Chris Bashinelli has got to be one of the best speakers we’ve ever had on our stage. His energy and inspiration to help people become global citizens and understand what that means, was absolutely phenomenal. Thank-you, Chris!
Bash offered a very authentic, engaging, and energetic presentation for our conference attendees. He brought many of his valuable life experiences to the table, and though all proved very different, they revolved around one common theme- breaking down barriers and finding a common ground with whomever you engage. Attendees left feeling exhilarated, taking with them many of the principles Bash illustrated back to their local institutions.
Chris made us laugh. He made us cry. He nailed it! He knew our company better than any other public speaker we’ve ever hired. He was one of the best, if not the best, public speakers I’ve seen on circuit in my 25 year history in this industry.
"Thank you again for speaking at our event. You were a huge hit and a great success for us! I have had multiple attendees tell me that they were moved to tears and many others saying you were the best keynote speaker we have ever had!"
Daniel D. Towle, Captive Insurance Companies Association
"Chris Bashinelli was the closing guest speaker at the Entrepreneurs Organization’s Global Leadership Conference in Manila, Philippines. His dynamic entrance, larger than life, unabashed manner turned heads, our attention on him right from the start. Chris tells an amazing story of his life, his quest and his vision. For someone so young, he's done some crazy stuff. He had the audience captivated mentally and emotionally. He totally owned the space and the hour of his presentation. Great guy."
ENTREPRENUERS’ ORGANIZATION
Sue Duncan, President of EO New Zealand
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"Chris you were absolutely amazing and a pleasure to work with. You are so comforting to be around and I feel as if I have known you for years! Chris connected with our audience in a way that captivated them, and left them wanting more. For the Greater Nashville Apartment Association Chris absolutely exceeded our expectations on delivering our goal to Educate, Empower & Motivate our members."
GREATER NASHVILLE APARTMENT ASSOCATION
Daniel Sircy- Director of Education & Events
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“Bash offered a very authentic, engaging, and energetic presentation for our conference attendees. He brought many of his valuable life experiences to the table, and though all proved very different, they revolved around one common theme- breaking down barriers and finding a common ground with whomever you engage. Bash assumed the role of Keynote, closing out our annual Leadership event. Attendees left feeling exhilarated, taking with them many of the principles Bash illustrated back to their local institutions. It was our pleasure having Bash present, and we would most certainly welcome him back again.”
THE INSTITUTE OF INTERNAL AUDITORS
Jake Parks, Manager, North American Chapter Programming
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"Chris you did an outstanding job and I appreciate your heart for the value of others. Every generation of business leadership can benefit from your experience and appropriate the tools you stressed yesterday in making our relationships better. Thanks for your transparency and sharing a deep part of your soul with us."
CONNECTICUT SOCIETY OF CPA'S
David Gibbs, C.P.A, Partner
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“Chris Bashinelli’s message isn’t just about Global Citizenship, but about bringing human kindness, consideration and empathy to all of our daily interactions — at home, at work and in our travels. His touching keynote set the stage for our diverse group of international attendees to connect with one another on very personal level, fostering fruitful discussions and valuable business connections. Chris speaks from the heart; his passion is genuine — and truly contagious.”
MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS
Loren G. Edelstein, Editor in Chief
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“I thought Chris’s presentation was incredible. He made me realize that no matter who you are, where you are, if you’re halfway across the world or here in Dallas, Texas, that we’re all going through the same struggles in life. We all have this noise that’s blocking us from really listening to our inner core about what is really driving us and what our inner compass is really telling us. I think that once you can Ignore the Noise and listen to that I think that we can make not only ourselves happy, but make the world happy.”
AMERICAN STUDENT DENTAL ASSOCIATION
Adrienne Lewis- Vice President
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“Chris Bashinelli is like a breath of fresh air! We had a wonderful time listening to him make comparisons between cultures and to talk about the commonalities between all of us as human beings. Thank you Chris!”
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY- EXTENSION AND OUTREACH
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"Chris’s speech was extremely impressive and passionate in providing a service to the needy in the World by linking people who have something and those who do not. The second I heard Chris’s story and mission, I pledged to help him in any way that I could. Chris is a visionary and passionate young man. Aside from working with Chris on a professional level, I would like to consider him my friend. I fully support his organization and will make myself available to help in any way that I can."
ZAMBIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM
Andrew Chilufya, Principal Officer
“Chris made us laugh. He made us cry. He nailed it! He knew our company better than any other public speaker we’ve ever hired. I’ve had… of our 2,000 people that attended today, no less than a dozen come up in tears and say the message they heard in terms of connection, the message they heard in terms of empathy and caring, is a message that will resonate with them for the rest of this show and probably for the rest of their lives. He was one of the best, if not the best, public speakers I’ve seen on circuit in my 25 year history in this industry.”
WYNDHAM HOTEL GROUP
Geoff Ballotti, President and CEO
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“What I love most about Chris is that he treats everyone exactly the same- be it the United Nations Secretary General or the hotel consierge. 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’.”
BMW GROUP
Milena Pighi, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility
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“Chris, Thank you for your talk! There are two critical moments in people’s lives- the day they are born and the day they understand why. Today you reminded me why I was born- to truly connect with others and to connect with my authentic self. Thank you for grounding us to what matters most! Titles don’t matter. Money doesn’t matter. What matters is how we can build a better life together with those around us, at work and at home. True success is about the success of others. Today you reminded us why it is so important to have the patience to truly listen to and understand others. Thank you.”
MARS DRINKS
Mr. Xavier Unkovic, Global President
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Bash! You brought a smile to my face when I really needed it. I must say your presentation was a departure from what we normally do at convention. I went into it a skeptic and borderline grumpy old man... I came out the other side a motivated believer. Keep on Bridging the Gap my brother!"
ALASKA AIRLINES
Scott Habberstad, Director of Sales & Community Marketing
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“Thought-provoking, Engaging, Inspiring are the words I would use to describe Chris Bashinelli. With people in the audience from around the globe, I was initially concerned if Chris’s message would resonate with our diverse team. I soon realized my concerns were unfounded. Chris has the ability to inspire and enlighten across cultural boundaries. His talk touched all of the participants. As employees of a multi-national company, Chris’s comments about our responsibilities as Global Citizens hit home. His message about finding the opportunities to communicate and share are relevant to business as well as personal life. Chris left the team inspired to do more and be more.”
BECKMAN COULTER
John Nosenzo, Senior Vice President
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“Chris Bashinelli is a delightful, dynamic surprise to be found on the speaker circuit. Raw, open, authentic and inspiring. Unlike many presenters, he truly did the prep work required to deliver a customized and personalized presentation. His message resonated with a diverse, multigenerational mix of attendees. He engaged the audience from start to finish with his brief, high energy kickoff to our global conference. Chris rocked the stage! He is such an authentic person and it truly resonated with our audience.”
CORENET GLOBAL
Ms. Angela Cain- CEO
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"Caesars Entertainment is committed to our core value of building community and “Bash” magnified the importance of that value in style… Chris Bashinelli’s powerful keynote at one of our flagship events helped drive home the true meaning of cultural awareness and compassion. By inviting clients and co-workers to sit on our “stoop”, we can strengthen any relationship. He reminds us to simply start where we are and we will see our partnerships and business relationships grow. When we care about each other and the communities we live and work in, the stakes become that much more important, and the positive results are evident. I highly recommend “Bash” for any corporate event."
CAESAR’S ENTERTAINMENT
"This felt like the greatest thing in the entire world! The entire presentation touched me. It cleared my head, it touched my heart and it helped me go with my gut. There was nothing in there that I didn’t need to hear. There was nothing in there that I wasn’t frightened of… you helped me learn that happiness lies in serving others…it’s something that I can take with me and I’ll remember every day…to be able to clear the head, stop the noise, and step outside myself- you encouraged that within me. It’s phenomenal."
BEAUMONT HOSPITALS
Liz O’Malley, Staff and Employee Development Specialist
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“Xaxis is the largest programatic media company in the world. I can honestly say that Chris’s presentation was inspiring to everybody in the room. At Xaxis what we aspire to do is to build a global company. We have people from dozens, if not hundreds of nationalities around the world, all working in their own markets to better the world through making advertising welcome. Chris gave a really relevant presentation and performance to us today.”
XAXIS
Brian Lesser, Global CEO
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"Chris inspires and is inspired in equal measure. Anyone looking for motivation to make a positive change in their lives or realize their full potential should listen to Chris's moving and powerful life story. His vibrant energy reminds us, as entrepreneurs, in the importance of always believing and never giving up, especially when our backs are against the wall. Very few people deliver on this message as Chris did."
DRIFT
Sab Jhooti- Co-Founder
“Chris is an awesome speaker. Chris connects with people in a way that captivates them, but also shares a lesson. What I love about Chris is his willingness to share his failures as much as his successes. For the Millennium Campus Conference Chris undoubtedly delivered on our goals- to educate and empower young people to be the change they wish to see in the world."
