Linkedin Speaker Series

As the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma advocates for equal opportunities for people with disabilities. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change, and Forbes recognized her in Forbes 30 Under 30. Haben travels the world consulting and public speaking, teaching clients the benefits of fully accessible products and services. Haben has also been consulting with EnableIn to make LinkedIn’s workplace and products more inclusive, and we are so excited to introduce her to the rest of the company!  Listen to Haben’s inspiring story, and learn how disability is driving innovation.

Join us as Scott Shute, our VP Global Customer Operations, sits down with two New York Times–bestselling authors, Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson, to discuss new research showing what meditation can really do for the brain. In the last twenty years, meditation and mindfulness have gone from being kind of cool to becoming an omnipresent Band-Aid for fixing everything from your weight to your relationship to your achievement level. In their new book, “Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body,” Goleman and Davidson show us the truth about what meditation can really do for us, and exactly how to get the most out of it.  This is one of those rare books that has the power to change us at the deepest level.

This is an age of epic political turbulence around the world. Old hierarchies and institutions are collapsing. All the “givens” of civic life are no longer given. From the fracturing of the major political parties, to the spread of bottom-up movements like Black Lives Matter and $15 Now, citizens across the world and across the political spectrum are reclaiming power. It is no longer the exclusive domain of CEOs, political elites, and insiders from any political party. And the question that today’s rising citizens have to face is: Are you ready? Do you understand power? And if you want to make change in the world, do you know how? Eric Liu, who has spent a career practicing and teaching civic power, will delve into this topic in an incisive and inspiring session. Using examples from the left and the right, past and present, he will reveal the core laws of power and show us that we all can generate power and create strategies of reform. If you want to be more than a spectator in this new era, join us!

“The only person that’s going to have power over me, is me”. Scout Bassett doesn’t just push limits. She sets them. Listen to Scout Bassett - Paralympian, Nike Athlete, and Challenged Athletes Foundation Spokesperson - speak about her transformational journey.  As an infant, a fire took away her right leg from above the knee down. She was found abandoned on the streets of Nanjing, China, and taken to the government orphanage. Inside these isolating walls, she lived in extremely harsh conditions and endured several heart-wrenching years of trauma and anguish. Today, Scout is a competitive U.S. Paralympic track sprinter who represented Team USA at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. In addition to helping other challenged athletes pursue their dreams, she is rigorously training to be an elite athlete. “We all have different challenges: some external, some internal,” said Scout. “But, it’s not how we start, it’s how we finish that counts.”

Many of us insist the main impediment to a full, successful life is the outside world. In fact, the most common enemy lies within: our ego. Early in our careers, it impedes learning and the cultivation of talent. With success, it can blind us to our faults and sow future problems. In failure, it magnifies each blow and makes recovery more difficult. At every stage, ego holds us back. In an era that glorifies social media, reality TV, and other forms of shameless self-promotion, the battle against ego must be fought on many fronts. Join us to hear lessons from Ryan Holiday and his new book, Ego is the Enemy.  As he writes, “you will be less invested in the story you tell about your own specialness, and as a result, you will be liberated to accomplish the world-changing work you’ve set out to achieve.”

From his restaurants and cookbooks to his philanthropic efforts, everything that Mario Batali has achieved is bigger, bolder, and more recognizable. Join us as LinkedIn’s Editor in Chief Dan Roth, hosts Mario in a fireside chat to discuss the intelligent risks Mario has taken in his entrepreneurial career, talk about the wonderful world of food and his cooking philosophy, and understand his fascination with orange Crocs.

