Professional Speakers Bureau International

Harvard-educated Executive Dealmaker, Billion-dollar

Generator, Resilience Leader, Blind Black Diamond Skier, Author! 

CHAD E. FOSTER

TOPICS - • Adversity • Change • Diversity • Fear

• Goal Setting • Happiness • Inspirational • Motivation 

• Resilience   • Success • Transforming

CHAD E. FOSTER - PROGRAMS

  • BLIND AMBITION™: How to Go from Victim to Visionary™
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  • NO MORE COMFORT ZONES: Growth Through Adversity
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  • DIVERSITY: The Engine for Innovation
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  • VICTIM TO VISIONARYTM: Resilience Program Workshop
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“People are often surprised at what I was able to achieve in spite of being blind but to the contrary, I feel I am successful because I am blind, not in spite of it,” 

                                     Chad E. Foster

AUDIENCE BENEFITS • Learn how to turn disadvantages into advantages • See obstacles not as setbacks but as a springboard to becoming stronger, sleeker, and more resilient • Stop making excuses and start strategizing to win • Develop and maintain the flexibility that enables people to emerge from adversity equipped to succeed • Create a repeatable and sustainable culture prepared to thrive in change

CHAD E. FOSTER - BIOGRAPHY

     Chad E. Foster is a motivational keynote speaker, sales/finance leader, and inspirational change agent who works at Red Hat/IBM. He was the first blind executive to graduate from Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development and has been featured with NBC, CBS, Forbes, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, USA Today, and Chief Executive Mag.
  After losing his eyesight while attending college in his early twenties, Chad started at a top consulting firm, and has built a career in the technology industry where he has directed financial strategies and decisions resulting in more than $45 billion in contracts. 
     Imagine going blind at 21-years-old. Imagine never seeing another sunset. Never seeing your wife. Never seeing your children. Imagine emerging from that experience seeing everything more clearly and living a life without eyesight that’s happier and more successful than before. I don’t have to imagine that. That’s the story of my life. Victims stay trapped. Visionaries bounce back. 
     "I turned my obstacles into opportunities, becoming the first blind executive to graduate from the Harvard Business School leadership program, building software Silicon Valley said was impossible and helping millions of people around the world become successful while generating billions of dollars in the business world. Now I teach that same overcomer mindset to international audiences, delivering practical strategies to improve resilience in challenging circumstances. Helping others transform their adversity into advantage makes going blind worth it. I lost my vision to give you yours. I've captured my life lessons in my recently published book, Blind Ambition, and I also deliver my high-impact keynote and workshop programs to conference audiences, leadership teams, sales teams, and professional athletes. I've spoken to leaders from organizations that include Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Google, GE, and Microsoft."
     Determination, ambition, and resilience are the key drivers to his incredible journey. The Atlanta Opera has commissioned an opera inspired by his life story and his first book, Blind Ambition: How to Go from Victim to Visionary, is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, Bookshop, Books-A-Million, Google Play, and other fine retailers.
     Today, Chad speaks to corporate audiences and professional athletes to help them develop resilience in the face of uncertainty and show people how to overcome their own blind spots.
     He lives with his wife and his 2 children in Atlanta, GA and is a daredevil of his own, enjoying snow skiing every winter.     
     Chad would be honored to inspire actions that drive outcomes at your next event. 

TESTIMONIALS

“Chad Foster demonstrates how we can transform our misfortunes into growth opportunities. Chad is a courageous authentic leader who went from victim to visionary ...this book can transform your life.” 

— Bill George, Senior Fellow at Harvard Business School, Former Chair & CEO, Medtronic, Author of Discover Your True North

“I witnessed his winning capability firsthand at Red Hat and I’m so glad he is now sharing the lessons he has learned with the world.”

— Jim Whitehurst, President, IBM and former CEO, Red Hat

“Chad’s powerful story demonstrates that success is indeed possible, even when faced with a significant disability.”

— The Honorable Tony Coelho, Former U.S. Congressman, chief-sponsor and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act

“Blind Ambition shows us how to build resilience, adapt, and even thrive in the face of adversity. Chad's ability to believe that significant life obstacles can propel us to a better version of ourselves is a powerful lesson to us all.”

— Joe Readyhough, President and CEO, Qbase

“I was transported. His words were so powerful that I could almost hear music...in that moment I decided to commission an opera based on his life ...one of the greatest speeches I’ve ever heard“

– Tomer Zvulun, General and Artistic Director of the Atlanta Opera

“Really impressed, a once-in-a-lifetime inspirational experience.”

— Luis Gonzalez Iglesias, Senior Consultant

“I walked out with a whole new outlook on life just listening to Foster sharing his life experience. A true visionary!!”

— E.G. Nadhan, Chief Technology Strategist

“Amazing presenter, amazing story and an amazing soul.”

— Kristen Azevedo, Account Manager

“Got to say that Chad gave one of the most inspirational talks I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. Great messages delivered with humor and style.”

— Richard Barbosa, Account Manager 

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CHAD E. FOSTER - MEDIA

Blind Ambition

Ready to turn your biggest obstacle into your biggest advantage?

The stories we tell ourselves about our circumstances either limit us or propel us towards our goals. Though we all have self-limiting beliefs that prevent us from daring to live the life of our dreams,

imagine going blind in your early 20's. 

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