"What is 'The Shaved Coconut Theory' keynote about?"

"This talk encourages teams and leaders to design for human aspirations and possibilities, not just around perceived limits — using an inventive metaphor that sparks creative thinking."

"Who should book this program?"

"Organizations, design teams, product innovators, and leaders looking to cultivate a culture of expansive, human-centered creativity."

"How long does this keynote typically run?"

"It usually runs 45-60 minutes, but can be adjusted to include interactive workshops or extended Q&A sessions."

How can I book Dave Blake to present this program?

You can book Dave by visiting the contact section at flipflopphilosopher.com or emailing info@flipflopphilosopher.com to discuss dates and details.

The Shaved Coconut Theory: Design Products for Our Lives, Not Our Limits

Disabled consumers aren’t an afterthought, we’re a market. In this trailblazing keynote, Dave Blake invites companies to remove the shackles of assumption and compliance, and unleash the creativity needed to build products people actually want to use, show off, and buy again. Dave will show you how to care and compete.

Description

Expressing our identity is everything. The Shaved Coconut Theory explores how obliterating institutional assumptions fuels innovation. Dave thought the hardest part of surviving a medical mistake would be learning to walk and talk again. Turns out, it’s finding a scooter basket that doesn’t scream ’retired librarian with a knitting emergency.’ In this fun, dynamic, story-rich keynote, Dave Blake shares the outdated assumptions that have kept companies designing for limits instead of on the go lives.

Have you already built something smart, sleek, or even a little bit badass? He can show you how to stop hiding it behind a booth next to a trifold and go where your buyers actually are.

Attendees will laugh hard, rethink, and walk away ready to flip flop what isn’t working into their next competitive advantage.

Learning Objectives / Takeaways

Design Beyond Assumptions: Learn how to recognize outdated defaults and unlock bold, identity-driven innovation and design that actually resonates with identity-driven buyers.
Study the Workarounds: Examine real-world hacks created by disabled users and see why these “unofficial fixes” are your company’s next great R&D roadmap
Invisible to Invincible: Discover how inclusive design moves people from overlooked to in-demand and why that shift drives loyalty and revenue.
Your Buyers Moved. So Should You: From comic cons to farmers markets, find out how to stop blending in at trade shows and start standing out where real buyers actually shop, scroll, and show off.

Engagement Style
He delivers bold ideas with charm, wit, and dynamic clarity. His interactive keynote blends consumer truth with design strategy, inviting audiences to explore what they’ve overlooked, what it’s costing them and how to unleash insane financial success and brand loyalty.

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MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS