized as one of the most sought-after corporate speakers of 2025. With a unique blend of artistry and entrepreneurial expertise, Erik delivers dynamic keynotes that inspire organizations to embrace creativity, innovation, and mental agility in a world where disruption is the new normal.

His bestselling book, The Spark and the Grind, has been praised as a transformative guide for turning ideas into action. Another of his best selling books, Unthink, is hailed by Forbes as “The
blueprint to actionable creativity” and by Fast Company as “provocative with a purpose.”

Drawing inspiration from street art, Erik became an acclaimed graffiti artist, using his talents to raise funds for charitable causes. His performances seamlessly integrate his passion for art and
business, leaving audiences both inspired and empowered.

Erik has collaborated with leading organizations such as AT&T, Disney, London Business School, Microsoft, FedEx, ExxonMobil, Ernst & Young, and XPrize. To date, he has delivered over 1,500 keynotes worldwide, captivating audiences with his innovative perspective.

Testimonials

“Erik’s presentation was outstanding and it was exactly what we were looking for. BigSpeak and Erik hit it out of the ballpark.”

LexisNexis

 

“Erik was INCREDIBLE. He was extremely well received… Standing ovation. Thank you!”

United Healthcare

 

“Erik did an excellent job at the HP Health & Life Sciences Symposium… In fact, he had a standing ovation. His message was on-target, inspirational and entertaining. Everyone had very positive feedback. It was a great way to end our event. I would highly recommend Erik to my other industry colleagues.”

Harry Kim

Hewlett-Packard

“Your presentation was once again, outstanding! After seeing you at the National Realtors conference and now our National conference, I am amazed at your ability to customize your message for both corporate and educational audiences.”

National Parent Teachers Association

 

“We continue to receive numerous emails, voicemails and handwritten notes….all in praise of you, your presentation, and most important…your message!”

Walt Disney Entertainment

 

Media

Article

Dec 2, 2014

Why Routine is Necessary for Creativity

Questions? Contact Us Any Time: 805.965.1400 info@bigspeak.com Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube

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