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Motivational speaker, TV host, Nat Geo explorer and professional,
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Chris is a gifted speaker that has the uncanny ability to fill any venue with positive energy and excitement. He has a rare knack of being able to help bring out the best in every member of the audience. I'm very impressed with his ability to communicate complex messages in an easy to understand and entertaining way. His message as relevant in the cubicle as it is in the space station. I would highly recommend Chris for any speaking venue."
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Speaker Chris shares the formula he has used to moderate significant events for the United Nations with no formal training, to executive producing a TV Show for PBS at 23 years old… to leading a National Geographic Expedition in Mongolia- where he lived as a nomad. His unique life path has brought him to nearly 40 countries, building bridges across cultures and gaining unprecedented insight into the universal human experience.
Speaker Chris Bashinelli, also knows as ‘Bash’ has a unique approach to “Global Citizenship” empowers attendees re-structure the way they view the world- beginning with themselves. Being a Global Citizen begins with believing in our potential. By creating a strong foundation within ourselves, with our co-workers and on our stoop, we will then be able to create lasting change in the greater world. Bash encourages each of us to realize our full potential- thereby becoming inspired individuals and ultimately to our world.
Chris Bashinelli has spoken around the globe – from TEDx, to Abu Dhabi, to Azerbaijan- at multi-million dollar corporations, Ivy League Universities, and in the United Nations General Assembly Hall. He has shared the stage with Stevie Wonder, Dr. Jane Goodall, and the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon.
He has harvested buffalo with Native Americans in Pine Ridge, lived as a nomad in Mongolia, and Sumo Wrestled heaviest Japanese human being in recorded history. He is a Moderator for the United Nations, an Eagle Scout, a National Geographic Explorer, and has interviewed some of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People on the Planet. Bash’s talks on diversity and inclusion, developing connection, and powering your performance are perfect for service-oriented audiences, top performers, and where a multi-cultural or global perspective is essential.
See keynotes with Chris BashinelliIn this empowering and enlightening keynote, Chris Bashinelli shares a unique approach to “Global Citizenship” and the restructuring of your world view, beginning with yourself. When you do? Your foundation becomes stronger. Your potential increases. Your decisions take on new depths. And you create a clarity that is so inspired — you’ll never, ever want to go back to the “status quo”.
Audience takeaways:
What’s surprising is that our ability to authentically connect with our clients and friends (OR others) has very little to do with them, and almost everything to do with our perspective. (We see the world not as it is, but as we are).
The great news is that means we have the power to deepen our relationships with others at any moment, all we have to do is shift our perspective! Building better relationships doesn’t necessarily mean knowing perfectly how to bow, shake hands, or say hello in every culture, it simply means bringing an open and accepting mindset to all of our interactions.
Audience takeaways:
With total clarity, speaker Chris emphasizes that the swiftest way to get from where you are, to where you want to be, is to be there first – on the inside. The best way to get from Step “A” to Step “Z” is to Start at Step “Z”. It may seem counter intuitive, but your best chance at achieving your goal is to imagine it is already accomplished.
Step firmly with faith into the shoes you were meant to fill – and live, breathe, work and act from that place.
Audience takeaways:
Have you ever been uncertain of your life’s direction after graduation? Actor, PBS TV Host, UN Speaker, and Nat Geo Explorer, Chris Bashinelli, shares concrete examples colored by international adventures that help us ignore the noise and find meaning in our lives. At 20 years old Chris gave up his acting career, moved to Tanzania and discovered his true calling.
Audience takeaways:
Watch speaker Chris Bashinelli in action!
"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
"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
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
"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
Why did you leave you acting career behind?
I can vividly remember the day I was on set filming an episode of The Sopranos for HBO. It was the culmination of nearly one decade of acting classes, never ending rehearsals and countless rejections. Although it was the culmination of my career to the point, I felt completely unfulfilled. I’d heard whisper in my heart since childhood that urged me to travel the world and experience other cultures, but I pretended I didn’t hear it up until that point. This was the day I decided to go for my heart’s calling, and six months later I was on a plane to Tanzania.
That first trip to Tanzania shifted my perspective to a completely self-centered universe, to one that at least began to think about other human beings. (Namely due to a man named Pete O’Neal, a former Black Panther who, after being exiled to Africa, created a non profit community center with his wife). Two days after returning to New York my father was diagnosed with cancer. Two years later, he passed away. It was only upon seeing death face to face that I fully began to live my passion. With my father as my sparkplug of inspiration I have since traveled to over thirty countries, had my TV series air on PBS and Nat Geo International, and spoken in the UN General Assembly Hall. I could say ‘how’, but the more relevant question is always ‘why’, and that is personal for each of us.
Can you please explain your concept of the “Stoop”?
A stoop is any place where people can come together and have an intercultural, intergenerational, international dialogue free of judgment in order to work out solutions to problems. The term “Stoop”, although originally a Dutch word in use in the Northeastern United States, can refer to any place of coexistence where open dialogue is paramount. Sometimes a stoop is a set of stairs, sometimes it’s a wrestling dojo in Mongolia, and sometimes it’s a laundry mat in Wisconsin.
The most important thing to remember is that a stoop is not only a physical place, it is a mentality that we carry with us in our heart wherever we go, and it will strengthen any relationship. The three rules on the stoop are: Listening, Non Judgment, and a Willingness to Step Outside of our Comfort Zones.
How would you describe the ideal Global citizen of the 21st century?
My idea of a Global Citizen will likely not match what you find in an academic journal. To me, a global citizen is not a title or certificate that someone can give to you. It is a state of mind that looks at other living beings (whether human or animal) and acknowledges that their lives are just as, or even important than my own. It’s the recognition of equanimity and equality- and then the actions that arise from that mindset. You don’t need to travel the world to be a global citizen. You can do it right in your own backyard.
How are your keynote presentations unique?
Keynotes are not presentations, nor are they speeches; they are dances with the audience present in that room at that moment. Uniqueness is inevitable at every event because you can never have the same audience at two events. Even if you literally have the same exact people at two different events, those people change so much from moment to moment that they are no longer the same. Any powerful speaker feeds off their audience, feels the energy, and plays with it. My intention is to always be present to the needs of the person I am in front of in that moment.
Do you have a favorite experience from your speaking career?
One of my most memorable speaking engagements happened last year. I had the good fortune to present for the Entrepreneur’s Group in Saudi Arabia, directly next to a mosque. During the speech the “Adhan” or “Call to prayer” began. I paused the speech, allowed for a moment of silence to respect the present moment, and after checking with the audience for permission, continued the presentation.
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