Learn more about Chad's book, Blind Ambition™

High-Impact Keynote Speaker
Pursue Your Success with Blind Ambition™

As an award-winning business leader, international keynote speaker, and author of Blind Ambition™, Chad explains the anatomy of resilience—providing tried and tested tools that empower people to emerge from setbacks stronger, sleeker, and resolute to succeed.

  • Harvard-educated Executive Dealmaker, Billion$ Generator, Job Creator
  • Change-Disruption-Mindset-Transformation
  • Grit-Resilience-Accountability-Growth Through Adversity

Connecting inspiration to implementation™, Chad shares the insights gained from going blind at 21, and bouncing back to build massive enterprise value—enabling your team to embody the mindsets for success, adopting narratives that change the meaning of the challenges they face. They’ll learn how to get comfortable with discomfort, equipping your organization to turn disadvantages into advantages, and obstacles into opportunities — creating a more resilient leadership culture and inviting diversity to drive business innovation.

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What Makes Chad Different?

The current rate of change is ERODING people’s resilience, grit, and commitment, leading to higher levels of anxiety, burnout, and attrition. The loss of organizational talent and resilience have created chronic organizational underperformance that affects internal productivity, as well as the value organization’s are able to provide to customers. As a result, organizations are falling behind, and are blind to the massive opportunities created by disruption.

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 difficulty and building enterprise value, Chad understands 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.

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Chad Foster with his dog

Who is Chad E. Foster?

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To inquire about speaking, call 855-GET-CHAD and press Option 1 to connect with Brandy Gibson at Executive Speakers Bureau.

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Endorsements

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“In Blind Ambition, Chad Foster demonstrates how we can transform our misfortunes into growth opportunities. Chad is a courageous authentic leader who went from victim to visionary, turning his blindness from a disability into an ability to help others overcome their blind spots. Inspiring and deeply personal, this book can transform your life.”

Bill George

Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School, Former Chair & CEO, Medtronic, Author of Discover Your True North

“Chad’s story is about persistence, strength, and tenacity. For every challenge put in his way, he has found an ingenious and liberating way to overcome it. 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. This is a must read for anyone looking for the motivation to persist in business and life.”

Jim Whitehurst

President, IBM and former CEO, Red Hat

“People with disabilities want the privilege to succeed or fail based on their merits, and Chad’s powerful story demonstrates that success is indeed possible, even when faced with a significant disability—offering employers a way to tap into an underutilized talent pool.”

The Honorable Tony Coelho

Former U.S. Congressman, chief-sponsor and author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

"His story is amazing. If you’ve had trouble dealing with disappointments in life you need to read Blind Ambition!"

Tony Dungy

NFL Player & Super Bowl Winning Coach, Hall of Fame Recipient & TV Analyst, National Spokesman of All Pro Dads, Author

“Blind Ambition shows us how to build resilience, adapt, and even thrive in the face of adversity. Attitude is everything and 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. I worked closely with Chad for several years and he inspires, excites, and empowers people to embark on their own adventures.”

Joe Readyhough

President and CEO, Qbase

Featured Program

Blind Ambition™

Chad will provide your audience with a framework for thinking that will enable them to:

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Happiness is not a feeling, happiness is not an emotion, happiness is a decision that each of us make every single day when we wake up.

Chad E. Foster

Timeline

With speaking invites from London to Beijing, and the Atlanta Opera crafting his journey for the stage, Chad inspires people to overcome their own blind spots.

Chad E. Foster Timeline

Lost Eyesight

Lost eyesight and forced to switch college major due to blindness.

First Dog

Received first guide dog.

Dean's List

Relearned how to learn without sight and made the Dean’s List.

Graduated College

Graduated with straight-A's in College of Business Administration.

Promotion

Promoted to lead multibillion dollar commercial outsourcing deals in record time.

Software Developed

Developed software thought impossible by Oracle.

New Position

Hired to work on multibillion dollar sales strategy.

New Position

Hired to spearhead most strategic and complex deals.

Promotion

Promoted from Senior Pricing Analyst to Senior Director while capturing over $45 billion in contracts with industry leading growth and best-in-class margins despite tightening market conditions.

Graduated Harvard

First blind person to graduate from Harvard Business School Executive Education leadership program.

Harvard

Voted as graduating speaker for Harvard Business School Executive Education leadership program.

Career Milestone

Led a team that landed largest (9-figure) deal in company history.

Career Milestone

Led a team that redesigned the company's pricing/discounting framework, improving operational efficiency by ~57% while increasing customer satisfaction.

Career Milestone

Tapped to serve as VP in charge of 200-person organization responsible for closing the integration with IBM - a $34 billion purchase that was the largest of its kind.

Published Book

HarperCollins Leadership published Chad's first book - Blind Ambition.

Published Book

Co-authored a book with Les Brown - Ignite the Hunger in You

Life without obstacles removes opportunity for growth.

Chad E. Foster

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Blind Ambition book cover

Blind Ambition™

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.