CHRIS BASHINELLI
TV HOST + EXPLORER + SPEAKER
Chris Bashinelli, also known as, “Bash”, was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. 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. In his early 20’s, he became one of the youngest Moderators at the United Nations and made a documentary about his journey to Tanzania. 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 discovers what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes.
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Of Lebanese and Italian descent, Bash knows what it takes to live in a diverse world. He has harvested buffalo with Native Americans in Pine Ridge, lived with nomads in Mongolia, and Sumo Wrestled the heaviest Japanese human being in recorded history. He is a United Nations Moderator, an Eagle Scout, a National Geographic Explorer, and has interviewed some of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People on the Planet.
Bash has spoken around the world – from TEDx, to Abu Dhabi, to Azerbaijan – at multi-million dollar corporations, Ivy League Universities, and in the United Nations General Assembly Hall. He has shared the stage with Stevie Wonder, Dr. Jane Goodall and former United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon.
GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP – Change Your Mind, Change Your World
Global Citizenship means using our everyday work and lives as a vehicle to grow inwardly and thereby, become the best version of ourselves. Becoming a Global Citizen is not about traveling the world, it is about using the challenges within our individual lives to become stronger and more productive members of the world. When we embody the qualities of a Global Citizen – presence, empathy and inspiration – then we can truly inspire those around us.
With the mindset of the Global Citizen, every challenge in our work and lives – from a disagreement with a coworker, to the loss of someone we love – becomes fuel for us to grow inwardly and reach our potential. Our role is not to “change the world”, but to “change ourselves”. Becoming a Global Citizen begins with realizing we already have everything we need in order to be happy right now.
From the slums of Haiti, to the fields of Uganda, to the Mongolian Steppe, Chris pulls from real life examples to illustrate that the key to productivity, meaning and connection, does not lie in changing our external conditions, but in transforming our current conditions in order to grow.
STEPS FROM THE STOOP – Cultivating Connection
In order to achieve real diversity and inclusion within our organization we must adopt a world view that equally values all generations, cultures and perspectives. Chris Bashinelli’s all-inclusive approach to relationship building has been cultivated for 30+ years, starting with his “Stoop” in the heart of Brooklyn, where his childhood friends shared a combined total of more than 13 nationalities. In this signature keynote, Chris drives home the ease of relationship building with a personal, yet universal method he’s applied everywhere from farming with mystics in Uganda to living with nomads in Mongolia.Audience members will learn the three essential steps from the “Stoop” which serve as the basis for profound personal transformation and deep connection with others – Awareness, Acceptance, and Courage! These steps enable people to strengthen their relationship with themselves, co-workers, family, friends – and even those with whom we have no seeming connection – be it a 600 pound Japanese Sumo Wrestler or our next-door neighbor. When we make that human connection and move people from the category of “them” to “us”, anything is possible.
There’s never been a more important time to richly hone the relationships that transform lives, bridge gaps, connect generations, and empowers our life experience. By opening our world view we are far more powerful than we could ever be on our own – be it the exchange of tribal knowledge between an experienced team member and a social media-savvy young employee, or the shared core values of an Oklahoma farmer and a Mongolian herdsmen.
What’s surprising is that our ability to authentically connect with our clients and friends has very little to do with them, and almost everything to do with our perspective. We see the world not as it is, but as we are. The great news is that means we have the power to deepen our relationships with others at any moment, all we have to do is shift our perspective! Building better relationships doesn’t necessarily mean knowing perfectly how to bow, shake hands, or say hello in every culture, it simply means bringing an open and accepting mindset to all of our interactions.
START AT STEP “Z” – Stepping Into What’s Possible
What is your Step “Z”, the goal you feel will truly bring your life meaning? It could be a new client, a new partner, or a new home. What if you could arrive at that destination before you even begin the journey? We tend to be so fixated on our goal that we forget to examine how we are viewing ourselves. We feel that if our circumstances were different our goal would be attainable. In reality, we can only go as far as our shadow will let us – it’s not the circumstances that have to change, but us.
Bash walks attendees through the scientific method for recognizing and reducing their most limiting beliefs, thereby opening the doorway to a whole new world. With total clarity, he emphasizes that the swiftest way to get from where you are, to where you want to be, is to be there first – on the inside. The best way to get from Step “A” to Step “Z” is to Start at Step “Z”. It may seem counterintuitive, but your best chance at achieving your goal is to imagine it is already accomplished. Step firmly with faith into the shoes you were meant to fill – and live, breathe, work and act from that place.
From moderating a major United Nations event in Brazil at 23 years old with no prior experience, to leading a National Geographic Expedition in Mongolia when nearly all funding had been pulled one month before production, Bash shows how when we change our mind, we can change our world. The key to creating success lies not in getting what we want, but in realizing that we already have everything we need to live a life of great meaning. When we connect our ultimate goal to a mission that benefits others, and have unwavering faith in our potential, we will find the inspiration necessary to reach our Step “Z”.
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. Geoff Ballotti – President and CEO – Windham Hotel Group
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 – Head of Corporate Social Responsibility – BMW Group
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. Mr. Xavier Unkovic – Global President – Mars Drinks
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! Scott Habberstad – Director of Sales & Community Marketing – Alaskan Airlines
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. John Nosenzo – Senior Vice President – Beckman Coulter
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. Ms. Angela Cain – CEO – Cornet Global
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. Brian Lesser – Global CEO – Xaxis
Chris Bashinelli travels from New York