MILLENNIUM CAMPUS NETWORK
Sam Vaghar, Executive Director
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“Chris was fabulous! He was exactly what I was looking for to connect with our superintendants. He has the youthful excitement of going out and seeing the world, but yet he has such a soulful and introspective look and feel on all of his experiences. He really reignited the passion with our superintendants. He’s exactly what I wanted for this conference.”
SMART TUITION
Catherine Blades- SVP
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"Chris, I have had the opportunity to listen to you speak on many occasions. As a fellow speaker you are a huge role model to me. When you speak to youth and show them your work they are drawn in and captivated. Your energy and youthfulness makes listeners feel excited and energized to make a positive difference in the world. There are dozens of youth traveling around the world speaking at conferences. What makes you different is that you don't just speak about making a difference, you live it."
JANE GOODALL’S ROOTS & SHOOTS
Pippa Biddle, Fmr Youth Leadership Fellow
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"I just want to say a big THANK YOU for your great event here at UNC Asheville during our International Education Week. It was inspiring for students to hear your journey and how you are following your dreams and passion in your daily life."
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA- ASHEVILLE
Bonnie Parker, Director of Study Abroad
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"Chris is a completely genuine person. He is excited by new adventures and challenges. He took the time to ask good questions before he arrived and was a huge part of the overall success of our conference. Participants thoroughly enjoyed what he offered as a way to follow your passion, take risks, and engage with people different from yourself. He is entertaining, lively, and willing to laugh at himself as he delivers a serious message about how to break cultural barriers and "bridge the gap". So often messages like these can be delivered with too much earnest intent that younger audiences do not engage. Chris bridges that gap so well and makes them feel valued for their youth. His session was packed!"
GLOBAL ISSUES CONFERENCE- ABU DHABI, UAE
Anne Russell, Educator, Community Service Coordinator
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"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."
COLLEGE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC- QATAR
Mackenzie Stack, Student
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"What makes Chris different from other speakers is the genuine energy he brings to his audience. Seeing someone pursue their passions at such a young age and with such vigor is inspiring to fellow young people to go out in the world and do what they love. In today’s society, young people are often told to follow the path that will produce the most money or that which will supposedly lead you to "happiness." Chris teaches that in following your true deepest passions and sharing them with the world you can in turn discover an unparalleled sense of self worth and truly make a meaningful difference."
ROLLINS COLLEGE
Bethany Eriksen, Student
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"Chris Bashinelli: A young man with a vision to change the world and knows how to inspire others that it is possible. I love watching the audiences with whom Chris interacts – he knows how to grab and keep their attention, focus on their interests and communicate his passion. The magic is seeing the looks of wonder as listeners consider the possibilities that Chris raises in his delivery. It reminds me that there is hope for world – because of caring, creative and talented people like Chris Bashinelli. He has the commitment to collaborate with others on his dream, and the courage to make it happen."
LYNDON STATE COLLEGE
Dr. Catherine DeLeo, Professor
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"Chris, you were an awesome speaker and throughout your whole commencement address I felt like you were talking to me! I was the first in my family to graduate with a masters degree and the whole time I am just thinking, "I can't wait to make a lot of money." That speech put everything in perspective to me. I know now that my calling is to mentor to young student athletes on the importance of education, no matter how much money I am making…I hope that you continue to make a difference in people’s lives. A lot was going on during my day of graduation but what I took the most from your speech is to make sure I am giving back and enjoying what I do!"
DEFIANCE COLLEGE
Nick Sales, Student
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“I am so into the idea of outer travel. I think for me ‘inner travel’ has been one of the most fascinating concepts you’ve brought up. I can’t wait as a dental student to get deeper into the idea of inner travel and conecting with cultures across the world, even as I am rooted here in the United States.”
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
John Sayer, Student
"Chris Bashinelli is an excellent communicator and motivator. When Chris is involved in an event, I know it is in great hands. His ability to connect and relate with people from all backgrounds is simply remarkable. Chris is equally as comfortable and confident with high profile individuals such as the Secretary General of the United Nations, as he is with the everyday man or woman on the street. Chris spoke at and moderated the Launch of the International Year of Youth in the United Nations General Assembly hall with a remarkable amount of ease and skill. I have great faith in Chris. I consider it an honor to work with him and most importantly, I consider him a friend."