In the spirit of iconic Silicon Valley renegades like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, another generation of entrepreneurs is using technology to upend convention and disrupt entire industries. These are the upstarts, idiosyncratic founders with limitless drive and an abundance of self-confidence. The Upstarts is the definitive story of Uber and Airbnb, two new titans of business and a dawning age of tenacity, conflict, and wealth. Brad Stone, Senior Executive Editor of Global Technology at Bloomberg News and the author of the New York Times bestseller “The Everything Store,” illuminates the smart, driven, and often comically-flawed people who are upending industries and changing the way we all live and work.   Join us as Shannon Stubo, our Chief Marketing Officer and SVP of Corporate Communications, hosts Brad at a fireside chat to discover what it took to change the world.

We were pleased to welcome Neil Pasricha live from our New York office to share recent breakthroughs in the study of happiness and inspire us to hit our full potential.   A Harvard MBA, New York Times - bestselling author, award-winning blogger, and one of the most popular TED speakers in the world, Pasricha is “a pied piper of happiness” (The Star) who dazzles audiences with ideas and frameworks that launch happiness into the stratosphere. With infectious enthusiasm, heartfelt authenticity, and a “what’s worked” authority, Pasricha will challenge you to elevate expectations of yourself and commit to the habit of happiness every day. He is best known for his The Book of Awesome series, and The Happiness Equation which are international bestsellers.  

We were thrilled to welcome Joe Lacob, CEO & Owner of the Golden State Warriors, to our LinkedIn Speaker Series. Mike Derezin, VP Sales Solutions, had a fascinating conversation with him about Joe’s personal story and what it takes to build a winning culture -- both on the court and as a business.

Have you heard all the buzz about LinkedIn Cities?  In case you haven't, this is our effort to truly bring the Economic Graph to life and create economic opportunity for all.  Our core partner for LinkedIn Cities is the Markle Foundation and Zoë Baird, its CEO and President, is our Speaker Series guest this month.  Allen Blue hosted a special fireside chat with Zoë and they will discuss how we are helping job seekers acquire new skills and advance their careers through Skillful, a network of online tools and on-the-ground resources.  We are focusing first on the cities of Denver and Phoenix, with a special emphasis on middle-skill workers. Hear all about the incredible impact we will have in these cities and how you can get involved to make our Economic Graph vision a reality!

Trust in government is at an all-time low. Re-designing and improving the way we govern will have to be a key a priority for any new president. Join us to hear Beth Simone Noveck, former Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the United States and author of Smart Citizens, Smarter State, dive into the important topic: The Tech Presidency: Governing in the Age of Big Data and Machine Learning.   The Obama administration, which is often called the “first tech presidency” has made considerable progress toward e-enabling government over the last eight years, including the creation of new tech and innovation leadership roles across government; crafting of policy and legal frameworks that encourage experimentation and innovation; and the launch of new platforms to change how government works. In particular, the White House has been at the forefront of a global movement to open up and use the data government collects to transform everything from healthcare to criminal justice. So-called open government data is empowerin

Kris Tompkins, former CEO of Patagonia, Inc. turned world-renowned conservationist, has worked to create parklands in Chile and Argentina for more than 20 years, including current negotiations for the largest private land donation in history.  Through the efforts of the Tompkins Conservation foundations and their partners, more than 2.2 million acres of South America have been protected. Join us as Kris discusses the importance of restoring ecosystems and providing economic opportunities for local communities—and how these goals can be achieved through the establishment of national parks. From CEO of Patagonia Inc. to one of the world’s leading conservationists, Kris’ story is unique and exemplifies the agency of private individuals to impact nations. Her journey has proven that partnerships between private and public actors can advance biodiversity on a global scale.

Join us for an intimate conversation between Florent Groberg and LinkedIn’s VP of Member Marketing and Communications, Nick Bartle, as they discuss the values of Leadership, Service, and Sacrifice both in the military and out. Hear Florent’s remarkable story about receiving the military’s highest honor and the lessons he’s learned through his civilian transition.

The common wisdom about Artificial Intelligence is that we are building increasingly intelligent machines that will ultimately surpass human capabilities, steal our jobs, possibly even escape human control and take over the world.  Jerry Kaplan, Fellow at the Stanford Center for Legal Informatics, believes this narrative is both misguided and counterproductive. Join Jerry for an unorthodox tour of the history of Artificial Intelligence, learn why it is so misunderstood, and what we can do to ensure that the engines of progress don’t motor on without us.

