Innovation Keynote Speaker · Innovation Culture · Culture Change
Your organization knows too much. And asks too little.
Children don't invent because they have to. They invent because they can't stop questioning, experimenting and failing – without calling it that. We haven't lost this ability. We gave it away. Christian Wehner shows how organizations reclaim it. Before AI takes over the rest.
"For everyone who longs for a better tomorrow and a new perspective on life."
Dr. Frederik G. Pferdt, First and former Chief Innovation Evangelist @ Google
Background
SPIEGEL Bestseller
Author & TEDx Speaker
Daily Practice
SAP SE
Senior Director Innovation Strategy
The Concept
KIDULT
Childlike curiosity as innovation engine
Those who have stopped asking are only managing.
Christian Wehner is Senior Director Innovation Strategy at SAP, SPIEGEL bestselling author and TEDx Speaker. He works daily on exactly one question: how do we build a culture where the abilities we lost in childhood find their way home?
Every child is a natural innovator. They ask questions, experiment without writing a business case. At some point they learn that questions can be stupid. That failure is a problem. That you only speak when you're certain. In that moment a small innovation engine dies.
Organizations reproduce exactly this conditioning at scale. Children solve problems together; as adults we tend to solve problems in isolation. This keynote shows how to reclaim our childlike naivety.
01
Reclaim the right things, don't introduce new ones
Innovation culture doesn't come from a new program. It comes when organizations stop unlearning what people naturally bring with them. This keynote shows what that is.
02
From lived practice
As Senior Director Innovation Strategy at SAP, Christian Wehner doesn't talk about innovation. He shapes it daily inside one of the world's most complex corporate architectures.
03
Provocation with substance
No validation of the status quo. The friendly but clear wake-up call that many organizations need and rarely get.
What used to count. What counts now.
Cultivate mindset
Processes scale what already works. Mindset creates what doesn't exist yet. Both are necessary. But only one of them innovates.
Ask new questions
Those who look for best practices are looking for yesterday. Those who allow themselves not to know find tomorrow. Every child once took this willingness for granted.
Tolerate not knowing
Children say "I don't know" and mean: I want to find out. Adults say "I don't know" and mean: please don't ask me that. Not knowing is not a deficit. It is the only state from which real discovery can emerge.
Let ideas breathe first
Every idea runs through evaluation loops before it gets air. What if organizations enabled first and evaluated later? Children do exactly that. Until we train it out of them. The most dangerous person in any innovation process is not the hesitator. It's the one who is certain too soon.
Child and adult.
Both at once.
KIDULT combines what adults unlearn – the radical curiosity of the child – with what adults have: experience, judgment and responsibility.
Children don't ask because they are brave. They ask because nobody has yet taught them that some questions are stupid. Reclaiming this state consciously, as an adult, is not regression. It is the next step in development.
The answer to the innovation question does not lead to a new process. It leads back.
Watch showreel
Right for your event.
15'
ImpulseThe Thought
A focused impulse that opens a room. Ideal as an entry point into a larger program or as an opener between sessions.
45'
KeynoteThe Full Impact
Keynote including an interactive ritual with the audience. Not passive listening but a shared experience that resonates.
90'
Deep DiveThe Transfer
Deep Dive Keynote with interactive part and Q&A. For leadership events and formats that require depth and dialogue.
30- and 60-minute formats are also available on request. All formats are individually tailored to your event framework.
Testimonials – 5/5 Stars
"Christian's energy is a mix of enthusiasm, optimism, charisma and powerful insights."
Thiankai Feng, Head of Product Data Governance, Adidas
"Christian is simply awesome. His presentations are vivid, full of creativity and humour, yet full of substance and fact-based insight into what it takes to succeed in a changing world of work. We all learned a lot and would book him again any time."
Anna Kopp, IT Director Germany (CIO/CDO), Microsoft
"Christian Wehner managed to inspire and captivate even seasoned innovation and digital managers at Lisbon's WebSummit. Christian is a brand of his own – approachable and creative, he elevates every stage."
Benjamin Werner, Head of Group Marketing, fischerAppelt
"We booked Christian for the Davos Digital Forum and are still very happy with that choice. He captivated a demanding audience with his relaxed style and sparked an inspiring exchange through the interactive elements."
Dr. Petra Arends-Paltzer, Founder, Davos Digital Forum
"Christian Wehner has been enriching our annual programme at EBS University since 2020. The participants of our MARKENAKADEMIE SALES are consistently inspired by his impulses."
Jürgen Wollenschläger, MARKENAKADEMIE SALES, Markenverband e.V. Berlin
What event organizers most often want to know.
Annual conferences, leadership events, company kick-offs, culture programs – across all industries. The KIDULT concept is industry-agnostic yet resonates personally with every audience. Past bookings have come from financial services, manufacturing, retail, consulting, media and the public sector.
While others talk about innovation methods, this keynote invests in innovation culture. Christian Wehner shows why childlike curiosity is our most powerful innovation engine – and what that means concretely for leaders, teams and the way ideas are born and survive.
Yes – and that is standard, not an add-on. Every keynote begins with a briefing call. Industry context, internal challenges, audience and event format are all factored in. The core message stays; the connection points are set individually.
After your inquiry you receive a proposal. A short introductory call is available if you'd like one but is not required. Upon confirmation, one to three briefing and alignment calls follow – these are consultative and can go well beyond keynote logistics if you wish. Christian Wehner draws on 10 years of event experience throughout.
I'm happy to share my fee on request. It is consistently and fairly calculated across all bookings.
