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Chris "Bash" Bashinelli

National Geographic Explorer & TV Host | United Nations Moderator | Arab-American Diversity Speaker | Expert on Human Connection & Humanity in Business

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“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

Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute United Nations Messenger of Peace

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Why book speaker Chris Bashinelli?

Chris's keynotes have developed over his one-decade as a social entrepreneur, explorer, and television host. He enlightens audience members with insights into his journey and how implementing small changes can transform your lifestyle.
He empowers audience members to live within their most authentic self to uplift and motivate our ever-changing world. He shows how enhancing your potential, creates for lasting change in the world.
Chris unites audience members into shaping realities and building bonds with co-workers, family members, and -most importantly- themselves for an understanding and optimization of a nation.

“We need more people like Chris in the World,”
says Dr. Jane Goodall. National Geographic Explorer Chris Bashinelli pulls from real life experiences in over 40 countries to empower organizations to create a culture of true human connection. He helps companies reignite employee inspiration, foster a culture of trust and empathy and tap into the power of their greatest asset –
their people.

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Keynotes

Keynote by speaker Chris Bashinelli: The Power of Human Connection – Embracing Diversity, Building Stronger Teams

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 it’s 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

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within a simple, powerful framework.

How to encourage every employee to be their authentic selves.

How to create a safe, inclusive environment in the workplace.

The benefits of creating a “Stoop” with our teams.

How to build lifelong bridges between cultures.

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Keynote by speaker Chris Bashinelli: Creating a Culture of Trust & Empathy – 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:

Discover our “In” – Bash’s trademarked secret to true human connection.

Why focusing strictly on our bottom line undercuts our clients’ trust in us.

The short and long term business benefits of emotional intelligence.

How to create an inclusive culture where teammates are inspired.

Why deep trust is the foundation to long term business growth.

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Keynote by speaker Chris Bashinelli: Inspirational Leadership – Reignite Employee Inspiration & Bring Your Best Self Everyday

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:

“Inspiration vs. Influence” – Why inspiration always outperforms influence.

Re-Ignite your team’s passion for your mission and purpose.

Inspire your team by becoming the best version of yourself.

Embrace challenge as a means to realize your potential.

Harness the magnetic power of selflessness.

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Keynote by speaker Chris Bashinelli: The Power of Mental Wellness – Mindfulness, Mental Health & 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:

Mental Health tools to increase happiness, productivity and profit.

The power of mindfulness to reduce stress and increase concentration.

How to create work/life boundaries that empower joy & productivity.

How embracing challenge gives rise to real innovation

The scientific link between “Happiness” and “Trust”.

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Keynote by speaker Chris Bashinelli: Start at Step Z – A Guide to Realizing Our Potential

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:

Bash’s patented 4-step method for achieving seeming out of reach goals.

Why mental wellness comes from focusing on
what is in our control.

How to reverse-engineer the pathway to our potential.

How to embody the qualities that manifest our vision.

The scientific link between confidence and action.

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Customer Reviews

JANE GOODALL PhD, DBE Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute United Nations Messenger of Peace

“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 WORLD FAITH, Executive Director

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 BMW GROUP, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility

“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 Student, COLLEGE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC- QATAR

Chris "Bash" Bashinelli

Step out of your comfort zone, explore your possibilities.

Chris Bashinelli, better known as “Bash”, 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.

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. His 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, Bash 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.

Bash 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.