National Geographic Explorer & TV Host, United Nations Moderator, Actor from The Sopranos (HBO), Expert on Human Connection & Leadership in Times of Change
5.00 of 5
Top rated!5 of 5
“Chris is beyond inspirational. Before, I thought ‘I’m just one person, what can I do?’ But now I feel I can really make a difference.”
Mackenzie Stack
Student, COLLEGE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC- QATAR
Chris “Bash” Bashinelli is a National Geographic Explorer, television host, and keynote speaker who helps organizations unlock the power of human connection. Having traveled to more than 40 countries, Bash has immersed himself in cultures across the globe, translating these experiences into meaningful insights for leaders and teams. His keynotes inspire organizations to embrace diversity, build empathy, and create purpose-driven workplaces where people thrive. From the United Nations stage to Fortune 500 events, Bash brings authenticity, energy, and unforgettable storytelling to every audience.
“We need more people like Chris in the world,” says Dr. Jane Goodall.
Chris Bashinelli is a National Geographic Explorer, TV host, and globally recognized speaker who helps organizations lead through times of change by strengthening what matters most—true human connection. In an era defined by uncertainty, disruption, and rapid transformation, Bash equips leaders and teams with the tools to turn challenge into growth, rebuild trust, and create cultures where people feel safe, valued, and inspired to bring their best selves to work.
Drawing on immersive experiences in over 40 countries, Chris Bashinelli— known affectionately as “Bash”—has spent his life studying what enables individuals, teams, and cultures to thrive under pressure. His work bridges the worlds of leadership, performance, and humanity, helping organizations boost sales, reignite employee inspiration, and foster meaningful connection in moments when it matters most.
Born in Brooklyn, New York to Lebanese and Italian-American parents, Bash’s worldview was shaped early on by his childhood “stoop,” where friendships spanned more than 13 nationalities. After a decade-long acting career, including a role on HBO’s The Sopranos, Bash made a bold pivot—trading the red carpet for the road to explore how people across cultures navigate adversity, purpose, and belonging. This journey led to the creation of Bridge the Gap, a global travel series featured on PBS and National Geographic Channel.
Bash has lived with nomads in Mongolia, harvested tea in China, and stepped into the ring against the heaviest Japanese Sumo wrestler in recorded history. He doesn’t observe cultures from the outside—he embeds himself fully, learning firsthand from Ugandan mystics, Mongolian herdsmen, Lakota suicide prevention activists, and some of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People on the Planet. These experiences form the core of his work as a modern-day cultural anthropologist, revealing how resilience, trust, and leadership are forged through challenge.
A longtime advocate of mental wellness, Bash has studied mindfulness and meditation for nearly two decades. After losing his father to cancer at age 20, he began a lifelong exploration of the human condition—what sustains us through loss, change, and uncertainty. His service work includes bringing mindfulness and emotional resilience practices to inmates across federal and state prisons, as well as to military veterans from nearly every major conflict since World War II.
As a keynote speaker, Bash delivers high-energy, deeply human experiences that combine unforgettable stories, dynamic audience engagement, and exclusive footage from his global travels. His presentations are customized for each audience and designed not just to inspire, but to equip leaders with practical tools they can immediately apply when guiding teams through transition and change.
Bash has headlined events for organizations including AT&T, American Express, Coca-Cola, Deloitte, the Federal Reserve Bank, and the Million Dollar Round Table. He has shared the stage with luminaries such as Stevie Wonder and Michael Douglas, and at just 24 years old became the youngest person ever to moderate the United Nations International Day of Peace.
His work has been featured in Delta Sky Magazine, Lonely Planet, Huffington Post, and The Daily News Zimbabwe. Bash is also an Eagle Scout, guest host on the Be Here Now podcast network, and film director. His most recent films explore the power of resilience with the sole living survivor of the USS Indianapolis, as well as the power of friendship with actor Dominic Chianese (The Sopranos, Uncle Junior).
