Dave Birss

Dave Birss Dave Birss is an influencer

Co-Founder @ The Gen AI Academy | Over 1 million students taught

London, England, United Kingdom
73K followers 500+ connections

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About

Hi, I'm Dave: writer, educator, speaker, and thinker - helping people unlock potential through creativity and technology. I believe Generative AI is one of our most powerful creative tools when used properly (shocking concept, I know). That's my focus: helping people understand and apply AI to enhance thinking, output, and impact.

**The Gen AI Academy**
I co-founded The Gen AI Academy, where we take a practical, no-nonsense approach to AI education. Our courses show professionals how to use AI to boost productivity, generate better ideas, and drive innovation without losing their humanity in the process.

**Education & Training**
I've taught over 1 million students how to use generative AI effectively and responsibly. I work with teams to build confidence and capability, combining creativity with the latest AI tools. My focus is real-world, hands-on learning. I teach people to think better with AI, not just use it. I've worked with global brands, growing companies, and startups who actually want to get this right.

**Speaking**
I speak at conferences and corporate events worldwide, challenging assumptions and simplifying complexity. I cover AI and creativity, AI ethics, and career-proofing in an automated world. My goal: make people think differently while giving them practical tools they can actually use (and maybe a smile while I'm at it).

**Consulting**
I help organizations integrate AI thoughtfully and strategically. This includes exploring use cases, assessing risks, creating education strategies, and building team confidence. It's about using AI as a practical tool for smarter thinking and better results, not chasing every shiny trend.

I also write books (How to Get to Great Ideas, A User Guide To The Creative Mind, Iconic Advantage, and Friction - all available on Amazon) and share what I've learned. Everything I do helps people think better, adapt faster, and stay human in our increasingly machine-powered world.

Let's connect if that sounds useful.​

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Activity

Experience

  • The Gen AI Academy Graphic

    Co-Founder & Instructor

    The Gen AI Academy

    - Present 1 year 4 months

    London Area, United Kingdom

    The Gen AI Academy delivers no-nonsense, practical AI education for real people doing real work - empowering professionals to use Generative AI responsibly to boost productivity, creativity, communication, and innovation.

  • Speaker and trainer

    davebirss.com

    - Present 15 years 2 months

    Worldwide

    I'm a professional speaker, consultant and educator. I specialize in the intersection of creativity and technology - so I spend a lot of time working on AI. You can often find me prancing around on stages sharing advice on how to have better ideas (with or without technology). Or showing organisations how to get better thinking from their employees. As well as running training sessions for businesses, I also regularly teach at universities and colleges. And I do this all over the world. Drop me…

    I'm a professional speaker, consultant and educator. I specialize in the intersection of creativity and technology - so I spend a lot of time working on AI. You can often find me prancing around on stages sharing advice on how to have better ideas (with or without technology). Or showing organisations how to get better thinking from their employees. As well as running training sessions for businesses, I also regularly teach at universities and colleges. And I do this all over the world. Drop me a line and let's see how I can help you.

  • LinkedIn Graphic

    LinkedIn Learning Instructor

    LinkedIn

    - Present 5 years 11 months

    Internet

    I've taught over a million students how to get more value out of AI tools. I've got a whole bunch of courses on the platform - and lots more in the works. So go and check out my courses and see what I can help you learn.

  • Founder & Trainer

    Virtual Presenting Academy

    - Present 4 years

    The Internet

    Most online presentations suck. But they don't have to. They can be just as engaging as a good face-to-face presentation. And in some ways can be better. This is an 8-week program that shows you how to make your remote presentations far more effective. See more at https://www.virtualpresenting.academy/

  • Kingston School of Art Graphic

    Visiting Professor

    Kingston School of Art

    - 6 months

    London, England, United Kingdom

    I believe the best way of learning is by doing. As part of that, I helped to set up Studio KT1, an art studio staffed by the talented students of the art school. I also did some teaching. And looked at ways to take creative education to the business community. It was an honour to work with one of the world’s most respected art schools. Sadly, the coronavirus brought things to an end.

  • Founder, Editor & Human

    OpenForIdeas.org

    - 1 year 4 months

    Online and Offline

    OpenForIdeas.org was an online magazine I set up to help individuals and organisations become more creative. It focused on the practical side of creativity. It gave you actual things you could do that didn't involve waving a crystal or invoking your inner muse. I assembled a crack team of writers who contributed challenging thoughts and helpful advice. I had to step away from it because the time input to money output ratio was woefully imbalanced.

    All the articles are still there for you…

    OpenForIdeas.org was an online magazine I set up to help individuals and organisations become more creative. It focused on the practical side of creativity. It gave you actual things you could do that didn't involve waving a crystal or invoking your inner muse. I assembled a crack team of writers who contributed challenging thoughts and helpful advice. I had to step away from it because the time input to money output ratio was woefully imbalanced.

    All the articles are still there for you to enjoy at OpenForIdeas.org

  • Founding Chap

    GetAdditive.com

    - 7 years

    I partnered with companies to help them use creativity more effectively.
    Sometimes I did that through talks and workshops.
    And sometimes it was a bit more in-depth, where we looked at their skills, knowledge, structure, processes, culture, environment and every other factor that affects fresh thinking.
    I still do all of this stuff. It just developed more structure and has now evolved into RIGHT Thinking.

