Josh Allan Dykstra is the optimistic futurist who helps leaders cut through confusion and design the future with clarity. He shows organizations how to stop reacting to change and start building what comes next, using practical frameworks grounded in work with teams employing 1M+ people.
Josh Allan Dykstra: The Sense-Maker Who Helps Leaders Design What's Next
Josh Allan Dykstra is an optimistic futurist and keynote speaker who helps leaders make sense of what’s next.
Organizations are drowning in conflicting signals about A.I., work, and what’s coming.
As a former tech CEO, consultant to Fortune 500s, and startup founder, Josh has seen nearly every type of workplace disruption firsthand.
In his keynotes, articles, videos, and podcasts, he cuts through the noise to deliver clarity about the future — then shows you how to build a better tomorrow.
“Our audience was riveted by Josh's topic and engaged by his style, but mostly we were inspired to make real changes in the way we are doing work.”
Carrie Kish
CEO, CultureSync
The future isn't fate — it's what we dare to MAKE.
Stop being tomorrow’s passenger.
Start being its architect.
Stop drowning in news. Start making sense of what’s next.
Every week, I translate the chaos — A.I. disruption, generational shifts, economic upheaval — into clear insights you can actually use. No doom-scrolling. No hype. Just practical wisdom for leaders navigating constant change.
Join 4000+ executives, founders, and optimists who’ve stopped predicting the future and started shaping it.
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No optimism?
No innovation.
No ownership.
No future.
The future belongs to the sense-makers.
When disruption is constant, the leaders who thrive aren’t the ones reacting fastest — they’re the ones who can make sense of what’s next and intentionally build toward it.
Everything you’re trying to do:
- Navigating A.I. transformation
- Upskilling your leaders
- Building resilient employees
depends on Future Design™ (the lens I use to help leaders make sense of what’s next and design systems that don’t burn people out in the process).
FROM
The Future We Fear
Reacting To Change
Waiting to see what happens next
Surviving Disruption
Hoping we can weather whatever’s coming
Following Trends
Copying what everyone else is doing
TO
A Tomorrow You’ll Love
Designing Change
Building the future you want to see
Creating Opportunity
Turning uncertainty into your advantage
Setting Trends
Leading others toward the future you envision
Keynote Topics
Hello Tomorrow: Making Sense Of What’s Next
Most of us are exhausted trying to fix systems that are destined to break. This session uses demographic patterns and riveting stories to show you exactly where we are in the cycle, so your group can stop optimizing what needs to be let go, and start designing what comes next.
You’ll learn what to invest in, what to let die, and how to lead into tomorrow with bold optimism.
THIS KEYNOTE IS FOR…
Organizations who feel the ground shifting beneath them and need a clearer way to understand what’s changing… and what they need to build next.
A.I. Clarity: How To Cut Through Confusion & Lead With Confidence
A.I. isn’t the threat… confusion about A.I. is. Your people have conflicting ideas about what it is, how it works, and how to use it. This session gets everyone on the same page, cuts through the noise, and gives you the strategic clarity needed to turn A.I. disruption into competitive advantage.
You’ll learn how to lead A.I. transformations with clarity and confidence.
THIS KEYNOTE IS FOR…
Leaders who feel pressure to “do something” about A.I., but want to move forward with clarity and confidence without chasing hype or frightening their teams.
Only 12% of change initiatives succeed, and that number hasn’t improved in a decade! The problem isn’t strategy, it’s fuel. This session shows you how to stop forcing change and start fueling it, using breakthrough research on flow and workplace design.
You’ll learn how to harness Human Energy™ — the missing ingredient every change needs.
THIS KEYNOTE IS FOR…
Organizations running critical transformation initiatives that must succeed, and who need people systems designed to support execution all the way through.
Why JAD?
What Josh Delivers
• Clear, future-ready direction leaders can act on
• Practical frameworks teams will actually use
• Momentum that carries beyond the keynote
Why Audiences Love Him
• Engaging, story-driven keynotes that land
• Optimism that restores confidence without hype
• Credibility earned from work at real organizational scale (1M+ employees served)
Why Event Planners Love Him
• Easy to work with — clear process, no surprises (# to text below!)
• Customized for your audience and event goals
• Supports promotion and post-event value
Hi! I'm Josh Allan Dykstra.
Over the last 15+ years, I’ve worked with organizations including Microsoft, Amazon, CHANEL, and Sony, helping leaders cut through confusion and build what’s next.
But before that, I grew up in a small midwestern town, raised by amazing entrepreneurial parents who taught me the future is something we design and build together.
Remember when the future felt exciting? When we dreamed of flying cars, cities in the sky, and a world where technology made life more delightful? That optimism got buried somewhere under decades of dystopian predictions, continual tension, and systems that have burned us out.
In my work with organizations of all kinds, all over the world, I’ve learned how to recapture that “World Of Tomorrow” excitement — and how we can build the future we actually want to live and work in.
Let’s create an amazing experience, together!
FORMER
Classically-trained pianist
Rockstar
Small-town guy
Midwesterner
Barista
Genius (@ Apple, ahem)
Tech founder
CURRENT
Girl dad
Keynote speaker
Big city guy
Philosopher
Author
Multi-instrumentalist
Startup mentor
As Seen In...
