“John is a gifted disruptive thinker who is able to articulate complex concepts in a way that is accessible and enlightening.”

Prof Jonathan Foster-Pedley,

Dean, Henley Africa.

Based on John’s MBA thesis research, he unpacks how our identity holds the key to how we trust. This is an invaluable topic as it provides insight into how relationships are formed in the workplace between individuals from various groups. He takes the audience from current South African boardrooms through a mix of science, anthropology, psychology and neurology to paint a crisp picture of how we perceive reality. The basis of trust is agreement on what is real. Moving beyond our version to grasp the shared version is less difficult than it seems.

Humans have almost limitless capacity for ideas, and we can translate those ideas into reality, shaping our world with the thoughts we turn into stories. Ape^x explains how powerful our stories are, and asks the audience to consider if the one’s they believe are true? Ape^x takes the audience right to the source of the latest data, so that the audience can reset their own versions of the truth.

Where once, humans were victim to circumstances, we learned to adapt and survive, then we adapted the world around us and we thrived. We mastered the art of altering reality to suit us.

What shaped us into the most successful organism of all time, and how is it possible that all of our greatest successes may drive us ultimately us to catastrophic failure?

Ape^x is a 40 minute roller-coaster ride designed to bring you up to speed on where we are as a life’s leading life form. With loads of research slotted in between hilarious material and profound insights, this talk has had audiences gobsmacked to find out that deep learning can occur while belly-laughing.

Covering topics such as the building of false bias against others, how Democracy is an excellent sleight of hand and how money really works – this show is a brilliant way to become one of the more informed voices around the braai. It also shows clearly how preconceived ideas can limit our ability to see the current situation as it is, rather than as we think it should be.

How a high-school delinquent has kept pivoting through global comedy performance, building businesses and academics. Get a window on a creative and self-disrupting mindset you could add to your skills quiver while leading through uncertainty.

John sketches out his worldview developed over three decades of continuous reinvention and refusal to be pigeonholed – whether playing a world-famous stage, or leading top business school’s migration to digital marketing, or collaborating to pioneer consumer-centric awards programmes for the comedy and automotive industries.

He then breaks down his process, to give the audience a view on how he manages to remain fluid while still applying rigour – so as to avoid being indecisive. He shows how action completes the cycle of elasticity.

He includes supporting research to support his views and stitches the hour together with his signature humour and unorthodox dot connection.

This talk will chart the journey, covering strategy, the value of community in crisis and personal development as a leader during times of uncertainty and financial constraint.

My work on identity and trust can be linked to how consumers express their trust in brands. The individual is increasingly seeking self-expression AND authentic connection.

Building safe, purposive spaces for shared self-expression is possible by synthesizing the social contracts of a therapeutic community and new tech. This talk gives you a clear picture of what that looks like for your consumer. Use your resources to build communities that will help humans. Get insight into how to incorporate new technology such as DAO, NFT and Distributed Ledgers into your community design and growth.

Become an organization that really understands what trust is, how to build it, and how to create spaces where loyalty becomes intuitive.

Whether you’re negotiating a deal, or your way through a coffee break conversation – you can improve your contribution if you understand what makes you who you are. By grasping the building blocks of your own identity, you automatically develop perspectives on how others experience the world. By being able to appreciate “distance travelled” to the table – you intuitively become more able to reach a win-win deal with others.

Distinct identities in one organization are not barriers to progress, they drive the advantage of true diversity. It’s not our differences that hold us back, just our lack of appetite to get to the table ready to do a deal.

This talk connects some well-researched concepts proven to help humans find equitable solutions for all parties in a negotiation.