2017 Transforming Local Government

Josh Linkner - who started his career as a jazz guitarist - personifies creativity, entrepreneurship andJosh Linkner disruptive innovation. He has been the founder and CEO of four tech companies, which sold for a combined value of over $200 million.

Josh is the author of two New York Times Bestsellers: Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity, and The Road to Reinvention: How to Drive Disruption and Accelerate Transformation. He is also the Founding Partner of Detroit Venture Partners, investing in and mentoring over 100 startups.

Josh has twice been named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and is a President Barack Obama Champion of Change award recipient. He is a regular columnist for Forbes, The Detroit Free Press, and Inc. Magazine. His work on innovation has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, CNN, and The New York Times. And yes, he still plays a mean jazz guitar. For more information, visit www.JoshLinkner.com.

Derreck Kayongo energizes audiences with his compelling and courageous story of survival, discovery and humanitarianism. From a young Ugandan refugee to a successful entrepreneur, human rights activist and renowned global health expert, Kayongo galvanizes audiences to seize the power of observation to identify issues and effectively solve any challenge. With undeniable charm, palpable passion, and endearing wit, Kayongo brings his story and guiding principles, coined as S.E.L.F., standing for service, education, leadership and faith, to life in emotionally packed presentations that stay with you long after his closing remarks.

Kayongo is the founder of the Global Soap Project, which recycles partially used and discarded bars of soap from thousands of hotels and redistributes it to disadvantaged populations around the world. Since its founding in 2009, the Project has distributed soap to more than 90 countries where close to 2 million lives are claimed each year due to lack of proper hygiene.

Kayongo’s experience as a human rights activist, combined with his lifelong commitment to his work and notable rhetorical skills earned him his current role as the CEO at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Called a “living embodiment of the Center’s mission,” Kayongo is elevating the visibility of the Center and expanding its vision beyond its geography.