UNITED NATIONS FOCAL POINT ON YOUTH
Nicola Shepherd, Head of the UN Programme on Youth
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------“The Daniels Fund is a $ 1.4 billion foundation. Chris’s speech was an amazing way to wrap this legacy conversation around what our scholars are doing with their lives. His presentation tonight really spoke about being not just a Global Citizen, but what does that mean, what is that role? What is that responsibility to actually go out and make a difference for people? Whether it’s the person right here next to you, or someone ten thousand miles around the world. We have a responsibility to give back and to take care of those around us. And the people that I spoke to tonight were just rocked! We have a debt to repay Chris and we’re very thankful that he was here.”
DANIELS FUND
Scott Southworth, Assistant VP
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"Chris Bashinelli offered the Boy Scouts of America an ideal mix of someone with a strong Scouting background and an impressive non-Scouting resume. As an Eagle Scout, his leadership skills were apparent, but we also were impressed by the ease with which he discussed his work. He spoke to us in a way that felt unscripted and conversational but still polished and precise. His inspirational words left Scouts and Scout leaders wanting more."
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
Bryan Wendell, Senior Editor, Scouting Magazine
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"Bash delivers a fast-paced hour, relates it skillfully to the group at hand, and finishes with the crowd feeling like he's everyone's best friend- who does those things we all know we should do. He is at once worldly and down-to-earth, driven and disarming. Interested in everyone he meets, skilled at listening, attentive and quick. Chris is generous with his time and heart and is truly wise beyond his years. He revels the opportunity to share his energy with folks, sometimes bringing the most unlikely attendees up on stage, and quite magically builds a community in the room. If you’re looking to unlock reserves of energy in your people with a dose of unique experiences culminating in a highly-inspiring charge to succeed ‘no matter what’, Chris is an exceptional choice. I know I look forward to working with him again."
PERKIN ELMER
Stuart Brooks, Event Planner
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"We were all very, very pleased with Chris Bashinelli and his ability to spellbound a crowd of educators, artists and performers. The young professionals who attended our event gave Chris rave reviews and could not stop talking about him in a positive way. His energy level throughout the night captivated the attention of the audience and his delivery style was outstanding. Chris brought love, life, enthusiasm, and exuberance through turned-on energy to “Girls Who Rock”. On behalf of our entire team and friends, a big thank you goes out to Chris for working with us. We are excited for his future and look forward to another collaboration with him. Chris helped raise over $7,000 for Girls Education in East Africa."
GIRLS WHO ROCK
Cynthia Hellen, co-founder
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"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."
WORLD FAITH
Frank Fredericks, Executive Director
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"Dear Chris, Thank you so much for serving as a moderator for the UN International Day of Peace… I very much appreciated not only your renowned energy and enthusiasm, but also the skillful way you wove together the inspiring ideas expressed by such luminaries as Michael Douglas, Dr. Jane Goodall, and Stevie Wonder so that the young people would actually remember what they said. You made a real difference to every one of the 500+ students in the room, who surely left ready to be ambassadors of peace in the world – just like you! May Peace Prevail on Earth! With gratitude and love."
WORLD PEACE PRAYER SOCIETY
Deborah Moldow, Representative to the United Nations
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“It was such a pleasure to have Chris host and moderate a panel at our flagship conference, YouthTalks, and energize the hundreds of young development professionals at the World Bank. He really set the tone for the event…by inspiring the audience and our other speakers with his charisma and positive outlook. His unique ability to have a frank discussion about these tough topics while still maintaining a great sense of humor was a very welcomed departure from the more traditional high level panels we’re used to.
The international development community needs more people like Chris: he is passionate, relatable, and dedicated to making the world a better place by inspiring his peers to act on their ideas and see the world through a different perspective.”
THE WORLD BANK GROUP
Jonathan Perry, Secretary of Youth-to-Youth
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“Chris- I don't have a lot of words to express what I feel watching you tell your stories. This is tremendous grace you have been given to affect people's lives in this way. A quality that you and Ram Dass share is your complete honesty about who you are, faults and all.”
RAGHVINDRA DAS/ MITCHELL MARKUS
Executive Director of the Love Serve Remember Foundation
"Your message, touch and style were a perfect complement to our experience! I didn’t check email first thing this morning!
Scott Vaughan, CMO, Integrate
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“Chris is unlike any other Virtual Presenter I've seen – he reaches across the digital space and makes you feel as though you are right there with him! Our attendees walked away with the confidence and tools they need to face these uncertain times with a positive attitude. We love Chris!”
– Eric N, ReloOlogy