  • The Drum - Modern Marketing and Media

    The Drum - Modern Marketing and Media

    3 years 4 months

    • The Drum - Modern Marketing and Media Graphic

      Editor at Large

      The Drum - Modern Marketing and Media

      - 3 years 4 months

      London

      Editor at Large was a lovely title to have. I still have no idea what it entailed. But I had lots of fun.

      I spotted good stuff to write about. I helped with events. I wrote the occasional article. I looked at editorial strategy. I came up with business and partnership ideas. And regularly consumed a bottle of wine with the Editor over a poncy London lunch.

    • The Drum - Modern Marketing and Media Graphic

      Head of TV

      The Drum - Modern Marketing and Media

      - 1 year 8 months

      Inside The Drum's London Lair

      I started the film production arm of The Drum following the release of The Day Before Tomorrow. It produces editorial films for thedrum.com, short documentaries for the web and even broadcast programming. It also handles branded content for paying clients. It's continuing to grow into a significant part of the business. I'm really proud of what we achieved.

  • School of Communication Arts 2.0 Graphic

    Head of Ideas

    School of Communication Arts 2.0

    - 2 years 10 months

    Brixton

    I headed up the 'ideapreneur'​ stream at the school. That was all about coming up with new business ideas, developing them and getting them out there. Exciting stuff! A couple of the startups have gone on to become multi-million-pound successes. I'm proud of them!

  • ESI Media Graphic

    Head of Culture and Innovation

    ESI Media

    - 1 year 2 months

    London

    ESI Media is the company behind The Independent, Evening Standard and London Live TV. I worked with them to help develop a creative culture and innovate across media channels. It was an extraordinary opportunity to do some world firsts. And to work with some brilliant people while I was at it.

  • Nice Agency Graphic

    Creative Associate

    Nice Agency

    - 1 year 2 months

    London, United Kingdom

    I worked with the founders to develop creative skills across the company. And I also helped them come up with ideas for their clients. That included doing some brilliant digital innovation in the banking sector (it's nice to see your ideas in action every time you do a transaction on a mobile phone). The agency went on to be amazingly successful and was bought by Karmarama. Who was in turn bought by Accenture. I don't think Accenture is currently up for sale.

  • Presenter

    Future of Advertising Podcast

    - 2 years 1 month

    The podcast is a series of interviews with some of the biggest names in the advertising industry. These have included George Lois, Sir John Hegarty, Dave Trott, Steve Henry, Rory Sutherland and lots more. They talk about their journey through the industry, the issues they see now and where they think the future lies. And it's yours for free in iTunes.

  • Creative Skillset

    Creative Skillset

    1 year

    • University Accreditation Committee Member

      Creative Skillset

      - 7 months

    • Advertising Industry Apprenticeship Scheme Advisory Board Member

      Creative Skillset

      - 1 year

  • OgilvyOne Graphic

    Digital Creative Head

    OgilvyOne

    - 1 year 3 months

    If it used pixels or code or some other form of geekiness, it was my bag. If it didn't, it was also my bag.

  • POKE Graphic

    Creative Director

    POKE

    - 1 year

    Coming up with concepts and making sure they're nothing short of incredible when they're done. And all the stuff in between.

  • MRM Worldwide Graphic

    Creative Director

    MRM Worldwide

    - 3 years 2 months

    I was responsible for the digital work for a couple of global accounts. And I led teams of talented creatives to produce the work. Some of it was pretty nice and got a bit of attention.

  • Assistant Creative Director

    Mr Smith

    - 1 year

    I was the Creative Director's partner. I also acted as the Head of Copy and did much of the day to day running of the department. I came up with concepts and helped to direct the creative teams in doing work that was better than mine. Sometimes I succeeded.

Licenses & Certifications

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Skills

Publications

  • A User Guide To The Creative Mind (Second Edition)

    Fangled Ltd

    Creativity is surrounded by such mystique. It seemed so magical to the ancient Greeks that they attributed the moment of inspiration to muses rather than people. We now know that was baloney. This book exposes creativity as a process. It shows that there are certain steps you need to follow before you can be struck by that moment of creative genius. It shows you how to get your mind into the right place to come up with ideas. And it gives you some techniques to help you approach problems in…

    Creativity is surrounded by such mystique. It seemed so magical to the ancient Greeks that they attributed the moment of inspiration to muses rather than people. We now know that was baloney. This book exposes creativity as a process. It shows that there are certain steps you need to follow before you can be struck by that moment of creative genius. It shows you how to get your mind into the right place to come up with ideas. And it gives you some techniques to help you approach problems in different ways.

    See publication

  • Friction - Adding value by making people work for it

    Zen Karma Media

    Friction isn't something to be avoided. Successful businesses not only understand the difference between good and bad friction but also know how to EMBRACE A DOSE of good friction to create greater value. We'll show you how to leverage good friction to generate adrenaline, dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins to drive increased engagement, meaning, belonging, rapport, assurance, competence, and exclusivity.