In a world hungry for leadership that is both courageous and compassionate, Chris Bashinelli delivers a rare experience, one that blends insight, humility, and human connection to help people rise, together, through times of change.
5 of 5
“Chris is beyond inspirational. Before, I thought ‘I’m just one person, what can I do?’ But now I feel I can really make a difference.”
Mackenzie Stack Student, COLLEGE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC- QATAR
5 of 5
What I love most about Chris is that he treats everyone exactly the same- be it the United Nations Secretary General or the hotel concierge. He does not distinguish between rich people, poor people, famous people, and everyday people. For Chris, everyone is equal. He has a great deal of respect for the ‘human being’ and this is a rare quality. Chris embodies what we say in Germany, ‘Wir sind alle gleich’, which means, ‘We are all the same’.
Milena Pighi BMW GROUP, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility
5 of 5
“Chris presents with a smooth confidence that both sets the tone of the event and captures the attention of the audience. He harnesses the ethos of social entrepreneurship, and would be an asset to any event requiring a quality speaker.”
Frank Fredericks WORLD FAITH, Executive Director
5 of 5
“Chris Bashinelli is an inspiration to youth worldwide. He speaks with passion and his message is one of hope, cultural tolerance and call to action. He knows how to reach young and old alike. Bridge the Gap shares exciting and inspirational stories of daily life from the developing world and encourages us to realize that at the end of the day, we really are all the same and every single one of us makes a difference. We need more people like Chris in the world.”
JANE GOODALL PhD, DBE Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute United Nations Messenger of Peace
Keynote by Chris Bashinelli:
What if the real secret to sales and success wasn’t persuasion- but connection?
Today’s employees and clients are more discerning than ever. An Edelman study revealed 90% of customers will walk away from a brand they don’t trust. Almost half of all employees have quit a job due to distrust in senior leadership. And yet, in our rush to “influence” or “close the deal,” we often sacrifice the very thing that fuels long-term growth: Authentic Human Connection!
In this game-changing keynote, National Geographic Explorer and Scientist of Human Connection, Chris Bashinelli, reveals the overlooked superpower in business: putting people first. Drawing on years of global research, from living with nomads on the Mongolian steppe, to connecting with financial advisors in Fort Worth – Chris shows that when we are fully present, deeply empathetic, & driven by service, we unlock the kind of trust that leads to exponential growth.
This is not about manipulating your clients or employees, it’s about meeting them with genuine care, turning “them” into “us,” and building bonds that last far beyond the sale. Whether you're leading a sales team or building client relationships one conversation at a time, this keynote will transform the way you sell and the way you connect.
Key Takeaways:
Bash’s patented “Discover Our In” method to build deep, lasting trust
How to shift from transactional selling to transformational relationships
The science behind empathy, how to apply it in real sales conversations
Practical tools to become fully present and emotionally attuned to clients
Strategies to create a “People-First” Sales Culture that fuels growth and loyalty
Keynote by Chris Bashinelli:
Change is no longer the exception in our organizations – it’s the environment we live in. Markets shift, structures evolve, people come and go. The question isn’t whether change will happen – it’s how we lead through it. When faced with uncertainty, the most impactful leaders are those who stay grounded, connected and authentic – creating stability not by controlling external events, but by strengthening the foundation within themselves and their teams.
When Chris Bashinelli returned from East Africa at 20 years old, his father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. That moment – one breath to the next – forever changed the course of his life. This sparked a lifelong journey to understand how we navigate hardship, remain steady in the face of the unknown and how to lead and inspire others when we are hurting ourselves.
From working as a busboy in Brooklyn, to creating an international TV series from his parent’s basement, to becoming the one of the youngest Emcees in United Nations history, Chris discovered one profound truth: we cannot always control what happens around us, but we can always choose how we show up. And how we show up — our presence, our authenticity, our humanity — is what inspires others to move forward with us.
In this keynote, Chris leads audiences on a journey across cultures and continents, sharing real stories of resilience, wisdom and human connection. Together, we explore how embracing challenge can reveal our greatest potential, and how leading through change begins by reconnecting to what is real, grounded, and unshakeable within ourselves.
Key Takeaways
Lead from the Inside Out: Learn to ground yourself in presence and perspective — the two things we always control — even when the external environment feels uncertain.
Inspire Through Being, Not Telling: Discover why authentic leadership has a greater impact than motivational instruction — and how your presence influences your team more than your words.
Transform Challenge into Growth: Reframe adversity as an opportunity to evolve into the leader you are meant to become — individually and collectively.
Strengthen Trust Through Humanity: Use empathy, transparency, and care to build deeper connection with teams navigating change.
Adopt the Abundance Perspective: Understand how our mindset shapes our reality — and how to choose the one that supports resilience, unity, and forward momentum.
Keynote by Chris Bashinelli:
Teams don’t become resilient because they avoid challenge, they become resilient because they trust one another through it. Trust is the foundation that allows people to speak honestly, collaborate creatively, and show up as their authentic selves. When trust is present, teams innovate. When trust is absent, even the most talented groups unravel.
Chris Bashinelli has spent two decades studying human connection in over 40 countries, from the hillsides of Mongolia, to the Pine Ridge Reservation, to his childhood “Stoop” in Brooklyn, where thirteen nationalities came together every day. Across cultures, industries, and borders, the pattern is the same: people thrive when they feel seen, valued, and safe to be who they are.
In this keynote, Chris shares a clear, human-centered approach to building teams that are strong enough to withstand change and inspired enough to grow from it. Through powerful global stories, interactive moments, and the PACT of Connection (Present. Authentic. Care. Trust.), Chris shows leaders how to cultivate environments where every voice matters and every person feels at home.
This is how we turn groups into communities and communities into unbreakable teams.
Key Takeaways
Lead with Presence, Not Pressure: Create space where people feel grounded, respected, and able to contribute authentically.
The Bridge of Trust Framework: Build trust through shared humanity, not force, influence, or control.
Unlock Each Individual’s “Superpower”: Reframe challenges and personal story as the source of strength and creativity, in ourselves and others.
Inspire Innovation by Including Every Voice: When people feel safe to speak, teams unlock new ideas, speed, and resilience.
Create Your Company “Stoop”: A cultural foundation where belonging fuels performance, collaboration, and purpose.
Keynote by Chris Bashinelli:
In a world defined by rapid change, AI disruption, budget cuts, and burnout, one powerful force remains in our control: our ability to create happiness.
When National Geographic Explorer Chris Bashinelli returned from East Africa at just 20 years old, he was met with devastating news, his father had terminal cancer. That moment sparked a two-decade journey to uncover how people around the world live joyful, purposeful lives, even in the face of adversity.
Rooted in 20 years of mindfulness practice and first-hand experiences in 40+ countries, Bash reveals the unexpected truth: happiness isn’t a reward at the finish line, it’s the starting point for meaningful success.
From Tanzanian filmmakers, to Mongolian nomads, and through deeply personal stories of loss and resilience, Bash shares transformative lessons that show how happiness fuels trust, boosts productivity, and drives high-performance teams. Backed by first hand research and brought to life with humor, vulnerability, and audience interaction, this keynote helps individuals and organizations unlock their most powerful resource, their mindset.
Key Takeaways:
How to cultivate happiness even in challenging times
Why the Abundance Mindset often leads to greater wealth
Gratitude practices that deepen trust and enrich relationships
Mindfulness techniques to improve focus, reduce stress, and boost well-being
The clear connection between happiness and business success
Watch Chris Bashinelli in action!
Watch Chris Bashinelli in action
Watch Chris Bashinell in action
Watch Chris Bashinelli in action
Watch Chris Bashinelli in action
