Learn more about Chad's bestselling book, Blind Ambition™
Innovation Starts Where Comfort Ends
Every organization is struggling with the current velocity of disruption, but what most leaders don’t realize, is that the current rate of change is the slowest it will be for the rest of our lives. Now, more than ever, organizations need to IGNITE people’s RESILIENCE, accountability, and INNOVATION—leading to resilient organizations that create more customer value by adapting and spotting the opportunities created by disruption.
Most people believe resilience is an idea, but it’s really a set of learned behaviors. Chad has spent the last TEN-plus years unpacking the anatomy of resilience — what allowed him to thrive after going blind at 21-years-old. He built software Oracle said was impossible; directed financial strategies that generated billions in revenue, industry-leading margins, and countless jobs; was the first blind executive to graduate Harvard’s leadership program; and became a black diamond downhill skier and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Practitioner — all with his eyes closed. Many thought leaders on resilience and change offer platitudes that create zero sustained impact on people’s behavior. Due to Chad’s firsthand experience with personal transformation while building massive enterprise value, Chad inspires action, ignites accountability, and unlocks potential by breaking down the anatomy of resilience at a practical level — providing tried and tested tools that empower people to emerge from setbacks stronger, sleeker, and resolute to succeed.
Connecting inspiration to implementation™, Chad enables your team to embody the mindsets and beliefs for success, while adopting the narratives and stories that will change the meaning of the challenges they experience. They’ll have the tools to remain comfortable in the face of discomfort, equipping your organization to turn disadvantages into advantages, and your obstacles into opportunities.
Inquire About Speaking
Innovation Starts Where Comfort Ends
Looking for an innovation keynote speaker? Then let’s not sugarcoat it - discomfort is the price of admission.
Innovation isn’t a buzzword. It’s a mindset. It’s what happens when disruption slams into culture - and instead of running, your people run towards the chaos.
I’m Chad E. Foster. I’ve lived outside my comfort zone even before going totally blind at 21. I didn’t just adapt - I went from blind and broke to building billion-dollar deals, writing software Silicon Valley said couldn’t be done, and started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and taking on black diamond slopes with nothing but a guide and grit - all with my eyes closed. And now, as an innovation speaker, I help companies kill comfort, embrace chaos, and drive real innovation.
I’ve flipped mindsets, shattered limits, and ignited results for giants like Google, Fidelity, and Blue Cross Blue Shield, and I’m here to empower your team to do the same. So, what does it look like?
Let’s face it: disruption is your best friend. It forces growth. It ignites opportunity. And it separates the companies that survive from the ones that lead.
Comfort zones? Might as well call them complacent zones. That’s where innovation goes to die.
My entire life has been an exercise in pushing past fear. From hospitals as a kid, to boardrooms as a blind exec - I’ve learned that every fear you face expands your world.
Innovation isn’t about giant leaps. It’s about micro-wins stacked daily.
Research backs it: Incremental innovation outpaces big-bang ideas 3-to-1 in sustainable growth.
👉 McKinsey
Afraid of failing? Good. Be more afraid of settling. I didn’t fear blindness - I feared regret. And that fear drove me.
Let’s talk facts. Fear is a stronger motivator than reward. The loss aversion principle shows us that we’ll fight harder not to lose $10 than to gain $20.
Safe companies don’t innovate. Bold ones do. Your team needs permission to test, fail, learn, and grow.
Here’s what I’ve learned: comfort and innovation can’t coexist.
You can’t create new things if you’re comfortably using the old. I help teams see that discomfort is where the magic happens. That experimentation is survival. And that growth - real, lasting growth - only comes when you stop playing it safe.
If you want an innovation keynote speaker who challenges your team, fires up your leaders, and pushes everyone to the edge of their potential - I’m your guy.
I’ll bring the stories, the strategy, and the fire your team needs to think bigger, move faster, and act bolder.
Looking for a business keynote speaker who transforms mindsets, actions, and outcomes? Let’s go!
Explore our programs to see which one can help your organization create a culture that unleashes leadership potential to maximize individual and company performance.
To inquire about speaking, call 855-GET-CHAD and press Option 1 to connect with Brandy Gibson at Executive Speakers Bureau.
Not just stories. Not just entertainment. It’s about connection, clarity, and calling people out - to step up, think bigger, and get uncomfortable enough to change.
How do I do it? Well, I went totally blind at 21, and I didn’t just adapt - I went from blind and broke to leading billion-dollar deals, building software Oracle said couldn’t be done, and started battletesting myself with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and taking on black diamond slopes with nothing but a guide and grit - all with my eyes closed. As a high-impact sales keynote speaker, leadership keynote speaker, and change keynote speaker, I deliver keynotes to titans like Google, Salesforce, and Fidelity that don’t just inspire - they transform.
I don’t just tell stories - I live them. I take your audience inside the moments that tested me, broke me, and built me.
Nobody remembers boring. I bring the laughs, the surprises, the raw emotion - and yeah, the edge.
Research backs it up: Emotional engagement significantly boosts retention.
This isn’t recycled motivational junk. I give your people tools they can use - now. Simple, sharp, and straight-up actionable.
Everything I teach is rooted in real-world experience and human behavior science. But don’t worry, no lab coats here.
Research Insight: Applying behavioral science can accelerate change adoption.
👉 McKinsey
If you want a ‘bless your heart’ speaker who leaves your people unchanged, don’t book me. But if you’re ready to break through barriers, eliminate the excuses, and get your audience fired up to own their outcomes, then let’s talk.
As a top-rated business keynote speaker, I’ve got the passion and the playbook to power your performance. Let’s get started.
If you don't feel like you're reaching the levels of happiness that you see others enjoy, or your goals seem out of reach, you're not alone. Life is too short for regrets. Learn how to use your mindset to reach your most daring dreams. Chad's stories and lessons will inspire, empower, and prepare you to face uncertainty with hope and optimism. Want to be mentally tough, strong, resilient and prepared to adapt and thrive in changing circumstances? Self-confident to become your best you? It's time to break free from the self-destructive thoughts that hold you back.
Ready To Turn Your Biggest Obstacle Into Your Biggest Advantage? The stories we tell ourselves either limit us or propel us towards our goals.