    Other authors
    See publication

  • Fast Forward Files: Opening Up

    Molden Verlag

    The "Fast Forward Files: Opening Up" is the outcome of the first FastForwardForum – a three-day conference filled to the brim with top-level speakers and in-depth discussions. The resulting book covers eight future and management topics from authors including Heather Mills, Dhiraj Mukherjee, Markus Hengstschläger, Robin Farmanfarmaian, Heimo Hammer, Pete Trainor, Dave Birss, Carla Johnson & Jon Burkhart.

    Other authors
    See publication

  • How To Get To Great Ideas

    Nicholas Brealey

    The highly practical lessons in How to Get to Great Ideas are based on neuroscience, psychology and sociology. Written by former advertising creative director Dave Birss, this book offers a brilliant new system for conceiving original and valuable ideas. It looks at how to frame a problem, how to push your thinking, how to sell the idea, how to build support for it and how to inspire others to have great ideas. It proves that any organization - and any individual or department within an…

    The highly practical lessons in How to Get to Great Ideas are based on neuroscience, psychology and sociology. Written by former advertising creative director Dave Birss, this book offers a brilliant new system for conceiving original and valuable ideas. It looks at how to frame a problem, how to push your thinking, how to sell the idea, how to build support for it and how to inspire others to have great ideas. It proves that any organization - and any individual or department within an organization - can create a fertile environment for ideas.

    Combining a practical research-based system with fascinating insights and inspiring and humorous writing, the book also includes the problem-solving system RIGHT Thinking. This is a tool which enables a more effective way to generate more effective ideas, and is one that anyone can use to transform themselves or their business. Training on this system is also available in person from the author. And will be released soon as an online course.

    See publication

  • Iconic Advantage

    Savio Republic

    Modern business gurus all cry for the need to innovate, to disrupt, and to act like a startup. It's hard to argue with that kind of thinking. It's sexy and exciting. But it's wrong.

    Too many businesses become enamored by shiny new objects and end up overlooking the value locked away in their existing products. Maybe your business is one of them.

    Iconic Advantage(R) is a different approach that allows companies to leverage what they already have to create lasting differentiation…

    Modern business gurus all cry for the need to innovate, to disrupt, and to act like a startup. It's hard to argue with that kind of thinking. It's sexy and exciting. But it's wrong.

    Too many businesses become enamored by shiny new objects and end up overlooking the value locked away in their existing products. Maybe your business is one of them.

    Iconic Advantage(R) is a different approach that allows companies to leverage what they already have to create lasting differentiation and deeper relationships with their customers. It generates disproportionate levels of profit and protects you against market fluctuations. Many of the world's most successful brands have been using it for years.

    Now, you can benefit from reaching iconic status, whether you're a Fortune 500, local pizza parlor, or an aspiring Unicorn startup.

    Other authors
    See publication

  • Hacker, Maker, Teacher, Thief: Advertising's Next Generation

    Creative Social

    • What does the industry need to do today (not tomorrow) to stay valuable and relevant? • Is digital collaboration the death of idea ownership? • What the f**k do clients know about great advertising? • How can copying make you more original? • I feel connected, but do I feel more human? • How are the porn industry, illegal black market and bitcoins changing online culture today? • Should we make things people want rather than make people want things? • How do we 'do' innovation? If you want to…

    • What does the industry need to do today (not tomorrow) to stay valuable and relevant? • Is digital collaboration the death of idea ownership? • What the f**k do clients know about great advertising? • How can copying make you more original? • I feel connected, but do I feel more human? • How are the porn industry, illegal black market and bitcoins changing online culture today? • Should we make things people want rather than make people want things? • How do we 'do' innovation? If you want to get a point of view on these and a whole host of other questions, just pick up this book which features a collection of essays from 35 leading creative directors and business owners. Creative Social celebrates hackers, makers, teachers and thieves - advertising's next generation.

    Other authors
    See publication

  • One Day Code School Workbook

    Additive

    This book isn't available in the shops. You can only get it by attending the course. It's a reminder of everything you learn during the day - plus a little bit extra. And it's a lasting reminder of all the things you don't want to forget.

    See publication

  • A User Guide to the Creative Mind

    Additive

    Creativity is surrounded by such mystique.

    It seemed so magical to the ancient Greeks that they attributed the moment of inspiration to muses rather than people.

    This book exposes creativity as a process. It shows that there are certain steps you need to follow before you can be struck by that moment of creative genius.

    It shows you how to get your mind into the right place to come up with ideas.

    And it gives you some techniques to help you approach problems in…

    Creativity is surrounded by such mystique.

    It seemed so magical to the ancient Greeks that they attributed the moment of inspiration to muses rather than people.

    This book exposes creativity as a process. It shows that there are certain steps you need to follow before you can be struck by that moment of creative genius.

    It shows you how to get your mind into the right place to come up with ideas.

    And it gives you some techniques to help you approach problems in different ways

    See publication

Organizations

  • Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce

    Fellow

    - Present

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