Chris Gardner

The life of Entrepreneur, Stockbroker, Motivational Business Speaker Chris Gardner has been showcased in both his autobiography The Pursuit of Happyness as well as the featured film by the same name which he helped produce in 2006. Chris battled homelessness while trying to raise his son in the early 1980’s before training at Dean Witter Reynolds stock brokerage and eventually working for Bear Stearns & Company. Chris went on to become founder and CEO of Gardner Rich & Co., a stockbrokerage firm he started in 1987 after he established himself as a stockbroker. With his company now fully-developed and thriving, he now does motivational speeches to many different audiences to help others become inspired to be great regardless of their background or past.

As expected, Chris’s story has been featured on TV shows such as Oprah, 20/20, the Today Show as well as print news sources such as People magazine, USA Today newspaper, and Fortune magazine. Chris’s book The Pursuit of Happyness is a #1 New York Times Magazine and Washington Post bestseller and has been translated into over 40 different languages. His second book, Start Where You Are: Life Lessons in Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, focuses on creating a satisfying, successful life for yourself by dealing with tough times with courage, discipline and common sense. Gardner was named the Ambassador of Pursuit and Happyness for AARP in 2010, the non-profit organization for people over 50 years of age with over 40 million members.

Chris never hesitated to begin to give back after he became successful, and the philanthropist works with the Cara Program, which partners with organizations such as the Glide Memorial Church where Chris and his son would sometimes stay during their homeless days. His experiences as a single father also led him to become involved with children and work with the National Fatherhood Initiative, the National Education Association Foundation and the International Rescue Committee.