Diana Kander

Diana Kander revolutionizes the way businesses look at innovation and curiosity. A New York Times best-selling author, innovation consultant, and keynote speaker, she asks some big questions. What kind of culture needs to exist in an organization to ensure innovative ideas and practices? How has Snoop Dogg continued to innovate decade after decade to stay relevant to the next generation? What causes name brands to lose relevance with their customers and go out of business? Can organizational decline be prevented?

Kander has spent her career challenging assumptions and asking thought-provoking questions. A serial entrepreneur who entered the United States as a refugee at the age of 8, she has launched and sold millions of dollars worth of products and services. She outlined her biggest lessons learned for launching new products in her first book, "All In Startup," which has been used by over 100 universities in their innovation courses and by numerous large organizations to help their employees think more like entrepreneurs. A former MBA professor at Mizzou, she has served as an entrepreneur in residence at H&R Block, Commerce Bank, and several government agencies.

Kander's second book, "The Curiosity Muscle," explains why it's harder to stay at the top than it was to get there. The book documents Kander's consulting experience with large organizations and demonstrates why most companies who experience significant success can so easily get comfortable, lose their curiosity, and crash into irrelevance. The book walks readers through a methodology to keep curiosity alive and thriving inside of an organization, ultimately future-proofing the business.

Fun fact about Kander: She likes to use her curiosity methodology to push herself out of her own comfort zone and achieve big personal challenges each year. Despite having never completed a pull-up prior to 2021, she raised over $26,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas City by doing 5,000 pull-ups that year.

Kander lives in Kansas City, Missouri with Jason, her high-school sweetheart and husband, their son, True, and daughter, Bella Brave. She is recognized for her engaging and energetic keynote speeches, which have been described as both thought-provoking and entertaining. Her keynotes often include specific ways to boost innovation and interactive elements to help audiences retain and act on the information presented, effectively blending education and entertainment.