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Matthew Luhn
About
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Biography Highlights
- Matthew Luhn is an innovation keynote speaker and former lead animator and storyteller at Pixar Studios. Alongside his story work in Hollywood, Matthew works with Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, and other professionals to craft and tell stories that bridge the gap between business and heart to build stronger brands and business communication.
Biography
Meet Matthew Luhn
You may not recognize Matthew Luhn’s name, but you definitely know his work: The Simpsons, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, Monsters Inc., Monsters University, Finding Nemo, Cars, Up, and Ratatouille. After a stellar 30 year career at Disney/Pixar, he turned his focus to helping the corporate world leverage the art and science of storytelling for business success, authoring The Best Story Wins and consulting to companies such as Charles Schwab and Adidas. A top speaker on storytelling, creativity and innovation, he has delighted a range of Fortune 1000 audiences including Apple, Capital One, Clorox, Facebook, Gartner, Google, Microsoft, PayPal, Procter & Gamble, Sony, Target, and Vrbo. His keynotes and workshops have been featured at BNY Mellon, BMW, Walt Disney Imagineering, Walt Disney Family Museum, Lego, Prudential Insurance, Salesforce, Volkswagen, Wells Fargo, and many more.
More About Matthew Luhn
What if the son of a third-generation toy store owner went on to become a creative force behind the Toy Story trilogy of movies? Or, as a talented 19-year-old animator, was lured into leaving art school to work on The Simpsons? And then was pitched by Steve Jobs to join a startup called Pixar? If this is a story that you want to hear, it’s because one of Matthew Luhn’s top storytelling tips has succeeded: Capture your audience in eight seconds or less. Luhn’s own inspiring life story—and how he tells it—is an integral part of his highly engaging talks and workshops. It begins when he was three-years-old, scribbling a rough child’s drawing that convinced his father that Matthew was the heir to his dad’s unfulfilled dream of becoming a Disney animator. That moment spurred Matthew’s destiny: A childhood spent drawing with his dad and going to the movies. Being accepted into the prestigious CalArts animation program founded by Walt Disney. Having a student film catch the attention of The Simpsons. And then, getting a call from a startup called Pixar Animation Studios, where he was pitched by Steve Jobs himself to work on an animated film that, remarkably, didn’t include princesses or show tunes. Thus began Matthew Luhn’s dazzling stint at Disney/Pixar, working on a steady stream of blockbusters: Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Toy Story 3, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, Cars, Up, and Ratatouille. His career progressed from animating Toy Story’s “Bucket o’ Soldiers” (a challenge because their feet were attached to bases), to becoming a player in Pixar’s highly creative and collaborative story development process, to eventually, leading it. Two decades later, he found himself being sought after once again—this time, by businesses that needed help telling their own brand story and developing their teams’ storytelling skills. Matthew literally wrote the book on the subject, The Best Story Wins: How to Leverage Hollywood Storytelling in Business and Beyond, and began his highly successful second act as a storytelling consultant to businesses. He still remains active in the world of film, recently writing and directing the multi-award-winning animated short, Sprite Fright.
Matthew Luhn’s highly entertaining talks have earned glowing reviews, lauding his talent as a teacher and passion for providing any audience with the tools to immediately activate storytelling skills for business success. As the president of one host company wrote, “Matthew Luhn has an incredible ability to captivate an audience through the art of storytelling. Unveiling some of the most insightful techniques used in Pixar films, he can effortlessly simplify complex ideas into concise messages—a valued skill in business. Matthew highlighted actionable tactics that sharpened my own team’s storytelling skills right away.”
Videos
Showreels
Speaking videos
Popular Talks
STORYTELLING FOR BUSINESS
Storytelling is the #1 business skill necessary to connect, motivate, and lead people in today’s world. Stories compel us to engage in experiences, learn lessons, and define our values and ourselves within our organization.
Matthew Luhn, former 20 year Pixar story artist and animator, brings his experience creating and developing 10 blockbuster films at Pixar, and provides practical strategies that teach and inspire people and teams to connect more effectively with audiences.
Matthew uses the power of storytelling to bridge the gap between business and heart, driving your story toward one unforgettable selling point.
STORYTELLING AND BIG DATA
Big data is changing everything from content development to culture itself. Matthew Luhn, former 20 year Pixar story artist and animator, will share how big data is being used to create great stories and characters in Hollywood and beyond.
Matthew’s experience and insight will empower and inspire publishers, advertisers and innovators on how to forge stronger, more meaningful connections with consumers.
TO INNOVATION AND BEYOND
When your company’s product or service appears similar to your competitor’s offerings, how can you differentiate and get consumers to notice? In this enlightening and entertaining talk, Matthew Luhn, accomplished writer and story artist on the Toy Story films, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, Cars, UP, and Ratatouille, will share his methods and experiences working with Pixar and advising other Fortune 500 companies. Audiences will learn how to innovate, differentiate and stay relevant in today’s business world, creating more value and winning customer loyalty.
Matthew'S
TESTIMONIALS
Society of Certified Senior Advisors
Amit
Head of Marketing EMEA,
Quantcast
Amanda & Ellen
Clorox
John Kim
President,
VRBO
Domenique Sillett Buxton
Senior Creative Director,
Trailhead, Salesforce
Jodi Olson
Communications Lead,
Google Ventures
Alexander F. Unger
Director Brand Strategy,
Adidas
Katrina Moss
Onboarding Program Manager,
Shopify
Laggi Diamandi
Head of Learning and Development,
Foster + Partners