Leadership Summit: Tech Entrepreneur to Headline Program
A Detroit native and a strong philanthropic backer of his hometown, Linkner will analyze trends and developments that he’s detailed in books such as Hacking Innovation and The Road to Reinvention: How to Drive Disruption and Accelerate Transformation.
In a recent interview with Textile Services Weekly, Linkner said that for commercial laundries and similar service businesses to thrive, they must accept that the patterns they’ve long relied on are likely to shift dramatically in the near term. In most cases, business survival will depend on your company’s ability to adapt.
“We’re living in unprecedented times,” Linkner said. “You have new technologies, new lifestyles, new ways of doing business. The one thing we know for sure is we can no longer rely on the models of the past and expect the same results. In fact, when you study the downfall of many companies, once-great companies that are no longer here, it’s because they believed that success was a permanent condition. Really, it’s a temporary state that today is changing more than ever.
“For a commercial laundry, I think the notion is, if you just keep doing things the way you’ve always done them, you’re most likely to see declining and perhaps even fatal results. It’s more about saying, from a position of strength, as the world changes, how do we stay ahead of those changes? How do adapt to the new circumstances, rather than clinging to the past.”
Linkner has an in-depth background in technology and managing change. He’s founded and led five high-tech companies that have sold for a combined value of $200 million. He’s also the founding partner of Detroit Venture Partners, a group that’s invested in and mentored over 100 startup companies.
Linkner has twice received honors as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. He also received a “Champion of Change” award from President Barack Obama. Linkner writes regularly on business trends and technology for publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Inc. Magazine and others.
TRSA’s new Leadership Summit is designed to help top company management deal with a fast-changing business environment through the development of corporate and industry leaders. Attendance is limited to 125 people, who’ll follow distinct tracks created for CEOs/Executives, Young Executives and Emerging Leaders. To encourage maximum participation, companies that register two attendees may have a third attend at no charge. The goal is to encourage teamwork among company leaders at various levels.
The summit will be held at the Hilton Rosemont Hotel, near O’Hare Airport. It will kick off with a welcome reception on June 12 in advance of Linkner’s keynote address at 8 a.m. the following morning. Click here for details or to register.