Wondrously heretical
keynote presentations to evoke and inspire new and meaningful progress

Ensure your people are questing towards future relevance.

Dr. Fox is
“a breath of fresh air”.

—CEO, Swaab Attorneys

Hear what my many happy clients say.
❤️

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Dr. Fox is an introverted wizard philosopher-bard who works particularly well with smart and sceptical audiences who’ve “seen it all before”. (~˘▾˘)~

꧁ KEYNOTE SPEAKER OF THE YEAR ꧂


Crowned as Australia’s Keynote Speaker of the Year, Dr. Fox is amongst the Professional Speakers’ Hall of Fame.

Savvy event organisers like you
hire speaker-bards like me to—

꧁ manifest an affect ꧂

<arcing wizard hands>

Exactly.

If this sounds vague, then: wonderful. We want to awaken the genius within the audience in attendance. Otherwise, if we already have all the answers, and know exactly what to do—then what is the point of an event. ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ It’s the ambiguity and the unknown that enliven.

“The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.”

– Wendell Berry

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Curiosity cannot be prescribed — it must be evoked.

Keynote Presentations

30–90 minutes

I overthink the future of leadership, motivation and work.

Through my work in strategic innovation and leadership development with executive teams, I am astutely abreast of emerging trends (including the non-obvious). I’m also well versed in complexity science, adult development, and mythopoetic magic.

This all means: my contribution is orientated towards epiphany. Not me sharing mine, but your audience realising theirs. ✨

Wouldst thou like

Your attendees to truly ‘arrive’ at your event—undistracted, open-minded, and warmly engaged with each other? Would you like them to be enlivened by the possibilities inherent to your event?

If so: splendid. This is the opening keynote for you.

A Quest Beckons
Venture—beyond the default

Dr. Jason Fox (aka foxwizard), a presenter speaking on stage with a large screen displaying an illustration of an anthropomorphic fox with a crossbow, standing on a rock ledge.

Exquisitely honed to open minds and inspire curiosity, courage and collaboration. This keynote will have your audience actively engaged with each other, bringing about the you-had-to-be-there magic of your event. Even your most sceptical people will find themselves enthusiastically engaged; leaning in, warmed to the opportunity at hand; ready to quest amidst the emergent.

My Most Popular Keynote

Based on insights from my bestselling book
How to Lead a Quest.

#curiosity #emergence #strategy #story #progress

  • Those of us who yearn for something beyond the predictable and familiar; the ones who want their event to be the awakening of new possibilities, deeper insights and new adventures. The ones willing to be warmed to the serendipitous opportunities of your event.

    • how defaults shape our thinking, motivation, and behaviour

    • how to distinguish between meaningful progress and the delusion of progress

    • how to attune to glimmers, weak signals and the magic of emergence

    • how to use quest-augmented strategy to cultivate optionality and antifragility

    • how to use qualitative sense-making to orient towards relevance-realisation

  • Ideal as an opening keynote. But as with all of my offerings, this can be adapted to fit any context. This keynote heroes your audience, and will have them engaged in meaningful conversation with each other. This keynote also integrates a sense of what is emerging on the horizon—we can finesse what concepts are included in our briefing call together.

Wouldst thou like

Your leaders to genuinely confront the complexities, opportunities (and precarities) of our changing future—and to have the courageous conversations that can only be had at your event?

Marvellous. Consider this keynote as a precursor to lively networking.

Into the Storm
Rise to the complexity of our times

Dr. Jason Fox (aka foxwizard) a speaker in a suit stands on stage in front of a large screen featuring a drawn design of a kraken and a ship. The stage is lit in blue with the words "CONNECT," "ENGAGE," and "TRANSFORM" visible on a panel below.

Sometimes good leaders need a wake up call, lest complacency and hubris take root. And sometimes, after saying all the correct and expected things, an event needs to invite some trickster-energy into the mix. Something to stir the pot, as it were, so as to ensure the conversations that need to be had are surfaced.

Because the future is not what it used to be. We’re living in a time of exponential advancements in technology—to the backdrop of a metacrisis (and ecological collapse). This keynote surfaces the challenging conversations leaders must have if we are to (quite literally) save the future from dystopia. Fun!

