Chris Gardner is the owner and CEO of 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 aspirational 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.
The amazing story of Gardner’s life was published as an autobiography, The Pursuit of Happyness, in
May 2006, and became a New York Times and Washington Post #1 bestseller. In paperback, the book
spent over twenty weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into more than
thirty languages. Gardner was also the inspiration for the movie “The Pursuit of Happyness,” released
by Columbia Pictures in December 2006. Will Smith starred as Gardner and received Academy Award,
Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations for his performance. Gardner was an associate
producer on the film.
In his second New York Times bestselling book, Start Where You Are: Life Lessons in Getting from
Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, published in May 2009, Gardner shared his philosophies on,
and the crucial steps behind, creating a fulfilling, successful life. The book provided a much-needed
blueprint for navigating tumultuous times with positivity, courage, tenacity, discipline and common
sense. The book was released in paperback in May 2010.
In the fall of 2010, Gardner was named the Ambassador of Pursuit and Happyness for AARP, which has
nearly 40 million members worldwide. His mission is to share his hard-won wisdom to encourage the
50+ audience to pursue new challenges, search for fulfillment at any stage of life, or craft the legacy they
want to leave behind.
