Christopher Gardner
Celebrated Philanthropist & Inspirational Author of The Pursuit of Happyness
Always hard working and tenacious, a series of adverse circumstances in the early 1980's left Christopher 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. His phenomenal life story was published as a best-selling autobiography, The Pursuit of Happyness, which was the inspiration for the acclaimed movie of the same title, starring Will Smith. Gardner's second book, Start Where You Are, was published in May 2009. Conquering grave challenges to become a successful entrepreneur, Gardner is an outstanding motivational speaker and advocate concerning overcoming obstacles and breaking cycles.
Always hard working and tenacious, a series of adverse circumstances in the early 1980’s left Christopher 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.
Garder’s phenomenal life story was published as an autobiography, The Pursuit of Happyness, which topped the New York Times and Washington Post #1 bestseller charts, and has been translated into fourteen languages. He is the inspiration for the acclaimed movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, for which Will Smith, starring as Gardner, received Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award nominations for his performance. Gardner’s second book, Start Where You Are: Life Lessons in Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be was published in May 2009.
Gardner is the owner and CEO of brokerage firm Gardner Rich LLC with offices in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. Conquering grave challenges to become a successful entrepreneur, Gardner is an avid motivational and inspirational speaker, addressing the keys to overcoming obstacles and breaking cycles. Gardner is also a passionate philanthropist whose work has been recognized by many esteemed organizations.
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, and financial illiteracy; issues of the utmost importance to Gardner. He is a board member of the National Fatherhood Initiative, the National Education Foundation and the International Rescue Committee, which works to provide access to safety, sanctuary, and sustainable change for millions of people whose lives have been shattered by violence and oppression.
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1. Celebrity Appearances
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April 2010Start Where You Are: Life Lessons in Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
Since Chris Gardner's remarkable transformation from homeless single father to millionaire—chronicled in his number one New York Times bestseller The Pursuit of Happyness, which inspired the movie of the same name—he has been inundated with two questions: "How did you do it?" and "How can I do it too?" Start Where You Are is Gardner's power-packed reply. Focusing on real issues that impact individuals in all walks of life, he provides a road map for success. If you've had the rug pulled out from under you, are dealing with the loss of a home or a job, a health or financial crisis, or simply can't find the motivation to pursue new challenges, these forty-four clear, cogent, and accessible life lessons are invaluable. In Start Where You Are, Chris Gardner shows us how to tap into the infinite resources we already have on hand to move in the only direction—forward!
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October 2006The Pursuit of Happyness
At the age of twenty, Milwaukee native Chris Gardner, just out of the Navy, arrived in San Francisco to pursue a promising career in medicine. Considered a prodigy in scientific research, he surprised everyone and himself by setting his sights on the competitive world of high finance. Yet no sooner had he landed an entry-level position at a prestigious firm than Gardner found himself caught in a web of incredibly challenging circumstances that left him as part of the city's working homeless and with a toddler son. Motivated by the promise he made to himself as a fatherless child to never abandon his own children, the two spent almost a year moving among shelters, "HO-tels," soup lines, and even sleeping in the public restroom of a subway station. Never giving in to despair, Gardner made an astonishing transformation from being part of the city's invisible poor to being a powerful player in its financial district.
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