#leadership #development #complexity #artificial_intelligence #change

  • Those of us who have been paying attention, and who crave meaningful progress amidst the complexity and ambiguity of our times. The ones who do not need slick futurists with neat-yet-naïve techno-optimistic glossy visions of the future—but who instead want Real Talk with their colleagues and peers. Those of us who know we all have more room to deepen, develop, and grow as leaders.

    • why leadership development has become domesticated—and what to do about it

    • how to navigate the metacrisis (and polycrisis) with wisdom and aplomb

    • how to ‘keep your wits about you’ amidst artificial intelligence, deep fakes and relentless distraction

    • how to wield hermetic principles whilst navigating the emergent and unknown

    • how living-systems thinking is key to surviving ‘these times’

  • As an external speaker, I can be the one to surface the conversations that need to be had. Ergo, in our briefing together, there may be particular concepts or themes that you feel your audience need to contend with. If it’s within my remit, we can make it so. Also, I suggest that this keynote be placed close to a networking break. The thoughtful (and sometimes heretical) provocations shared are designed to stir up warm and vigorous conversations about the future, and the role we play in its shaping.

Wouldst thou like

Your event to have a genuine impact in people’s lives—something both personally and professionally profound for all who attend?

Oh wonderful. Me too!
This is the most exquisitely apt keynote for you.

Make Clever Happen
Unlock meaningful progress

Dr. Jason Fox (aka foxwizard), a man with a red beard and wearing casual clothes is speaking on stage with his hands raised. The background is dark with some greenery and a lit screen visible.

The true measure of the impact of your event is not just how people feel in the moment, or immediately after it concludes. It’s in what happens in the weeks, months and years that follow.

With insights from motivation science and game design and the wit of a wizard-philosopher, we can ensure your event is a thunderous success.

Based on insights from my bestselling book The Game Changer.

#motivation #culture #progress #rituals #purpose

  • Those of us who seek the quiet knowing of what significant new and meaningful progress looks like, for them. The ones who aren’t simply looking for mechanical top-tips, short cuts or hacks—but something much deeper, richer, and poetic. Those of us who secretly crave the beginning of a whole new chapter, thanks to your event.

    • how to recognise where our defaults are helpful—and where they hold us back

    • how to reverse self-sabotage and get out of your own way

    • how to attune to the subtle glimmers, inklings and hunches generated by this event—and attune to that which is most apt for you

    • how to surpass your ‘immunity to change’ and unfurl into a bold new chapter of your story

    • how to maintain subtly-disruptive rituals so as to ensure meaningful progress

  • This keynote presents a glorious opportunity to translate the key messages and moments of your event into meaningful progress. Naturally, we will have a deep briefing call so that the broad conceptual flow can be attuned—and I will meet with you and your organising team before going on-stage, too. Here we can reflect on anything that you would like (warmly, tactfully) highlighted or reinforced.

    I should also add that this keynote will have your audience in deep conversation with each other at the end. Oh, and there will be much merriment, too.

 Of course, these are just my most popular keynote forms.

Let’s see what else we can conjure.

Fireside Provocations

Keynotes are great for large audiences and high-stakes affairs. But—if your event (and temperament) allows for it—we can do something a little more intimate.

Fireside provocations often take the form of a short provocation followed by emergent conversation and deep Q&A. They are perfect for leadership offsites, boardroom briefings, intimate gatherings, on-stage podcasts, virtual events, interactive panels, and more.

These days almost all events are recorded and broadcasted to the internet. What was once a place to share privileged thinking-in-draft has now become a platform of polished self-promotion. But no one really wants this; it’s not real.

You want your event to delight and intrigue even the most jaded and sceptical in the room—having them learn forward with new questions and a sense of wonder.

The mystic James Lee Byars once said:

“To arrive at the edge of the world’s knowledge,
seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds,
put them in a room together, and have them ask each other
the questions they are asking themselves.”

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Firesides are non-performative conversations that dance at the edge of knowledge.

Dr. Jason Fox (aka foxwizard), a man with red beard speaking at a conference with an audience, colorful artwork in the background.

I primarily offer insight from the following domains:

artificial intelligence, web3 + the future of work, the delicate taboo of (adult) leadership development, regenerative sensibilities for the collapse-aware, making sense amidst complexity and noise, and wisdom beyond rationality: meaning, myth + magic.

I also team up with leaders or small panels to facilitate deeply evocative and insightful conversations that explore the hidden questions we otherwise dare not ask. This can help socialise new initiatives and deepen understanding of our most important ideas.

Your next event could be the genesis of new possibilities—the hinge of future-history. The one they look back to, in years to come, and say: it all started then.

And I’d love to help you with that.

happy clients

  • "His understanding and empathy for leaders looking to change culture and drive innovation within organisations is unmatched."

    “We engaged Dr Jason Fox to speak at our country-wide roadshow event, which lead to an unprecedented amount of positive reception. The demand was so high that every city sold out, and we had to find larger venues to fit hundreds of participants. Such a good problem to have!

    Jason offers a genuinely fresh, relevant and [meta]modern perspective to motivation and leadership. His understanding and empathy for leaders looking to change culture and drive innovation within organisations is unmatched.

    It has been a privilege to share the success of this event with Jason and to bask in the glowing feedback coming from our audiences across all of Australia. And it doesn't end there—Jason and his team are a total joy to work with. We are incredibly happy!”

    Dana Grgas, Director at The Australian Human Resources Institute

  • "Jason was able to 'humanise' the conversation. People lowered their guards, and embraced the opportunities to connect and engage in authentic conversation."

    “At Prestel & Partner we host exclusive events for Principals and Family Offices that have at least £150 million in assets. It is therefore essential that we have speakers of the highest integrity, calibre and character. People of proven reputation, and who do not feel the need to ‘pitch’ to the audience. Dr Jason Fox is a shining example.

    He came enthusiastically recommended to us by one of our audience, and we gave him the task of opening our event in London. His opening keynote was original, practical, humorous, relevant and deeply insightful. And most importantly, Jason was able to 'humanise' the conversation. People lowered their guards, and embraced the opportunities to connect and engage in authentic conversation.

    As an event organiser, I've seen a lot of keynote speakers—Dr Fox is the absolute best.

    We are so grateful for the chance to work with him, and we look forward to future opportunities.”

    Tobias Prestel, Managing Director Prestel & Partner

  • "As our opening keynote speaker, he was able to set the tone for the whole event—moving our audience into an open state of curiosity."

    “Every two years, we gather the most important people in the global travel, tourism and hospitality industry together at The World Tourism Forum in Lucerne. Our speakers and participants include Prime Ministers, Heads of Tourism, leaders of NFPs, CEOs of large enterprises, and the directors of new and impactful startups. This is a vitally important event and with such a discerning audience, it is essential we work with only the highest quality speakers.

    Dr Jason Fox would have to be one of the best speakers we’ve ever worked with.

    He played a key role throughout the event. As our opening keynote speaker, he was able to set the tone for the whole event—moving our audience into an open state of curiosity. His message was completely congruent to our theme—‘staying relevant in uncertain times’. With such a diverse audience (we had representation from over 75 countries), we wanted to maximise the opportunities for rich and deeply relevant conversations and connection. And so we had Jason facilitate a large and interactive ‘world cafe’ session. This was immensely successful, and a highlight for many who attended the event.

    Jason also delivered a closing keynote experience that enabled our participants to translate their intention into meaningful progress. Throughout the whole experience—from helping to set the theme of the event, through to the flow of the run sheet—Jason and his team were absolutely wonderful to work with.”

    Professor Martin Barth, President & CEO The World Tourism Forum Lucerne

  • "With much-needed scepticism, humour and warmth, Dr. Fox encouraged our audience to ‘keep their wits’ about them and ‘become connoisseurs of quality thinking’ as we attempt to find meaningful progress in this exponential age."

    “It seems there are many people who now speak on Artificial Intelligence—but we wanted someone who could bring insight beyond the obvious. That’s why we hired Dr. Jason Fox.

    Jason brought the lens of complexity science to the emerging field of AI, helping our audience to think deeper (and further) about the confluence of intersecting trends accelerated by this new technology. With much-needed scepticism, humour and warmth, Dr. Fox encouraged our audience to ‘keep their wits’ about them and ‘become connoisseurs of quality thinking’ as we attempt to find meaningful progress in this exponential age. Many have said that this was the most impactful session from the whole event.”

    Jenny Katrivesis, Conference Director at Chilli IQ

More Happy Clients

For all bookings & enquiries, email Kim* via hello@drjasonfox.com

* Dr Kim Lam, aka dangerlam the veterinarian/illustrator
(also: my wondrous life partner & business manager)