Thinking Inside The Box Innovates Businesses
Harness constraints. Spark creativity. Build innovation where it actually happens—inside your business.
What if everything you needed to innovate was already within your grasp?
Forget the tired mantra of “thinking outside the box.”
Real innovation doesn’t happen in a whiteboard fantasy or a retreat in the woods. It happens inside the system—inside the messy, political, resource-strapped, opportunity-filled box of your business.
In this high-impact talk, Mario Van der Meulen makes the case for a counterintuitive approach: constraints are not limits—they’re launchpads. He shows how smart teams, when equipped with clarity, cadence, and care, turn inside-the-box realities into scalable innovation.
What This Talk Covers
Why “outside-the-box” thinking fails inside real organizations
How to turn existing assets, relationships, and patterns into fuel for innovation
Practical methods for “shaking up the box” without breaking it
How to lead creative breakthroughs with your constraints—not against them
Case studies from enterprise orgs who created clarity and growth without moonshots
Audience Reactions
“We didn’t just rethink our strategy—we reconnected with our reality. Eye-opening.”
— Chief Innovation Officer, Telco Brand, Europe
“Mario helped us solve a complex, multi-stakeholder challenge—without needing a ‘blank slate.’ That’s real transformation.”
— Global Head of Org Development, Standard Chartered
“The session gave us tools to move from stuck to strategic—in just one day.”
— Chief Product Officer
Who This Is For
Innovation and transformation leaders
Product teams navigating legacy constraints
Executives scaling innovation without overspend
Anyone ready to lead change without waiting for ideal conditions
Format Options
Keynote (40–60 minutes)
One-Day Intensive Workshop
Two-Day Deep Dive for Strategy + Delivery Teams
Why Book This Talk?
Because your next big innovation probably isn’t an idea you haven’t had—
it’s an idea you’ve been sitting on without the right frame to act on it.
Mario gives you that frame—and the energy to make it real.
Author
mvdm
Mario Van der Meulen is a design executive, author, and international speaker known for helping leaders unlock meaningful innovation through human-centered design. With global experience across sectors, he brings depth, clarity, and provocation to every stage.
