Josh Linkner

{{Infobox person

| image = Josh Linkner Keynote Speaker (cropped).jpg

| image_size = 200px

| name = Josh Linkner

| caption = Linkner in 2014

| birth_name = Joshua Morgan Linkner

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|07|28}}{{cite web | url = http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n2010073729.html | title = Linkner, Josh, 1970– | publisher = Library of Congress | access-date = March 9, 2013}}

| birth_place = Detroit, Michigan, US

| alma_mater = University of Florida

| website = {{URL|http://joshlinkner.com}}

| death_date =

| death_place =

| occupation = Entrepreneur, author

| spouse =

| parents =

}}

Joshua M. "Josh" Linkner (born July 28, 1970) is an American entrepreneur and author. He founded several companies including ePrize, an interactive promotion agency, where he was CEO and chairman.{{cite web | url = http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Interactive+Promotions+Agency+ePrize+Leaps+to+No.+185+Among+the+2006...-a0149903730 | title = Interactive Promotions Agency ePrize Leaps to No. 185 Among the 2006 Inc. 500, with Three-Year Sales Growth of 638 Percent |access-date=March 8, 2013 | publisher = The Free Library | date = August 23, 2006}}{{cite web | url=http://www.ltu.edu/news/?_opt=detail&_cid=61321e47-6969-4d58-98f1-f282d890d591 | title = ePrize's Linkner to discuss creative solutions at Lawrence Tech May 1 | publisher =Lawrence Technological University | date = April 27, 2012 |access-date=March 8, 2013}} Writing for The Wall Street Journal, Gwendolyn Bounds noted that ePrize is targeted at small businesses that don't have the resources to do this type of marketing themselves but cautioned that the service is not of the pay-per-sale type.{{cite news | url = https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB116891513428177288 | title = Making Big-Time Promotions Available, Affordable | publisher = Wall Street Journal | author = Gwendolyn Bounds | date = January 16, 2007 | access-date=March 9, 2013}}

Since 2010 Linkner has been CEO and Managing Partner of Detroit Venture Partners, a venture capital firm helping to rebuild urban areas through technology and entrepreneurship. Detroit Venture Partners' portfolio includes DJ app Rockbot, mobile app developer Detroit Labs, and CAPTCHA replacement company Are You a Human.{{cite web | title = Detroit Venture Partners' DNA | publisher = DetroitVenturePartners.com | url = http://detroitventurepartners.com/dna.html | access-date = April 22, 2011 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110414135442/http://detroitventurepartners.com/dna.html | archive-date = 2011-04-14 }}{{cite web | url = http://detroitventurepartners.com/dna/josh-linkner/ | title = DNA: Josh Linkner | access-date = March 8, 2013 | publisher = Detroit Venture Partners | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130410182328/http://detroitventurepartners.com/dna/josh-linkner/ | archive-date = April 10, 2013 }} General partners of Detroit Venture Partners include Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr.{{cite web | url = http://detroitventurepartners.com/dna/earvin-johnson/ | title = Earvin "Magic" Johnson ... General Partner, Detroit Venture Partners | access-date = March 9, 2013 | work = detroitventurepartners.com | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130303032530/http://detroitventurepartners.com/dna/earvin-johnson/ | archive-date = March 3, 2013 }} On September 1, 2014, Linkner became a partner of High Level Marketing, a Michigan-based digital marketing agency.{{cite web|title=Linkner becomes a partner with High Level Marketing|url=https://www.highlevelmarketing.com/about/our-team.html|website=High Level Marketing|access-date=September 1, 2014}} On November 4, 2014, Linkner announced he will step down as CEO of Detroit Venture Partners to focus on a speaker and author career.{{cite web|last1=Henderson|first1=Tom|title=Linkner steps down as CEO of Detroit Venture Partners|url=http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20141104/NEWS/141109956/linkner-steps-down-as-ceo-of-detroit-venture-partners|website=Crain's Detroit Business|date=November 4, 2014 |access-date=November 5, 2014}} In January 2024, Linkner signed an exclusive partnership agreement with Washington Speakers Bureau (WSB). {{cite web|title=Washington Speakers Bureau Announces Exclusive Partnership with Innovation Expert Josh Linkner |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/washington-speakers-bureau-announces-exclusive-partnership-with-innovation-expert-josh-linkner-302037495.html|website=Pr Newswire|date=January 18, 2024 |access-date=February 15, 2024}}

Biography

Linkner was born to a Jewish family and believes that "being Jewish gives you a leg up....As Jews, we have a rich legacy of resiliency, a rich heritage of overcoming odds, We don’t make excuses."{{Cite web|last= |first= |author-link= |title=Washington Speakers Bureau Announces Exclusive Partnership with Innovation Expert Josh Linkner|publisher=PR Newswire|date=January 28, 2024 |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/washington-speakers-bureau-announces-exclusive-partnership-with-innovation-expert-josh-linkner-302037495.html|access-date=February 1, 2024}} Linkner has published four books, the first Leaning Forward: Surviving/Winning in the Future of Interactive Marketing in 2007,{{cite book|author=Josh Linkner|title=Leaning Forward: Surviving/Winning in the Future of Interactive Marketing|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781598584288|url-access=registration|access-date=March 8, 2013|date=November 30, 2007|publisher=Dog Ear Publishing|isbn=978-1-59858-428-8}} a New York Times best-seller Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity in 2011, in 2014 a New York Times best-seller The Road to Reinvention: How to Drive Disruption and Accelerate Transformation, and in 2017 Hacking Innovation: The New Growth Model from the Sinister World of Hackers.{{cite book|author=Josh Linkner|title=Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9WRQ95dylv4C|access-date=March 8, 2013|date=January 13, 2011|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-118-00171-4}}{{cite news|last=Taylor |first=Ihsan |url=https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2011-03-13/hardcover-advice/list.html |title=Best Sellers - The New York Times |work=The New York Times |date= |access-date=2012-02-23}} In Disciplined Dreaming he states that the original thought and imagination of jazz performance (in his particular case, playing guitar with his jazz ensemble Guymon Ensley Quintet) are transferable skills for creating value in the business world.{{rp|ix}}{{cite web | url = http://geqjazz.com/?section=bio | title = Guymon Ensley & GEQ Jazz: About Guymon | access-date = March 9, 2013 }} GetAbstract said the book provides "a clear, methodical guide to developing creativity".{{cite web | url = https://www.getabstract.com/en/summary/career-and-self-development/disciplined-dreaming/15698/ | title = Why you should read "Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity" |access-date=March 8, 2013|publisher = GetAbstract }} His third book, The Road to Reinvention: How to Drive Disruption and Accelerate Transformation, was published May 7, 2014.{{cite web

| url = http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470923431.html

| title = The Road to Reinvention: How to Drive Disruption and Accelerate Transformation

| access-date = March 11, 2014

}}{{cite book

|author=Josh Linkner

|title=The Road to Reinvention: How to Drive Disruption and Accelerate Transformation

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ksyLAwAAQBAJ

|date=May 7, 2014

|publisher=Wiley

|isbn=978-1-118-91032-0}}

He is a regular writer for Fast Company,{{cite web | url = http://www.fastcompany.com/user/josh-linkner | title = Fast Company: John Linkner | work = Fast Company | access-date=March 8, 2013}} Inc. Magazine,{{cite web | url = http://www.inc.com/author/josh-linkner | title = Inc. Magazine: Josh Linkner |access-date=March 8, 2013|publisher = Inc. Magazine}} and Forbes.{{cite web | url = https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshlinkner/ | title = Forbes: Josh Linkner |access-date=March 8, 2013|work = Forbes}} Linkner was one of the speakers at TEDx Detroit in September 2011.{{cite web | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN94uj_Qndo | title = Josh Linkner at TEDx Detroit September 2011 | website = YouTube | date = September 2011 | access-date = March 9, 2013}}

File:Josh Linkner.jpg

On August 18, 2011, U.S. President Barack Obama gave Linkner a Champion of Change award in the youth entrepreneur category.{{cite web | url= https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/champions/youth-entrepreneurs | work= whitehouse.gov | title = Champions of Change: Youth Entrepreneurs | via= National Archives |access-date=March 8, 2013}}{{cite news | url = http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2011/08/white_house_to_honor_detroiter.html | title = White House to honor Detroiters Torya Blanchard, Josh Linkner as 'champions of change' | author = Jeff T. Wattrick | work = MLive.com | date = August 17, 2011 | access-date = March 9, 2013}} He won an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in the Realizing Business Potential category for Central Great Lakes Region in 2004.{{cite web|url=http://eoyhof.ey.com/SearchHallofFame.aspx |title=Search Entrepreneur Of The Year Hall of Fame |publisher=Ernst & Young |access-date=March 8, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061007110611/http://eoyhof.ey.com/SearchHallofFame.aspx |archive-date= October 7, 2006 }} – search for Linkner

