Students are graduating into a dismal economy. Wages are stagnant. Global competition for jobs is fierce. The employer-employee pact is over; job security doesn’t exist. The career escalator that used to naturally propel workers up the ranks in a corporation is now jammed at every level.

In a keynote based on his forthcoming book with LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman, Ben presents a blueprint for how to thrive in this new economic landscape. The key: learn to think and act like an entrepreneur. In other words, move up that jammed escalator by running your career like it’s a start-up business: a living, breathing, growing start-up of you.

You don’t need to start your own business, but you do need to adopt the mindset and learn the skill set of entrepreneurs. Why? Start-ups - and the entrepreneurs who run them - are nimble. The invest in themselves. They build their professional networks. They take intelligent risks. They make uncertainty and volatility work to their advantage.

These are the very same skills new graduates need to get ahead in today’s fractured world of work.

In this inspirational yet practical keynote, students will learn the entrepreneurial strategies that can jump-start their careers no matter their industry of interest. From crafting flexible career plans, to building genuine professional relationships, to finding the breakout opportunities that can transform their career. Students will feel empowered to confront the extraordinary economic challenges facing their generation.

Wages are stagnant. Global competition for jobs is fierce. The employer-employee pact is over; job security doesn’t exist. The career escalator that used to naturally propel workers up the ranks in a corporation is now jammed at every level.

In a keynote based on his forthcoming book with LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman, Ben presents a blueprint for how to thrive in this new economic landscape. The key: learn to think and act like an entrepreneur. In other words, move up that jammed escalator by running your career like it’s a start-up business: a living, breathing, growing start-up of you.

You don’t need to start your own business, but you do need to adopt the mindset and learn the skill set of entrepreneurs.
Why? Start-ups - and the entrepreneurs who run them - are nimble. They invest in themselves. They build their professional networks. They take intelligent risks. They make uncertainty and volatility work to their advantage.

These are the very same skills professionals need to get ahead in today’s fractured world of work.

In this keynote, you will learn the Silicon Valley strategies that can jump-start you career. From crafting flexible career plans, to building genuine professional relationships, to finding breakout opportunities. This is a bold guide to thriving in a world where every professional must be the entrepreneur of his or her own life.

Wages are stagnant. Global competition for jobs is fierce. The career escalator that used to naturally propel workers up the ranks in a corporation is now jammed at every level. As the world of work has changed, so has the relationship between employee and employer. The best and brightest professionals today are not looking to work at a company for life. Rather, they loan their talent to a corporation for as long as they feel it makes sense. They don’t expect conventional job training, but they do expect tremendous professional growth. And when they leave your company, they expect to be part of your firm’s alumni network. When employees are the “start-up” of themselves, how a company attracts and retains top talent must change. In this keynote, Ben Casnocha explains how the new career landscape should affect your firm’s recruiting and retention of the best employees.

Risk tends to get a bad rap. We associate it with things like losing money in the stock market, or riding a motorcycle without a helmet. But risk isn’t the enemy -- it’s a permanent part of life. In fact, being proactively intelligent about risk is a prerequisite for seizing breakout opportunities. Risk is the flip side of every opportunity and career move. And while you can’t predict all the risks you’ll face, you can build up your resilience to the unpredictable. In this keynote, Ben Casnocha explains how every individual can develop a strategy for taking the intelligent risks that are essential to leading a spectacular career.

Entrepreneurship is the engine of economic growth, job creation, and innovation. Places like Silicon Valley have long been an entrepreneurial hub—but great entrepreneurs can thrive anywhere, if the conditions are right. From Athens to Santiago, from Zurich to Marrakesh, from Jakarta to Nicosia, Ben has addressed passionate local leaders who want to spark entrepreneurship in their own community. In this keynote, Ben explains the secrets behind Silicon Valley and how to make your region a place that can give birth to the next Google.

Thinking about starting a company? This talk will whip you into action. In this inspirational keynote, Ben explains the origin of his own entrepreneurial journey, shares practical lessons learned from his business successes and failures, and ends with a call to action for everyone to take action. Learn the principles of entrepreneurship, and then get going!