Scott D. Anthony

From gunpowder to generative AI, the forces of disruption have repeatedly rewritten the rules of business and human possibility. Drawing from his latest book, Scott takes audiences on a riveting journey through eleven pivotal innovations including the printing press, Model T, McDonald's revolutionary food system, Julia Child's cooking show, and the iPhone. Through vivid storytelling and sharp analysis, he reveals the hidden patterns behind world-changing breakthroughs and introduces the iconoclasts who dared to think differently—Renaissance scientists, corporate visionaries, and unlikely innovators who saw opportunities others missed. Audiences discover how disruption actually happens, why many overnight successes languished for decades before breakthrough moments, and what distinguishes genuine failures from innovations simply ahead of their time. As AI and emerging technologies promise another transformation wave, this keynote arrives at the perfect moment, equipping leaders to spot disruption's signals and position their organizations to thrive in uncertainty.

How can established organizations navigate disruptive change when they must simultaneously defend core businesses and create new growth engines? Scott introduces his influential dual transformation framework, demonstrating how forward-thinking companies turn either-or choices into both-and possibilities. Through case studies from organizations like DBS Bank and Adobe, audiences learn to reposition their existing businesses for a shifting landscape while building separate ventures that leverage their unique capabilities to create tomorrow's revenue streams. This keynote addresses the critical challenge most transformation efforts miss: the capabilities link that ensures new initiatives benefit from parent organization strengths rather than being starved or smothered. Senior leaders gain practical tools including strategic sparring sessions for alignment and frameworks for managing the messy middle of transformation when progress feels uncertain and stakeholders grow anxious.

In today's volatile environment, waiting for clear data before acting means arriving too late to matter. Scott reveals how leaders can set strategic direction despite profound uncertainty, drawing on innovation theory, behavioral psychology, and decades advising organizations through turbulent change. Audiences learn to distinguish signal from noise, test assumptions the Wright way, and accelerate progress when the path forward remains unclear. This keynote introduces practical methodologies including walk the line exercises that surface hidden disagreements among leadership teams, strategic sparring sessions that pressure-test strategies before implementation, and approaches to building adaptive capacity within organizations. Leaders discover how to make bold moves despite incomplete information, manage paradoxes rather than resolve them prematurely, and create alignment around growth strategies when teams face seemingly contradictory priorities.

Why do some organizations consistently generate breakthrough innovations while others struggle despite significant investment? Drawing from his book Eat Sleep Innovate, Scott examines how to make creativity an everyday habit rather than an occasional event. He reveals the "ghosts" that haunt organizations—invisible behaviors, assumptions, and systems that kill innovation before it starts—and introduces practical rituals that encourage curiosity, experimentation, and intelligent risk-taking. Through examples from companies that built innovation into their DNA, audiences learn to identify friction that frustrates customers and colleagues, eliminate barriers that slow progress, and design systems where innovation becomes repeatable and reliable rather than random. This keynote provides actionable frameworks that innovation managers, product leaders, and executives can implement immediately to transform organizational culture and build sustained competitive advantage through continuous innovation.