We kicked off this year’s Speaker Series program with a powerful event that will set you up for success in 2016!  Andy Puddicombe, founder of Headspace, joined our own Jeff Weiner for a fascinating discussion around the power of mindfulness and meditation. Headspace was founded by Andy Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk, and Rich Pierson, a creative developer. After 10 years of meditation training around the world, culminating in full ordination at a Tibetan Monastery, Andy returned to the UK with a clear aim: To make meditation accessible, relevant, and beneficial for as many people as possible. In partnership with Rich, this aim was realized through the creation of Headspace.

We were pleased to welcome Daniel Lubetzky, the visionary CEO of KIND Healthy Snacks, to a discussion with Caroline Fairchild, LinkedIn’s New Economy Editor, live from our New York office. When Daniel Lubetzky started KIND Healthy Snacks in 2004, he aimed to defy the conventional wisdom that snack bars could never be both tasty and healthy, convenient and wholesome. A decade later, the transformative power of the company’s “AND” philosophy has resulted in an astonishing record of achievement. KIND has become the fastest-growing purveyor of healthy snacks in the country. Meanwhile, the KIND Movement—the company’s social mission to make the world a little kinder—has sparked more than a million good deeds worldwide. Listen in to learn how the power of “AND” worked wonders for one company—and could empower the next generation of social entrepreneurs to improve their bottom line and change the world.

We are honored to welcome Deepak Chopra back to our LinkedIn Speaker Series to discuss his new book, Super Genes, with our VP of Leadership and Organizational Development, Fred Kofman. Listen to this session to learn how to unlock the astonishing power of DNA for optimum health and wellbeing. In his book, “Super Genes”, Chopra discusses how genetics is undergoing a revolution that opens the way people can influence their health in unsuspecting ways. By focusing on and optimizing your own cellular activity through conscious choices, Chopra explains that you can: Improve your mood level, staving off anxiety and depression Resist yearly colds and flu Return to normal sound sleep Gain more energy and resist chronic stress Slow the aging process Normalize your metabolism Decrease your risk of cancer

We are delighted to host our first LinkedIn alum as a guest in our Speaker Series!    Matt Cohler, a member of LinkedIn’s founding team from 2003 - 2005, is a successful venture capitalist whose background in the industry is nothing short of impressive. Cohler, who ranked #63 on Forbes Midas List, is currently serving as General Partner at Benchmark where he helped land Snapchat and Uber for the company. In addition to identifying investment opportunities, Cohler also works closely with companies across Benchmark’s portfolio, including Dropbox, Domo and 1stdibs. Listen to the event and Q&A with Matt Cohler and Reid Hoffman and learn the secrets to Cohler's success and what it was like back in the “old days” at LinkedIn.

We were delighted to welcome James Caan CBE to our London office for a live talk and Q&A: Observe the masses and do the opposite. James Caan, a LinkedIn Influencer and one of the UK's most successful and dynamic entrepreneurs is perhaps best known as an investor in the TV series Dragon's Den. But did you know that Caan initially achieved success in the recruitment industry? He founded the recruitment company, Alexander Mann Group, in 1985, and sold it in 2002. Josh Graff, Senior Director, hosted a lively discussion about the secrets to James’ career success.

In their new powerful book, Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World, General Stanley McChrystal and Chris Fussell show how the challenges they faced in Iraq can be rel­evant to businesses, nonprofits, and other or­ganizations.LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman will lead an illuminating conversation with General McChrystal and Chris Fussell about how the world is changing faster than ever, and the smartest response for those in charge is to give small groups the freedom to experiment and to share what they learn across the entire organiza­tion. They will discuss how this team of teams strategy has the power to transform organizations large and small.