Bio
WHITNEY JOHNSON
Whitney Johnson was recognized as one of the world’s most influential management thinkers in 2015, and was a finalist for the Top thinkers on Talent at the biennial Thinkers50 ceremony in London. She is best known for her work on driving corporate innovation through personal disruption.
She is formerly the co-founder of Rose Park Advisors alongside Clayton Christensen, where they invested in and led the $8 million seed round for Korea’s Coupang, currently valued at $5+ billion. Having served as president from 2007-2012, Johnson was involved in fund formation, capital raising, and the development of the fund’s strategy. During her tenure, the CAGR of the Fund was 11.98% v. 1.22% for the S&P 500.
Previously, Johnson was an Institutional Investor-ranked equity research analyst for eight consecutive years, and was rated by Starmine as a superior stock-picker. As an equity analyst, Ms. Johnson’s stocks under coverage included America Movil (NYSE: AMX), Televisa (NYSE: TV) and Telmex (NYSE: TMX), which accounted for roughly 40% of Mexico’s stock exchange.
Johnson is also a frequent contributor to and writer for the Harvard Business Review, and is a Linkedinfluencer. She is the author of the critically acclaimed Disrupt Yourself(TM): Putting the Power of Disruptive Innovation to Work (2015) and Dare, Dream Do (2012). She is a prolific speaker on innovation initiatives, and has delivered keynote speeches to audiences of 30,000+ people on her ideas and vision. Johnson is represented by the New Leaf Speakers bureau, along with other thought leaders on business and innovation.
She has received widespread recognition for her thinking and was named one of Fortune’s 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter in 2014. She co-founded the popular Forty Women Over Forty to Watch and is a fellow at the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards.

To Contact Whitney to coach your organization or to speak
In the Game Changer, "Dare, Dream, Do" and "Disrupt Yourself" author Whitney Johnson inspires one of the Firm's top guns to change her thinking, adjust her environment, and become a change agent in the Company they've invested in.
"Dare to dream outloud"
Amanda has lived her life in the business of risk. And when her Firm invests in an innovative tech company that’s struggling to stay above water, it’s a risk that she’s sure will pay off.
But the moment she starts to make changes, the Company enters a state of total rebellion.
And now she’s stuck, struggling between a demoralized founder that’s lost the spark that brought him here, an executive team boiling over with frustration, and a Firm that seems more interested in propping up the “Old Boys Network” than birthing fresh ideas that can truly change the game.
The struggle to be a change agent in a male-dominated culture that treats change like a four-letter word isn’t just draining – it’s threatening her sanity and her marriage!
But when things hit rock bottom, she reaches out to a friend and author for advice – and she is dared to dream and to do just what she knew was right all along. She comes back with a set of disruptive ideas that might save the Company entirely… or expose it to even greater risk.
It’s just one of 13 interconnected stories inside the Game Changer – an easy, impactful read aimed squarely at those looking to innovate, lead, and give back to their company.
Whitney Johnson was recognized as one of the world’s most influential management thinkers in 2015, and was a finalist for the Top thinkers on Talent at the biennial Thinkers50 ceremony in London. She is best known for her work on driving corporate innovation through personal disruption.
She is formerly the co-founder of Rose Park Advisors alongside Clayton Christensen, where they invested in and led the $8 million seed round for Korea’s Coupang, currently valued at $5+ billion. Having served as president from 2007-2012, Johnson was involved in fund formation, capital raising, and the development of the fund’s strategy. During her tenure, the CAGR of the Fund was 11.98% v. 1.22% for the S&P 500.
Previously, Johnson was an Institutional Investor-ranked equity research analyst for eight consecutive years, and was rated by Starmine as a superior stock-picker. As an equity analyst, Ms. Johnson’s stocks under coverage included America Movil (NYSE: AMX), Televisa (NYSE: TV) and Telmex (NYSE: TMX), which accounted for roughly 40% of Mexico’s stock exchange.
Johnson is also a frequent contributor to and writer for the Harvard Business Review, and is a Linkedinfluencer. She is the author of the critically acclaimed Disrupt Yourself(TM): Putting the Power of Disruptive Innovation to Work (2015) and Dare, Dream Do (2012). She is a prolific speaker on innovation initiatives, and has delivered keynote speeches to audiences of 30,000+ people on her ideas and vision. Johnson is represented by the New Leaf Speakers bureau, along with other thought leaders on business and innovation.
She has received widespread recognition for her thinking and was named one of Fortune’s 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter in 2014. She co-founded the popular Forty Women Over Forty to Watch and is a fellow at the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards.