Chris Gardner

Profession:
Entrepreneur, Author & Philanthropist
Expertise:
Motivational speaker, talent, achieving goals, entrepreneurship
Languages:
English

"Don't let anyone ever tell you that you can't do."

Few stories are as inspiring and moving as Chris Gardner’s rise from homelessness to become the owner and CEO of Gardner Rich LLC, the bestselling author of the autobiography "The Pursuit of Happyness", and inspiration for the movie of the same name starring Will Smith in the role of Chris Gardner. His aim, through his speaking engagements and media projects, is to help others achieve their full potential.

Profile

Chris Gardner is an entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, and single parent whose work has been recognized by many esteemed organizations.

Always hard working and tenacious, a series of adverse circumstances in the early 1980`s left Gardner homeless in San Francisco and the sole guardian of his toddler son. Unwilling to give up Chris Jr. or his dreams of success, Gardner climbed the financial industry ladder from the very bottom. He worked at Dean Witter Reynolds and Bear Stearns & Co before founding the brokerage firm Gardner Rich in Chicago in 1987.

Gardner is the author of the 2006 autobiography “The Pursuit of Happiness”, a New York Times and Washington Post #1 bestseller that has been translated into over forty languages. Gardner is also the inspiration for the acclaimed movie “The Pursuit of Happiness” for which Will Smith, starring as Gardner, received Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award nominations for his performance. Gardner’s second bestselling book “Start Where You Are: Life Lessons in Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be” was published in May 2009.

Chris Gardner’s aim, through his speaking engagements and media projects, is to help others achieve their full potential. He is a passionate philanthropist committed to organizations combating violence against women, homelessness, financial illiteracy and providing access to medical care and treatment - issues of the utmost importance to Gardner.

In fall of 2010, Gardner was named the Ambassador of Pursuit and Happiness for AARP, which has nearly 40 million members worldwide.

Keynote Speaker Chris Gardner

News, Presse und Blog

Entrepreneur Chris Gardner joins Global Topspeakers

The story of his life has been inspiring enough to be told in a Hollywood blockbuster, “The Pursuit of Happiness”, with Will Smith starring as Chris Gardner, who has been at the very bottom of society, left alone with his toddler son, yet never gave upon his dream of a wealthy and successful life and a promising and fulfilling future for his sibling.

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