Master Innovator · Keynote Speaker

Think Naked.
Build Human Plus.

Marco Marsan is the founder of Marco Polo Explorers — a branding, marketing, design, and innovation consultancy trusted by the world's most iconic brands.

Book Marco to Speak
800+
Projects
$10B+
Value Created
Marco Marsan
Speaking on Stage
About Marco

A creative force behind $10B+ in new product value.

For over three decades, Marco Marsan has helped Fortune 500 brands turn wild ideas into billion-dollar businesses. He is a founder, author, keynote speaker, and self-proclaimed professional adventurer whose "Human Plus" philosophy is reshaping how leaders think about creativity, culture, and AI.

By the Numbers

A body of work that speaks loudly.

0+
Projects
0+
Concepts Created
0B+
In New Value ($)
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People Spoken To
Trusted Worldwide

Trusted by the world's most iconic brands.

Diageo
Wrigley
Campbell's
Del Monte
Pernod Ricard
Zippo
Modelo Especial
Frito-Lay
Pepsi
AT&T
Kellogg's
CoverGirl
Kraft Heinz
Capital One
Quaker
Cadbury Adams
Timberland
Delta
Crayola
Gatorade
Sam's Club
General Mills
Apple
Pizza Hut
Absolut
Captain Morgan
Dunkin' Donuts
Coors
Ricola
Smirnoff
Jägermeister
Elmer's
Procter & Gamble
Boston Beer Co.
Yahoo!
Don Julio
Keurig
Nestlé
Diageo
Wrigley
Campbell's
Del Monte
Pernod Ricard
Zippo
Modelo Especial
Frito-Lay
Pepsi
AT&T
Kellogg's
CoverGirl
Kraft Heinz
Capital One
Quaker
Cadbury Adams
Timberland
Delta
Crayola
Gatorade
Sam's Club
General Mills
Apple
Pizza Hut
Absolut
Captain Morgan
Dunkin' Donuts
Coors
Ricola
Smirnoff
Jägermeister
Elmer's
Procter & Gamble
Boston Beer Co.
Yahoo!
Don Julio
Keurig
Nestlé
Diageo
Wrigley
Campbell's
Del Monte
Pernod Ricard
Zippo
Modelo Especial
Frito-Lay
Pepsi
AT&T
Kellogg's
CoverGirl
Kraft Heinz
Capital One
Quaker
Cadbury Adams
Timberland
Delta
Crayola
Gatorade
Sam's Club
General Mills
Apple
Pizza Hut
Absolut
Captain Morgan
Dunkin' Donuts
Coors
Ricola
Smirnoff
Jägermeister
Elmer's
Procter & Gamble
Boston Beer Co.
Yahoo!
Don Julio
Keurig
Nestlé
Signature Topic · Human Plus
"AI didn't come to replace us. It came to amplify what makes us most human — our creativity, our culture, our courage to be weird."
MM
Marco Marsan
Founder, Marco Polo Explorers

Human Plus is Marco's framework for the age of AI. It argues that the winning brands, teams, and leaders won't be the ones who outsource thinking to machines — they'll be the ones who use machines to unlock deeper humanity: taste, story, empathy, and the kind of bold ideas no algorithm can dream up on its own.

Speaking Topics

Four talks. One unfair advantage.

01

Human Plus

Your brain is your best asset.

Better decisions in uncertain times — powered by your best asset, your brain.

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02

20 Minutes Ahead

See it first.

Predicting what's next for your team — before your competitors catch on.

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03

Think Naked in the Rough New AI World

Think like a kid. Win like a genius.

Capture the brilliance of you at your creative peak — age four.

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04

Innovator's Mindset

A mindset, not a moment.

Learn and practice the skills that separate you and your team through innate creative brilliance.

Learn More
Books by Marco

Three books. One idea: be unmistakably you.

Who Are You When Nobody's Looking? book cover

Who Are You When Nobody's Looking?

A meditation on identity, integrity, and the leader you become in private.

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Think Naked book cover

Think Naked

Childlike brilliance in the rough adult world — a manifesto for creative courage.

Learn More
The Lion's Way book cover

The Lion's Way

Lead with instinct, hunt with purpose, and protect the pride you build.

Learn More
Media & Press

Seen on stages, screens, and one Guinness certificate.

The View
Montel
Health & Harmony Radio
Guinness World Record
Holder of the record for the Largest Chicken Dance — because innovation should never take itself too seriously.
Top Out-of-the-Box Thinker
Mazda
America's Top Speaker
Innovation & Creativity
Speaking Reel

Ninety seconds. One standing ovation.

A live look at Marco on stage — the ideas, the energy, and the audiences that leave rooms thinking differently about what's possible.

Full Speaking Reel · 3:12
What Leaders Say

Praise from the rooms he's been in.

