Virtual & Live
Presentations
Reimagine the status quo
with moonshot thinking.
Book Ozan Here
Virtual & Live
When the stakes are high, the unknowns are threatening, and the problems seem insurmountable, you need a superhero — which means you need Ozan Varol.
—DANIEL H. PINK, New York Times bestselling author of WHEN, DRIVE, and A WHOLE NEW MIND
Ozan is a rocket scientist turned award-winning professor, #1 bestselling author, and internationally acclaimed speaker. He is one of the world’s foremost experts in creativity, innovation, and critical thinking. He helps industry-leading organizations reimagine the status quo with moonshot thinking.
Ozan has been called a “true original” by Adam Grant and dubbed a “superhero” by Dan Pink. His work has been described as “must read” by Susan Cain and featured in the Wall Street Journal, Time, BBC, CNN, Washington Post, and more.
Ozan is consistently ranked one of the top speakers at conferences and private events. Audiences love Ozan’s blend of big ideas, witty stories, and down-to-earth humor. He’s a master at simplifying complex topics and delivering numerous “a ha!” moments. Ozan has the rare ability to get people to drop their phones and leave them with practical insights they can implement right away to level up in work and life.
Ozan’s diverse personal background (as a former rocket scientist turned lawyer turned university professor and popular author) allows him to connect with wide-ranging audiences. He’s delivered keynote speeches to small and large crowds at conferences, start-ups, and Fortune 500 companies across numerous industries. He’s trusted by institutions like Microsoft, Intel, adidas, Accenture, Deloitte, Salesforce, General Electric, Google X, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Navy.
Ozan is the #1 bestselling author of Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life. The book is:
- One of Inc.com’s “6 Business Books You Need to Read in 2020 (according to Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, and Adam Grant)”
- One of Amazon’s Top 20 business books of 2020
- Adam Grant’s # 1 pick of his top 20 leadership books of 2020
- One of 6 Groundbreaking Books of Spring 2020 (according to Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Dan Pink, and Adam Grant).
Ozan’s keynotes typically last for 1 hour, which includes a Q&A period. Ozan also conducts workshops (ranging from 2-4 hours) for businesses interested in applying his strategies to real-life problems and getting more in-depth, personalized advice from him.
You can read testimonials about his keynote speeches below and watch segments from previous presentations.
Trusted By:
What others are saying
I felt like I was watching a live TED talk.
—MARK WHALEN, VP for Shickel Corporation
Ozan's presentation rocked the house and got rave reviews from the attendees. Many called it the 'highlight of the conference.'
—JESS McMAHON, Senior Events & Creative Producer, Avvo
Ozan is well on his way to becoming a household name. He is incredibly bright, professional, easy to work with, responsive and kind. He speaks with ease and keeps his audience intrigued and engaged. His stories are fantastic. For all he has accomplished, he’s incredibly humble. Book him. You won’t regret it.
—ANIKA HEDSTROM, Vista Capital Partners
Ozan spoke at our internal company kick-off events and was a revelation for many in the audience. His talk was inspirational, thought-provoking, and energizing. Ozan’s talk resonated with our employees so well that people continually referenced Ozan and “moonshots” for not only days but weeks afterwards! Highly recommend him a speaker.
—Kevin Mullins, Vice President of Global Communications, Workhuman
Ozan’s presentation was fantastic – his content is thought provoking, challenging and compelling packed with pertinent examples to bring his concepts to life. Ozan was also a pleasure to deal with throughout developing our event. He was always responsive and worked with us to make sure his keynote would meet our needs. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Ozan as a speaker and author for teams looking to improve and challenge how they work and think.
—Jody Lewis, Head of Internal Communications, Lloyds Bank
An exceptional keynote speaker—who’s also gracious, humble, and enjoyable to work with. Speaking at our Annual Meeting, he delivered an insightful message that resonated with the civic, political, and business leadership of our community. A former Mayor referred to him as “the most on-point speaker we’ve had in 30 years.”
—Katie Douglass, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Fort Worth Chamber
Ozan's keynote was very well received. He customized his presentation so well to our industry (Pharma R&D). Many speakers during the rest of our two-day leadership retreat made references to the concepts he introduced.
—Christian Harcken, Senior Executive, Boehringer Ingelheim
Ozan was a runaway hit at our annual conference. Many attendees called him "the best keynote speaker" they had ever seen. His book, Think Like a Rocket Scientist, is one of my favorite business reads, and it was made even better by hearing Ozan personally speak about reimagining the status quo. A rising "star" himself, Ozan Varol is the real deal - so book him!
—Heather Hoerle, CEO, The Enrollment Management Association
Topics
Reimagine the Status Quo with Moonshot Thinking
Future Proof: How Businesses Can Fly in the Face of Uncertainty
Think Different: The Power of Cognitive Diversity
Don’t see your preferred topic listed here? Please get in touch with me at this link. I’m happy to work with you to craft a keynote that will resonate with your audience.
Reimagine the Status Quo with Moonshot Thinking
A child who was 6 years old when the Wright brothers took their first flight would have been 72 when flight became powerful enough to put a man on the Moon. This giant leap, taken within a human lifespan, is the triumph of moonshot thinking.
Moonshot thinking is a way to imagine the unimaginable and solve the unsolvable. It’s the marriage of idealism and pragmatism, a mindset that combines extraordinary thinking with a practical, proven moonshot process for achieving extraordinary results. In this time of unrelenting change and uncertainty, it’s moonshot thinking that sets apart industry-leading businesses from the rest.
In this keynote, Ozan will reveal his 4-step moonshot process to help businesses launch their own moonshot, spot opportunities they couldn’t see before, and create an extraordinary advantage to shape the future of their industry. You’ll learn:
- The single principle Elon Musk used to revolutionize the aerospace industry (and how you can use the same principle to transform your business)
- What sets apart top performers when it comes to solving complex problems
- How invisible rules constrain your business (and what to do about it)
- How to reframe questions to generate better answers
- What George Costanza and rocket scientists have in common, and what you can learn from both in starting your next project
- How to nail your next product launch using an unstoppable astronaut training strategy
When you learn how to apply moonshot thinking, you won’t just change the way you view the world. You’ll be empowered to change the world itself.
Future Proof: How Businesses Can Fly in the Face of Uncertainty
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed what has always been true: The world around us is evolving at dizzying speed, and the ground we stand on is never solid. Business leaders of all kinds are trying to keep the train on the tracks, while reacting to a multitude of new frontiers: remote work, declined demand, and disrupted consumer behavior.
In this keynote, Ozan will reveal how your business can fly in the face of uncertainty and thrive in a world of constant change. You will:
- Discover how to leave behind the baggage of history and reinvent yourself.
- Cultivate agility, which is the business superpower that will enable you to define the future.
- Learn strategies from rocket science where people routinely tackle seemingly insurmountable challenges while the clock is ticking.
- Understand how the world’s elite companies not only endure market shifts and global changes, but leverage them to their advantage.
Think Different: The Power of Cognitive Diversity
Many businesses strive to promote a diverse and inclusive workplace. But an often-overlooked aspect of the issue is cognitive diversity—which is based on differences in viewpoint or perspective. According to cutting-edge research, cognitive diversity can promote problem-solving and increase innovation by bringing a wide variety of perspectives to the table.
Most businesses stifle cognitive diversity. As a result, groupthink and conformity pop up even in institutions whose lifeblood is creativity. Employees hide their best selves rather than go against the grain.
In this keynote, Ozan will share a lively, anecdote-filled roadmap that business leaders can use to promote a thriving corporate culture that harnesses cognitive diversity. You’ll learn:
- The two reasons why most modern workplaces stifle cognitive diversity and undermine creativity
- How conformity led to the biggest disasters in rocket-science history (and what businesses can learn from these disasters)
- Why the best ideas come from great teams, not great individuals
- How to harness the power of diversity while maintaining team unity
- How businesses can promote psychological safety where employees feel free to speak up