Chris Bashinelli
Host and executive producer of Bridge the Gap, Chris encourages audiences to think differently about their lives
Chris “Bash” Bashinelli gave up an acting career to exchange with the world. As Host of Bridge the Gap on PBS and the National Geographic Channel, Bash takes us on an introspective adventure- walking in the shoes of people halfway around the world and encouraging us to think differently about our lives. Bash has spoken to diverse global audiences, from the United Nations General Assembly Hall to Fortune 500 Companies to entrepreneur organizations in Saudi Arabia. He is the youngest male ever to singlehandedly moderate the UN International Day of Peace. He is also a contributing writer for Huffington Post, Lonely Planet, Delta Sky and the Daily News Zimbabwe. Bash’s keynotes embody themes of service, productivity and cultural understanding. He helps audiences better realize their potential to become Global Citizens—productive members of their organization, their family, and ultimately—the world!
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 (OR others) 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.
This message hits home for so many who reach back to remember their own beginnings and recognize the foundational wisdom in creating life-long connections. Bring the transformational lessons of the “Stoop” to your next audience.
START AT STEP “Z” – Stepping into Powerful Performance
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.
With total clarity, Bash 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. By connecting our ultimate goal to a mission that benefits others, and having unwavering faith in one’s potential, we will find the inspiration necessary to reach our Step “Z”.
Bash walks attendees through the scientific method for recognizing and reducing their most limiting beliefs, thereby opening the doorway to a whole new world. Start at Step “Z”, let go of the rest, and realize your full potential.
“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
“G’day mate! Great to meet you! I love your message and it fits perfectly in the corporate market. Who knew that traveling the world and living with nomads relates to work in an office setting!? I introduce a lot of speakers to events around the world and I rate your session very highly- Entertaining, engaging, compelling…All the good stuff!”
“Chris is one of the most inspiring new voices on television. His curiosity and enthusiasm for new experiences is infectious – he’s part Anthony Bourdain, part Anderson Cooper, and 100% fresh. Whether Chris is crying with an Indian prayer circle, or screaming with his arm most of the way inside a cows backside, you just can’t stop watching.”
“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.”
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’.”
