Meet Josh!

From the end of employment to the future of work.

“Josh doesn’t just forecast the future of work, he’s building it”

Josh works with leaders and organizations worldwide on how to move from defending the old model of employment to building a new one. His talks are known for pairing deep research with the credibility of someone actually building the future of work.

He was among the first to call out the collapse of traditional employment in Employment Is Dead, and charting what replaces it in his forthcoming book After the Jobs Are Gone which brings clarity and confidence to his audiences.

Josh has worked with thousands of leaders and organizations across the globe, including MIT, Workday, McDonalds, and Harvard University. He is a sought-after workforce futurist who helps decision-makers navigate  AI uncertainty.

 

Leaders bring Josh in when:

 

  • Their workforce strategy is being upended by AI and they need clarity on what to do next.
  • They’re navigating restructuring or transformation and need to align leadership around a forward vision.
  • They want a keynote that goes beyond trend forecasts
  • They need a speaker with genuine authority on the future of work, not motivation alone.

This is Josh Drean:

  • Harvard Business Review author of Employment Is Dead (HBR Press), co-authored with Deborah Perry Piscione.
  • Author of the forthcoming After the Jobs Are Gone, charting the rise of modular, skills-based work.
  • Thinkers50 nominee — recognized among the management thinkers shaping the field.
  • Endorsed by Adam Grant, Josh Bersin, and Ravin Jesuthasan.
  • Founder of The Work3 Institute and the Decentrive platform.
  • 3x founder building the infrastructure for the future of work.
  • 250+ keynotes delivered worldwide, including for KPMG, MIT, and Mercer.
  • Featured in Forbes, Chief Executive, and MIT Technology Review.

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Josh is co-founder of Decentrive, a platform built on a simple conviction: you shouldn’t need a job to do great work.

Where traditional employment locks people into fixed roles, a single employer, and a hierarchy, Decentrive decentralizes work itself to let people own their work on their own terms. It’s a vessel for where work is headed, driven by the contributors.

When Josh tells a room that work is shifting from jobs to skills, from hierarchy to networks, and from employment to ownership, he’s offering a rare glimpse into the realities of those actually building it.

 

Josh earned his undergraduate degree in I/O psychology and a masters degree at Harvard University where he cofounded and exited an HR Tech startup. He currently lives in Sacramento, CA with his three sons Tristan, Liam, and Beckham.

From Boston Street Performer

To HBR Author

“Josh really understands future of work trends and gave our leaders hope for what’s next”

CHRO

Global Financial Services Firm

“The most relevant keynote we’ve ever booked. Our team is still talking about it.”

VP People & Culture

Insperity

“Equal parts research and energy. Josh made disruption feel more like an opportunity.”

Lainey Escarcega

VP, Events, MVP Media

Let’s Shape the Future of Work Together

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