Linkner studied jazz guitar at Berklee College of Music,{{rp|ix}} was an Advertising major as an undergraduate at University of Florida,{{cite web

| url = http://joshlinkner.com/2010/the-long-list/

| title = The Long List

| author = Josh Linkner

| date = October 4, 2010

| access-date = March 26, 2013

}} and holds honorary doctorate degrees from Lawrence Technological University{{cite web|url=http://www.ltu.edu/news/?_opt=detail&_cid=432efa90-791c-4e3b-b8ec-26ca1a321688 |title=News – Lawrence Tech |publisher=Ltu.edu |date=May 5, 2011 |access-date=2012-02-23}} and Walsh College.{{cite web |url=http://www.walshcollege.edu/News/DetroitVenturePartnersJoshLinknertoReceiveHonoraryDoctorateofLawatWalshColleges98thCommencementCeremony?showBack=true&PageIndex=0 |title=News – Walsh College – Walsh College |publisher=Walshcollege.edu |date=January 24, 2012 |access-date=2012-02-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001258/http://www.walshcollege.edu/News/DetroitVenturePartnersJoshLinknertoReceiveHonoraryDoctorateofLawatWalshColleges98thCommencementCeremony?showBack=true&PageIndex=0 |archive-date=2016-03-04 }} He is also Entrepreneur-In-Residence and Adjunct Professor of Applied Creativity at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.{{cite web

| url = http://cob.umd.umich.edu/687986/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=61278&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=687935&cHash=5901c7a7bf

| title = Noted businessman and best-selling author Josh Linkner joins University of Michigan-Dearborn as Entrepreneur-In-Residence and Adjunct Professor of Applied Creativity

| date = May 23, 2011

| access-date = March 28, 2013

| author = Beth Marmarelli

| publisher = University of Michigan-Dearborn

}}{{cite web | url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/champions/youth-entrepreneurs/josh-linkner | work=whitehouse.gov | title = Josh Linkner| via=National Archives |access-date=March 8, 2013 }}

On August 30, 2013, Linkner wrote a column for the Detroit Free Press suggesting that Labor Day be retired, repurposed, and renamed Appreciation Day, Passion Day, Kindness Day, or Give Back Day.{{cite news

| url = http://www.freep.com/article/20130830/COL45/308300013/Linkner-labor-day

| title = Josh Linkner: Should Labor Day be retired?

| author = Josh Linkner

| work = Detroit Free Press

| date = August 30, 2013

| access-date = August 31, 2013

| archive-date = August 31, 2013

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130831040316/http://www.freep.com/article/20130830/COL45/308300013/Linkner-labor-day

| url-status = bot: unknown

}}

In an interview with Vanna Le of Forbes magazine, he stated he was optimistic about growth in high technology and innovation in general, with the exception of social media.{{cite news

| url = https://www.forbes.com/sites/vannale/2014/03/05/detroit-ventures-ceo-optimistic-about-innovation-but-says-social-media-is-too-over-hyped/

| title = Detroit Venture's CEO Optimistic About Innovation, But Says Social Media Is 'Over-Hyped'

| author = Vanna Le

| work = Forbes Magazine

| date = March 5, 2014

| access-date = March 11, 2014

}}

In a 2014 article in the New Yorker magazine, Harvard historian Jill Lepore criticized the theory of disruptive innovation as "a theory of change founded on panic, anxiety, and shaky evidence". Lepore postulates that Linkner advises the aspiring disruptive innovators (in which he invests) that "the world is a terrifying place, moving at a devastating pace". She suggests that Linkner's "job appears to be to convince a generation of people who want to do good and do well to learn, instead, remorselessness. Forget rules, obligations, your conscience, loyalty, a sense of the commonweal."{{cite magazine

| url = http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/06/23/the-disruption-machine

| title = The Disruption Machine

| author = Jill Lepore

| author-link = Jill Lepore

| date = June 23, 2014

| magazine=the New Yorker

| publisher=Condé Nast

| access-date = November 18, 2015

}}