Scott Dikkers
TheOnion.com Founder and Creative Catalyst
Represented by Eagles Talent Speakers Bureau Inc.
A Disruptive Guide to Being Creative
In the age of AI, how can we still be creative?
It’s true, AI is the disruption on everyone’s mind — teams in the industry wonder if they are safe from job extinction, while leaders explore how AI will generate and save money. In the midst of programming, automation, and data points, the art of human creativity (using brains and emotions) is still the key to innovation.
Scott’s talk isn’t about AI expertise, it is using a proven creativity method (with other humans or in conjunction with AI) that he used to make The Onion a multi-million dollar company. Scott is a creative catalyst who used a process that leads to constant innovation, improvisation, and adaptability.
While The Onion may be all humor, it is a serious business that has traveled through highways of disruption (from the fall of print media to the rise of the internet, and more). The future of work has always been here. Everything is changing around us — so many disruptive forces and so much change in the way we work, interact, and accomplish anything.
Creativity is how The Onion survived and thrived amid a market crash, digital transition, a hybrid office, and increased stealth competition. Scott will provide attendees a clear method that teams and leaders can use while reminding them of their vital role in innovation.
Read Scott's Bio
Scott Dikkers is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, comedy writer, and comedian widely regarded as one of the most influential pioneers in comedy history. His visionary leadership at The Onion, his groundbreaking comic strip Jim’s Journal, plus his multiple top-10 comedy podcasts have garnered him tens of millions of fans all over the world. Rolling Stone named him one of its top 10 favorite writers. Entertainment Weekly designated him “the funniest person in America” and placed him on the “It List” of the hottest celebrities in show business. He graced the cover of Time magazine as one the top 50 movers and shakers online. He’s the winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor, a Peabody, and more Webby awards than any other individual or organization. Considered a one-of-a-kind comedy legend throughout the entertainment industry, he literally wrote the book on comedy, the bestselling How to Write Funny, which spawned a training center at the famed Second City in Chicago where he mentors young creators who have gone on to win Emmys, Grammys, and Oscars.
An accomplished stage presenter who performs stand-up and has appeared on national TV shows like Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Saturday Night Live, Scott shares how he escaped a tough childhood through his love of comedy. A small, shy kid, Scott endured an upbringing marked by poverty, divorce, bullying, and even a suicide attempt at the age of eight. He found solace and inspiration from Mad magazine, which fed his passion and inspired him to create The Onion. Scott outlines his journey in his bestselling book “Outrageous Marketing: The Story of The Onion and How To Build a Powerful Brand with No Marketing Budget”. With The Onion, Scott broke the mold for branding and marketing, and he spells out his unlikely success with hilarious stories that will bring audiences to tears with laugher. More about substance than hype, Scott makes clear how the creative process needs to be open, challenging, and engaging for teams and individuals to achieve their dreams.