Welcome to Platypus Labs
We help leaders activate innovation across their entire organization.
What if you could systematically build the creative capacity of every team member, empowering them to solve complex problems, seize opportunities, and realize profound economic benefits through cutting-edge, transformative experiences and methodologies?
Blending experiences from startups, science, research, art, and business, our passionate team works to understand, harness and apply creativity toward productive, innovative outcomes.
We are thought-leaders and innovators. Business executives and academics. Dreamers and doers.
The SPARK Model
In an era where change is the only constant, the SPARK Innovation Model has emerged as a pioneering force in the landscape of growth and transformation. It is a comprehensive framework designed to navigate the complexities of modern organizational challenges, blending cutting-edge research with practical strategies.
At its heart, SPARK aims to empower businesses to not only respond to the rapidly evolving market dynamics with agility and foresight, but to also proactively shape the future of their industries. The SPARK Model sets a new standard for how companies can achieve growth, adaptability, and competitive advantage in the 21st century.
SEED: Awaken the Artist Within
Embracing proven methodologies, teams and leaders reignite their spark of creativity. It's akin to nurturing a seed – where teams unlock a latent yet powerful potential, empowering them to embody the essence of everyday innovators. By fostering this environment, leaders facilitate a transformation where innovative thinking and action become as natural and habitual as breathing.
PRACTICE: Expand Capacity & Speed
Through the lens of deliberate practice, teams progressively enhance their creative abilities, seamlessly integrating these newfound skills into their daily workflow. As time passes and repetition ensues, creativity morphs into an intrinsic strength, applied with meticulous precision to accelerate the achievement of superior outcomes.
ACTION: Execute with Confidence & Competence
As leaders and their teams master the art of employing our approach to harnessing creativity in their daily endeavors, undeterred by limitations, they begin to consistently conceive, develop, and implement groundbreaking ideas. This process fosters a resurgence of confidence and competence, hallmark traits of innovative teams.
RISE: Strengthen & Sustain Momentum
As the organization confronts disruption and competitive threats, leaders and team members step up with a blend of inventive thinking and creative problem-solving, turning potential pitfalls into victories. This shift in mindset transforms the organizational culture from one paralyzed by 'what-ifs' to one that is agile, future-focused, and equipped to navigate challenges and capitalize on emerging opportunities.
KINDLE: Lead & Amplify Impact
As success spreads from one team to the next, the practice of everyday innovation evolves into an organization-wide movement. Each individual contributes to elevated success; leaders reach unprecedented levels of impact and influence. This evolving culture consistently navigates disruptions and changes, achieving success after success through a blend of collaboration, creativity, and resilience.
Trusted by industry-leading companies around the globe.
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You're in great company
See what our customers say about us . . .
"Our team members leave every live session wanting more . . .
through our partnership with Platypus labs, our team members have acquired valuable new skills around innovating and ideating, and have been able to foster an environment that is ripe for change! Kaiser makes the concept of positive, high-impact change so approachable to our teams."
Monica Chiongbian
Innovation
,
Moss Adams
"No business can afford to pause for a moment from the headlong drive to meet new challenges to the status quo.
The speed of invention is threatening traditional products and services, already relegating some to history. Josh Linkner reminds us that to reinvent the workplace, we have to be reinventing ourselves as leaders continually.”
Deborah Hopkins
Chief Innovation Officer
,
Citibank
"Building a culture of innovation is critically important.
There’s no better way to learn than with a trusted roadmap of tools and real-life examples. Platypus Labs illustrates how innovative thinking is possible for every employee and business leader, so we can all unlock our full creative potential.”
Mike Kaufmann
CEO
,
Cardinal Health
"...brought creative problem-solving mindsets and techniques to life.
Kaiser provided practical tools that the team was able to apply immediately after the session. The exercises were fun and engaging and allowed team members to stretch their creative "muscles." Kaiser brought fascinating examples, subject matter expertise, and compelling storytelling capabilities."
Ana Eberhard
Vice President, Member Experience
,
AvMed
"...showed us how to make innovation approachable and practical.
Building a culture of innovation is not a one-size-fits-all pursuit. We've been working with Kaiser for nearly five years; the frameworks he provided us at the beginning of our journey are still being used and driving innovation today."
David Mucha
Head of Strategy
,
Compeer Financial
"Partnering with Platypus Labs has been extremely transformative . . .
They masterfully demystified the mindsets and techniques behind world-class innovation, invigorated our culture of innovation, and empowered us with a systematic framework to explore new frontiers in industry. They are more than just expert consultants, they are strategic partners."
Jef Frank
SVP, Innovation
,
Resideo
Meet Josh and Kaiser
Josh is a New York Times bestselling author. He is a rare blend of business, art, and science. On the business front, he’s been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which created over 10,000 jobs and sold for a combined value of over $200 million. He’s the co-founder and Managing Partner of Muditā (moo-DEE-tah) Venture Partners — an early-stage venture capital firm investing in groundbreaking technologies. Over the last 30years, he’s helped over 100 startups launch and scale, creating over $1 billion of investor returns.
While proud of his business success, his roots are in the dangerous world of jazz music. He’s been playing guitar in smoky jazz clubs for 40 years, studied at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, and has performed over 1,000 concerts around the world.
His experiences in both business and music led him to become one of the world’s foremost experts on innovation. Today, he’s on a mission to help leaders Find A Way™ through creative problem-solving, inventive thinking, and ingenuity.
Kaiser passionately believes that even the most transformative innovations can be fast, scrappy, and accessible to us all, and he is on a mission to help make innovation an everyday business.
Over the last 25 years, Kaiser has been at the forefront of digital transformations, building and scaling multiple technology startups and guiding transformative initiatives with clients such as Microsoft, Disney, The Gap and other Fortune 500 organizations.
Today, Kaiser helps leaders and teams achieve the outcomes they crave - growth, performance, competitive advantage, deeper engagement, and predictable results.
Kaiser is a globally recognized innovation expert, a hyper-growth leader, and his award-winning book, Crack the Code, 8 Surprising Keys to Unlock Innovation, demonstrates his proven system to help everyday people innovate in their everyday work. Kaiser is also an award-winning restaurateur, a passionate breeder of koi fish, a golf enthusiast, and the proud father of twins, Jared and Jada.