Soren Kaplan is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestselling book Leapfrogging. As the Founder of the Leapfrogging Alliance, he works with companies including Disney, Cisco, PayPal, Kimberly-Clark, Colgate-Palmolive, PepsiCo, Philips, Medtronic, Roche, and numerous other global firms. Soren previously led the internal strategy and innovation group at Hewlett-Packard (HP) during the roaring 1990’s in Silicon Valley and was a co-founder of iCohere, one of the first web collaboration platforms for online learning and communities of practice.

He is an Adjunct Professor within the Imagineering Academy at NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands and sits on the advisory boards of several start-ups including Glyder and Famtivity. He has been quoted, published, and interviewed by FastCompany, Forbes, CNBC, National Public Radio, the American Management Association, USA Today, Strategy & Leadership, and The International Handbook on Innovation, among many others. He resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, two daughters, and hypo-allergenic cat.

   

Soren has presented to dozens of organizations, from corporations and conferences to associations, universities and nonprofits. His engaging speaking style leads his audiences through a journey of exploration and discovery to insight and practical application, ensuring that everyone walks away energized – and with a sense of actionable direction.

View Soren's TED talk on The Power of Surprise for Personal and Business Breakthroughs:



   

Soren customizes every talk to his specific audience – since he’s an adamant believer that it’s only possible to truly connect to others when one has an understanding of their needs, challenges and passions. Clients and presentations include:

• Cisco Systems
• Colgate-Palmolive
• Disney
• Frito-Lay
• JP Morgan Chase
• Kimberly-Clark
• PepsiCo
• PayPal
• Wells Fargo
• Case Western Reserve University
• Harvard Business School
• NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences
• Human Capital Institute
• American Society of Association Executives
• American Society of Training and Development
• Innovation Convergence
• New Media Consortium
• Organization Development Network

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In addition to working with some of the world's most innovative companies, Soren has been interviewed and regularly contributes to the leading journals and publications on business innovation and strategy:


Article: How To Turn A Nasty Surprise Into The Next Disruptive Idea
Article: Mothers of Invention: How Moms Help Huggies Innovate
Article: 4 Strategies for Winning Over Innovation Naysayers
Article: 4 Innovation Strategies from Big Companies that Act Like Start-ups


Interview: The Power of Surprise



Article: From Surprise to Breakthrough - 'Leapfrogging' Your Way to Success



Article: Leadership Competencies for Disruptive Innovation

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For inquires about Soren’s speaking engagements, click here. __________________________________________________