Born and raised in Canada, Joel Cohen has established himself as one of the most talented
and celebrated writers in television and film.
A graduate of the University of Alberta (B.Sc.) and York University (M.B.A.), Joel has spent the last 25 years as a writer and producer on The Simpsons, one of the most iconic TV shows of all time. Joel's work on The Simpsons has earned him 4 Emmy Awards, 3 Writers Guild Awards, and countless laughs (currently auditing the laughs to get a more precise number).
For the last 15 years, Joel has been engaging, enlightening and entertaining audiences around the world as a speaker. His unique background of an M.B.A and 8 years of corporate experience mixed with his time as a “creative” allow him humorous and insightful perspectives on the creative process, group dynamics, and fostering a culture of innovation. Whether it's anecdotes from behind the scenes of The Simpsons or lessons learned from scratching lottery tickets (the lesson is – don’t buy lottery tickets), Joel's talks are as entertaining as they are illuminating.
Talking Points
Redefining Innovation: Creative Insights from 'The Simpsons' with Three-Time Emmy Winner Joel Cohen
There's no "I" in innovation - oh wait, there are 2 of them. Joel, a 3 time Emmy winner, talks about innovation and creativity based on his 22-year (and counting) writing gig on "The Simpsons." He draws lessons and insights from what some have called "The Greatest TV Show Ever" in a fun and funny presentation with his quickly-fading Canadian accent. You'll leave with great takeaways, tools you can apply to any creative challenge and also having heard a new, confusing way to say "about."
Redefining Innovation: Creative Insights from 'The Simpsons' with Three-Time Emmy Winner Joel Cohen
Innovating Like Icons: Business Lessons from the Success of The Simpsons
Joel Cohen has an MBA and over ten years of work experience in the corporate workforce, and he has managed to waste it all, instead focusing on a career as an Emmy-award winning writer for "The Simpsons", the program Time Magazine called "the greatest TV show of the 20th century." Joel's experience as both a "creative" and a "suit" has not only left him with a puzzling resume, it also gives him a unique perspective to discuss and examine innovation, creativity and their place in the business world. "The same factors that allow creativity to arise, live or die for writers are also present in corporations and even individuals." His insights are entertaining, highly practical and slightly tinged with a Canadian accent (Canadian accent not guaranteed).Innovating Like Icons: Business Lessons from the Success of The Simpsons
An absolutely hilarious, deadpan, quick-on-his feet speaker, Cohen, armed with anecdotes and relevant clips, is perfect for any group that needs to inject more creative energy into their work but who prefer to laugh a little (okay, a lot) while learning how. Joel's speech addresses managing group dynamics, brainstorming, the evaluation of ideas and innovations and dealing with creative logjams (Note: for actual, literal logjams, Cohen recommends either a chainsaw or a beaver. Or, if you can afford it, a beaver with a chainsaw).
How I Chose to Waste My Education: Behind-the-Scenes Lessons from 'The Simpsons' with Writer Joel Cohen
In this crowd-pleasing talk, Cohen offers an insider's look at how he came to work at "The Simpsons." He also unveils how some of the most memorable moments in the show's history (and popular culture) came into being.
How I Chose to Waste My Education: Behind-the-Scenes Lessons from 'The Simpsons' with Writer Joel Cohen
Bespoke Keynotes
Joel’s broad experience as a Keynote Speaker as well as a writer and author, means he can create compelling, insightful custom talks tailored for almost any industry.Bespoke Keynotes
Some other popular areas of interest include:
- The role of AI in creating new content or how digital platforms are changing the way we consume media.
- The social impact of media, such as promoting diversity and inclusion through storytelling or how media can be a tool for social change.
- Business lessons from "The Simpsons" and other media, drawing parallels to current business challenges, such as adapting to change or the role of creativity in business success.
- Lessons from "The Simpsons" with regards to current global events or trends.
If you really need a powerful, marquee-name keynote speaker to deliver a talk focused on your industry, region, or theme, he excels at creating a powerful, one-of-a-kind presentations that will give your audience a fresh, outside, expert perspective on their business or local area.
Video
adoboLIVE! The Simpsons writer Joel Cohen on innovation in the show (excerpt) at Spikes Asia
Behind the Scenes of The Simpsons: Strategies for Success in a Competitive Industry I Joel H. Cohen
Joel H. Cohen is a producer and screenwriter for Saturday Night Live, Suddenly Susan and The Simpsons. THE MAIN TOPICS OF THE INTERVIEW: ▪️ How can you predict the future in The Simpsons? ▪️ How to create a successful TV show? How to achieve this success? ▪️ How to be on top while offering the same product? ▪️ Why is it good to have bad ideas? ▪️ How to have a better connection with partners and audiences? ▪️ How to look at a problem from a creative perspective? ▪️ How to stay motivated and not give up during difficult times?Just a brief note to again thank you for a great presentation at IBM'S IMPACT in Orlando. All of the feedback's been really positive, from our IBM clients as well as from their attendees. ... keep reading IBM Impact
Joel was great and better still, he is a lovely guy. His presentation was to an audience of about 800 people and he was well received. So much so that I believe he was considered the best speaker of the 2 day event.
Everyone had a great time and very much enjoyed your time with us. Thank you for making an otherwise boring sales meeting very much brighter.
Your keynote was fun and relevant to our members. In addition, with times like this… it was fabulous to inject some humour into the room and leave people laughing. All of our guests thoroughly enjoyed it and some even mentioned that they plan to watch The Simpsons every morning to start their day off right!
You were dazzling (and I'm not just talking about your pearly whites). Thank you so much for speaking to our group. It was a very fun afternoon and we have already received so many notes from crew and clients letting us know how much they enjoyed it.
It was so fabulous to hear the laughter in the audience. Both the video and our terrific speaker left everyone with images of success, accomplishment, determination, creativity and humor. Thank you Joel for taking our event to the next level!
In the 27 years I have been arranging speakers for this organization - I have not enjoyed a presentation as much as I personally enjoyed Joel's. He was absolutely fantastic/funny/engaging and we've gotten great feedback from attendees. Thanks for your recommendation.
