Richard Florida
Richard Florida is one of the world’s leading urbanists. He is an entrepreneur, as founder of the Creative Class Group which works closely with companies and governments worldwide.
Richard Florida's videos
What Richard Florida's clients say
"Richard's presentation at our Annual General Meeting was both powerful and inspirational. Community and business leaders left the meeting with renewed passion for building a strong knowledge-based economy in our city."
"It was a spellbinding session and really rounded off the day provoking thought and exciting people about the possibility of change."
"Your speech at Columbia College Chicago was insightful, thought provoking and wonderful! We have received rave reviews and a tremendous amount of positive feedback from our students and guests."
"...Florida is an authoritative and entertaining observer. He pulls together many of the things we see into an illuminating narrative of demography and urban and economic development."
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Richard Florida's 2024 biography
Richard Florida’s background
The Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, Global Research Professor at New York University, and the founder of the Creative Class Group, which works closely with governments and companies worldwide, Richard Florida is perhaps the world’s leading urbanist.
Combining in-depth analysis, cutting-edge trends, compelling personal stories and a touch of humor, it is no wonder Richard Florida is one of the world’s most sought after speakers, alongside luminaries such as Bill Clinton, Bill Gates and Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor.
As a leading public intellectual, Esquire Magazine named him one of their Best and Brightest. Richard has also been appointed to the Business Innovation Factory’s Research Advisory Council and recently named European Ambassador for Creativity and innovation.
Florida is the author of several global best sellers, including the award-winning The Rise of the Creative Class (“one of the best business books of all time”—800-CEO-READ), and is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he co-founded and serves as Editor-at-Large for Atlantic Cities, the world’s leading media site devoted to cities and urban affairs. Florida appears regularly on CNN and other news broadcasts and is a regular contributor to the op ed pages of major newspapers and magazines.
TIME magazine recognized his Twitter feed as one of the 140 most influential in the world. Florida previously taught at Carnegie Mellon and George Mason University, and has been a visiting professor at Harvard and MIT. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers College and his Ph.D. from Columbia University.
Richard Florida's 2024 talks & topics
On the 'Brain Drain': Competing for talent
Florida shows you the keys for attracting, retaining and managing the best and the brightest. Money is important but it won’t seal the deal, Florida argues. The best and the brightest are intrinsically motivated and seek out challenge, flexibility and the ability to work with other top talent in their working lives.
On Real Estate: Real Estate for the Creative Economy
Location, location, location. It’s an old real estate adage, but it matters today more than ever before. Florida’s work on demographics and migration of the creative class has made him one of the most sought after speakers and consultants to the real estate industry.
On Business Strategy: The Creative Corporation
Ever wonder why some companies die while others thrive? As Florida tells it, we have entered a whole new era of business competition. Having led large-scale studies of industries and companies from Toyota and other leading manufacturers to the software industry and high-end design, Florida shows how the key to success lies in three areas: harnessing cutting-edge design and innovation inside and outside the enterprise; attracting and retaining top high-performing talent; and picking the right set of locations. With real-world insight culled from more than two decades of research and his work with leading CEOs, Florida shows the keys to sustaining your creative edge and performance.
Innovation, the culture of creativity and managing for it
In The Creative Management Speech, Florida leads teams of executives and managers on how to manage creativity culled through more than two decades of research on leading edge companies and his breakthrough Harvard Business Review article with SAS CEO and founder, Jim Goodnight. This speech ignites new thinking and strategic initiatives on how to manage, motivate and inspire creative people.
On Marketing: Capturing the creative class consumer
There is no more powerful construct in marketing today than Florida’s idea of the ‘creative class.’ While others talk about fragmenting markets and long tails, Florida shows you why the creative class of 40 million Americans with 50% of the wages and 70% of disposable income is a group your company can’t afford to miss.
Managing Diversity
Most corporate diversity efforts are compliance driven, adding little to the bottom line. Drawing up his research and analysis in his best-selling book, Rise of the Creative Class and other sources, Florida’s Managing Diversity speech provides a framework for making diversity efforts value adding.
Richard Florida's 2024 speaking fees
- United States
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