Deborah Perry (Semblanza)

We know that industries are on the lookout for the next great product, the next disruptive business model, the next bold leader, etc.  What makes Deborah Perry Piscione so special is that she has uncovered the DNA from the inspired cultures of the most innovative companies in the world.  It is no surprise that organizations that invest in innovation and build systems to grow the passions of their talented workforce are more productive, more creative, more loyal, and consistently move faster than competitors.  Deborah proves this with the most with incredible in-depth case studies, and shares the core ideas that drive these successful efforts. Provocative and wonderfully entertaining, her presentations are a prerequisite for leaders looking to shake the status quo.

Through her years of research and hands-on work with many of Silicon Valley’s pioneer companies, she has found the keys to building organizations into innovation machines and preparing leaders for the future.  Deborah’s discoveries are highlighted by her series of critically acclaimed books:

Secrets of Silicon Valley: What Everyone Else Can Learn from the Innovation Capital of the World
The Risk Factor: Why Every Organization Needs Big Bets, Bold Characters, and the Occasional Spectacular Failure
The People Equation: Why Innovation Is People, Not Products

All of these books and the research in them stems from the differences between old-school power and new school leadership, which Deborah understands well through firsthand experience. Having worked as an insider at the White House and Capitol Hill, and then moving into the center of Silicon Valley, Deborah was struck by the vast differences in power and leadership between the two coasts. She became fascinated by the collaborative cultures of innovation that dominate the Silicon Valley region, especially the voracious appetite for growing value from ideas.

This spurred her to launch four successful businesses and she is currently launching her fifth, Freshwear (under-apparel for women). Another, Alley to the Valley, has grown into the most influential program for connecting powerful business women.It is this unique experience and understanding that has made her one of the most sought-after business speakers today. With companies and industries looking for every new customer, every new idea, every advantage they can find, Deborah specializes in helping organizations do this by understanding their under-realized assets — their talent workforce — that they already have under their nose, and build systems that unlock their full potential. Both her keynotes and her innovation boot camps for Fortune 500 leaders are fully customized for your very specific needs.

Her clients include Google, McKinsey, TED Talks, Cadence Design, London School of Economics, Microsoft, McDonald’s, WOBI/HSM, NetApp, Princeton University, KPMG, Innotown, Qualcomm, Society for Human Resource Management, Stanford University, Accenture, Texas Economic Development Council, Singularity University Council on Foreign Relations, and many others.

Ultimately, Deborah is the perfect speaker if you are searching for an undeniably compelling presentation exploring how to adapt to the demands of an increasingly fast paced, agile, and unforgiving world.