EMBRACING DIVERSITY, BUILDING STRONGER TEAMS
Topics: Teamwork, Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Communication, Innovation, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy
Embark with Bash on an international adventure, from the sweeping grasslands of Mongolia to the remote hillsides of China, coupled with stunning video footage and thought provoking exercises, where we learn to truly embrace diversity and harness the collective power of our shared humanity.
It is only when every single team member, from the office manager to the CEO, feels safe to bring their whole, most authentic selves to work every day, that our organization will realize its full potential. So long as anyone feels they must hide who they are, we leave untapped resources on the table – negatively impacting our bottom line. Embracing the powerful metaphor of his childhood “Stoop” in Brooklyn, where his friends shared a combined total of thirteen nationalities, Bash reminds us that it is only when our uniqueness is celebrated and all perspectives equally welcome, that we can truly tap into the power of human connection.
Takeaways
THE SUPERPOWER TO TRUE BUSINESS GROWTH
In this flagship keynote, Bash shares the profound method he’s used to build trust and forge lifelong friendships around the world as a National Geographic Explorer. From living with nomads in Mongolia, to Sumo-wrestling Japan’s heaviest human being of all time, Bash shares the superpower for true business growth in engaging, humorous and practical terms.
Without trust, business suffers profoundly – with it, our people and our company thrive. When our clients feel on a core level that we have their best interest in mind, they will be inspired to work with us, and business will flourish. As we live and work from a place of empathy we will naturally create an inclusive culture that inspires teammates to want to work together towards our mission and attract clients who trust us with their business.
Takeaways
REIGNITE EMPLOYEE INSPIRATION & BRING YOUR BEST SELF EVERYDAY
Topics: Leadership, Inspiration, Productivity, Service, Corporate Culture, Communication
Join Bash on an international adventure, from the distant hilltops of Western Hunan, to the iconic Mongolian steppe, where we learn, through the power of story, that the most effective way to lead others is to become our best selves, each and every day. Pulling from his most memorable experiences in travels to over 40 countries, Bash shows that it is only because of challenge, not in spite of it, that we can realize our full potential – the space between who we are and who we can be.
When our leaders truly embrace empathy and show an unwavering commitment to realize their full potential, the result is inspiration. Leaders inspire us by what they say and do, but perhaps more than anything else – by who they are. In this revolutionary keynote we’ll explore how the results of influence are often short term and self serving, whereas the impact of inspiration lasts a lifetime.
Takeaways
RENEW EMPLOYEE INSPIRATION, CREATING A HEALTHY WORKFORCE
We are working harder, under more pressure, and for longer hours than ever before – but without a mindful approach to work and life, one that values our well being as well as the bottom line – burnout and turnover are inevitable. Pulling from more than a decade of in-depth mindfulness and mediation studies, Bash shares how to incorporate positive mental health strategies into our work and life in order to increase productivity, profit and happiness.
Colored by Bash’s extraordinary adventures around the world as a National Geographic Explorer, this keynote brings to life the core lessons he’s learned to create a healthy workforce in fun, engaging and practical ways. No matter what our organization is struggling with – employee retention, company layoffs, or economic downturns – it can fuel our path to a wiser, more caring and more innovative culture.
Takeaways
CHANGE YOUR MIND, CHANGE YOUR WORLD
Potential is the space between “where we are” and “where we can be”, it is our “unrealized abilities”, personally, professionally and as an organization. Stepping into our potential means understanding that it is only because of challenge, not in spite of it, that we can become our best selves.
In this thought provoking keynote, colored with international stories of adventure, resilience and triumph – Bash shares the power available to each of us when we stop seeing challenge as an obstacle to success, and instead as the very vehicle by which we can achieve it.
From a remote Chinese village that rebuilds after a devastating fire, to a young Tanzanian filmmaker’s unimaginable dream come true, to Bash’s own personal experience of tragedy to triumph – this talk reminds us that when we change our minds, we truly can change our world.
We will only realize our potential as an organization when every single team member is committed to realizing their strength individually.
This keynote experience is at once a call to action for each of us personally as it is a reminder of the impact that’s possible when we tap into the collective strength of our shared humanity.
A GUIDE TO REALIZING OUR POTENTIAL
Topics: Education, Motivation, Inspiration, Productivity, Leadership, Innovation
In this interactive keynote Bash walks attendees through the step by step method of how to get from Step “A”, to Step “Z”, reverse-engineering the path to their goals. With total clarity, he emphasizes that the swiftest way to get from where we are, to where we want to be, is to be there first – on the inside.
From speaking in the United Nations General Assembly Hall at 23 years-old with no prior training, to attracting partnerships from some of the world’s most recognizable brands, to leading a National Geographic Expedition in Mongolia, Chris Bashinelli has forged his own path in life. This talk is a call to action for each of us to embrace our full potential – first by imagining it, then by believing it, and finally through definite action.
Takeaways
Chris Bashinelli known simply as “Bash” is a National Geographic Explorer, TV host, cultural anthropologist, and celebrated speaker on human connection and inclusion. Raised in Brooklyn to Lebanese and Italian-American parents, he was shaped by childhood experiences on the stoop, where thirteen nationalities blended in conversation. After a successful acting career including an appearance on The Sopranos he followed his passion for understanding humanity by launching Bridge the Gap, a documentary series featured on PBS and National Geographic.
Bash travels globally from Uganda to Haiti, immersing himself in local cultures and exploring universal themes like joy, resilience, and community. He’s lived with Mongolian nomads, learned from Lakota leaders, and brought mindfulness to inmates and veterans. His presentations blend immersive stories, interactive exercises, and prompts for empathy and leadership. As a diversity and inclusion speaker, he has delivered messages of connection to Fortune 500 audiences, prisons, and the United Nations, where at just 24 years old he became one of the youngest moderators in UN history.
Bash’s engaging style has earned him partnerships with Dr. Jane Goodall, the UN Secretary-General, and appearances at the largest corporations and organizations worldwide. His work equips leaders to build cultures of trust, belonging, and meaningful engagement bringing storytelling, presence, and human-centered strategy into business.
Chris Bashinelli, better known as “Bash”, is a celebrated Diversity, Equity & Inclusion speaker, Bash brings to life an inspiring message of empathy and connection that has birthed lifelong friendships around the world.
He was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York to Lebanese and Italian-American parents. After a decade-long acting career including an appearance on the HBO hit television show, The Sopranos, Bash decided to follow his real passion – using media to build bridges between cultures.
He now traverses the globe from Uganda to Haiti as Host of Bridge the Gap, a television series featured on PBS and the National Geographic Channel, where he experience’s life in countless cultures around the world. Chris Bashinelli world-view was shaped on his childhood “Stoop” where his friends shared a combined total of over thirteen nationalities.
His ancestors immigrated to the United States from Lebanon, through Ellis Island and his great-grandmother was onboard the Titanic. Bash helps companies understand in engaging, humorous and practical ways how to create a culture of trust, belonging and empathy in the workplace.
A passionate Mental Wellness advocate, Chris Bashinelli has studied meditation & mindfulness for more than a decade. After studying Anthropology in East Africa at 20 years old, he returned home to discover his father had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
The death of Chris’s father propelled him on an international quest to better understand the human condition and the universal qualities that lead to a happy, meaningful life. Today, he brings to life the powerful lessons he’s learned to overcome depression, increase productivity and reignite employee inspiration.
Bash has spoken around the world, from Abu Dhabi to Azerbaijan, and at 24 years old, became the youngest male to ever moderate the UN International Day of Peace. He has shared the stage with Stevie Wonder, the UN Secretary General, and his mentor, Dr. Jane Goodall. He is a National Geographic Explorer, an Eagle Scout and has interviewed some of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People on the Planet.
Chris Bashinelli has lived as a nomad in Mongolia, worked with suicide prevention activists in Pine Ridge and Sumo wrestled the heaviest Japanese human being in recorded history. Through one of a kind stories of adventure and authentic moments of human connection, he truly bridges the gap between self and other, helping us recognize our shared humanity.
Bash takes audiences on an inspirational journey, coupled with stunning video footage and thought provoking exercises. Whether he’s embarking on yet another jaw-dropping adventure for National Geographic, or interviewing his mentor, Dr. Jane Goodall, for PBS – Chris Bashinelli leaves audiences inspired, empowered, and connected, reminding us of our greatest asset – our people.
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A1. Inspiring and actionable, he embeds tools for cultural connection in every talk.
A2. Yes, his storytelling connects with both creative and business audiences.
A3. Absolutely, his core message revolves around empathy, which transcends technical skillsets.
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