"
I invited Marco to work with my team at Suominen because we wanted to challenge ourselves to think differently about growth in a mature manufacturing business. Marco has a rare talent for helping teams rethink how they create value and accelerate growth. Whether through cultivating an innovator's mindset, leveraging new technologies like AI, or uncovering insights others overlook, he inspires organizations to move beyond incremental improvement and take their business to the next level.
Ernesto Levy
CEO, Suominen
"
Marco is a brilliant creative partner. Teams reporting to me have worked with Marco Polo, and the output has been nothing short of impressive. He has a distinct gift for crafting premium lifestyle brands and isn't afraid to innovate, as seen by his forward-thinking integration of AI into his marketing practices. If you want a creative powerhouse who understands where the industry is heading, Marco is your person.
Wael Safi
Managing Director, Altria
"
What makes Marco so unique is that he doesn't just study trends — he lives them. He has an incredible instinct for spotting patterns and staying ahead of the curve, and that forward-thinking mindset is reflected in his lifestyle and how he shows up every single day. On top of his sharp, highly competitive drive to deliver the absolute best, Marco is a genuinely kind, wonderful human being. It's rare to find someone who balances high-level vision, fierce competitiveness, and true empathy so effortlessly. He is a phenomenal leader and an even better person.
Wael Safi
Managing Director, Altria
"
The Marco Polo team has been a critical partner on several key brand initiatives. Now, with the integration of AI into its processes, we see a shift from AI as a shortcut to AI as a multiplier for human judgment. The Innovator's Mindset and Human+ framework give our marketers a language for moving fast without losing the insight-driven thinking that actually drives growth.
Bryan Mazur
Executive VP, Greatpoint Brands
"
I thought I knew my business. Why wouldn't I? I'd been at it nearly two decades. You think you know what people want and how you should speak with them… connect to them. What I learned from Marco was an entirely new language. Charged. But natural. I learned about myself and then how to connect that authenticity to others. It's part ethos but it is also learning from his structure of understanding/insight that continues to carry me forward, meeting my purpose. Learning what drives you is a mountain worth climbing with Marco.
Mark Henness
Hennessa and Haight Law Firm
"
Marco and his team have built a top-tier method for harnessing available insights and manifesting them into amazing innovation opportunities. Their strategic inputs opened our organization's eyes to new avenues of future-back growth.
VP
The Coca-Cola Company
"
I'd like to thank Marco Marsan for speaking to our Retail Management class. Marco spoke to the class about the collection of variables that make up good ideas: the consumer voice, reasons to believe, and cultural drivers. In business it's awesome to work with people you really, really like. Marco, it's great to collaborate again.
Tom Smallhorn
Clemson University · Formerly Pepsi & SoBe Beverages
"
I invited Marco to work with my team at Suominen because we wanted to challenge ourselves to think differently about growth in a mature manufacturing business. Marco has a rare talent for helping teams rethink how they create value and accelerate growth. Whether through cultivating an innovator's mindset, leveraging new technologies like AI, or uncovering insights others overlook, he inspires organizations to move beyond incremental improvement and take their business to the next level.
Ernesto Levy
CEO, Suominen
"
Marco is a brilliant creative partner. Teams reporting to me have worked with Marco Polo, and the output has been nothing short of impressive. He has a distinct gift for crafting premium lifestyle brands and isn't afraid to innovate, as seen by his forward-thinking integration of AI into his marketing practices. If you want a creative powerhouse who understands where the industry is heading, Marco is your person.
Wael Safi
Managing Director, Altria
"
What makes Marco so unique is that he doesn't just study trends — he lives them. He has an incredible instinct for spotting patterns and staying ahead of the curve, and that forward-thinking mindset is reflected in his lifestyle and how he shows up every single day. On top of his sharp, highly competitive drive to deliver the absolute best, Marco is a genuinely kind, wonderful human being. It's rare to find someone who balances high-level vision, fierce competitiveness, and true empathy so effortlessly. He is a phenomenal leader and an even better person.
Wael Safi
Managing Director, Altria
"
The Marco Polo team has been a critical partner on several key brand initiatives. Now, with the integration of AI into its processes, we see a shift from AI as a shortcut to AI as a multiplier for human judgment. The Innovator's Mindset and Human+ framework give our marketers a language for moving fast without losing the insight-driven thinking that actually drives growth.
Bryan Mazur
Executive VP, Greatpoint Brands
"
I thought I knew my business. Why wouldn't I? I'd been at it nearly two decades. You think you know what people want and how you should speak with them… connect to them. What I learned from Marco was an entirely new language. Charged. But natural. I learned about myself and then how to connect that authenticity to others. It's part ethos but it is also learning from his structure of understanding/insight that continues to carry me forward, meeting my purpose. Learning what drives you is a mountain worth climbing with Marco.
Mark Henness
Hennessa and Haight Law Firm
"
Marco and his team have built a top-tier method for harnessing available insights and manifesting them into amazing innovation opportunities. Their strategic inputs opened our organization's eyes to new avenues of future-back growth.
VP
The Coca-Cola Company
"
I'd like to thank Marco Marsan for speaking to our Retail Management class. Marco spoke to the class about the collection of variables that make up good ideas: the consumer voice, reasons to believe, and cultural drivers. In business it's awesome to work with people you really, really like. Marco, it's great to collaborate again.
Tom Smallhorn
Clemson University · Formerly Pepsi & SoBe Beverages
Marco Polo Explorers logo
About

Marco Polo Explorers

When we started Marco Polo in 1995, we were committed to "stacking the deck to create ideas that would ship." In time we saw that there are tons of variables that get in the way of a great idea actually going to market, so we started to develop additional tools powered by consumer-driven, brand-optimized innovation platforms and go-to-market plans — including strategy, content planning, and design.

That's what we do. We ship ideas to market, soup to nuts, in less time than all competitors — with gorgeous design and concise messaging that sells.

We are still stacking the deck.

Booking

Bring Human Plus thinking to your next event.

Marco delivers keynotes, workshops, and executive off-sites for teams ready to think bolder, build faster, and lead with more humanity.

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