Chris is able to adapt his presentation content to various audiences and enjoys facilitating lively and provocative Q&As. He has keynoted at conferences and spoken at ad agencies, corporations and schools including: Apple, Google, The 3% Conference, The Ad Club Women’s Leadership Forum, GetWellNetwork’s Get Connected National Conference, Arnold Worldwide, Deutsch, Chiat Day, Havas, The Martin Agency, J. Walter Thompson, MullenLowe/MediaHub, Miami Ad School, Weber Shandwick, Aquent, Liberty Mutual, Pfizer, Shire Pharmaceuticals, GlaxoSmithkline, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, Harvard and Harvard Medical School.
You can watch him in action below and read what some of his biggest fans have to say. If you’re interested in booking Chris for a speaking engagement or book signing, shoot him an email.
“It takes extraordinary courage to pursue your dream of claiming your true self, especially when that self is a different gender than what you were assigned at birth. Chris tells a brutally honest and moving story about his emotional and physical journey of transition. Suffused with humor and pathos, it’s a story everyone would benefit from hearing. Our audience of 800+ responded with a standing O!” – Mary Pasciucco, CMO, The Ad Club of Boston
“After seeing Chris keynote at a conference, I made it my mission to get him to come speak at the agency. In the days after his talk at least 50 people told me he was the most inspirational speaker they’d ever heard.”
– Beth Kelley, COO, The Martin Agency
“Due to Apple’s strict confidentiality policy, they are unable to provide an official endorsement quote. But trust me when I tell you, I nailed it.” – Chris Edwards, Speaker
“When I introduced Chris to the audience at our Talent Revolution Summit, I didn’t mention his gender transition specifically–only that he worked in advertising and would be sharing a story of diversity. To say the audience didn’t see it coming would be an understatement. The way he shared his personal story was so impactful and filled with a balance of humor and raw emotion he had everyone riveted. We all walked away more informed about what it’s like to be transgender and how to be better allies both in and out of the workplace. I highly recommend him to anyone looking to enhance their diversity initiatives with a real-life and relatable perspective.” – Stephanie Redish Hofmann, Director of Agency Development, Google
Shire had the great honor to welcome Chris Edwards for a lunch & learn at our campus in Lexington, Massachusetts. He is a truly inspiring and engaging speaker with an important message: Being your authentic self is the key to happiness and success! He shared valuable advice on how to be a supportive Ally of the LGBT+ community. In addition, Chris gave helpful food for thought on how self-branding affects the ways we are perceived by the world. Thank you Chris for helping us grow as a corporate community and for being a role model for every employee.
–Christoph Hofbauer, PhD, PMP
Global Executive Lead B-Equal Business Resource Group
“Chris Edwards was a featured speaker at a recent Diversity Dialogue offered by Harvard University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences. In this forum, Chris shared an array of stories about his gender transition that touched both the hearts and minds of those fortunate enough to attend. He spoke about his transition with humor and courage and helped our community to better understand the many issues that surround the transgender journey. The response from participants was overwhelmingly positive (Chris was the only speaker to ever receive a standing ovation from this audience), and we are grateful to him for sharing his experience with us.”
– Chris Ciotti, Associate Dean for Human Resources
Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences
“Chris Edwards was our keynote for our patient engagement conference GetConnected in Washington DC, speaking to a packed room of 500 attendees. To say his presentation was exquisite is an understatement. This was a room full of clinicians, and they were blown away by Chris’ honesty, his vulnerability, his wry humor, his experience. His words helped us all remember we need to hear a person’s story before we make assumptions. This is the only way we are truly going to be healers. The standing O Chris received was well deserved and we thank Chris for his contribution to creating a space of understanding.”
–Karen Drenkard, PhD, RN, FAAN
SVP/ Chief Nurse and Chief Clinical Officer, GetWellNetwork
“Chris is a fireball!” “He is a dynamic speaker and his message was perfectly crafted, offering an unfiltered look into his extraordinary and brave journey. His story is REAL and resonated immensely with everyone at Deutsch.” – Val DiFebo, CEO, Deutsch NY
“When I first heard Chris speak I thought, I have to have him talk to my students. I don’t think they knew what to expect. I don’t think they expected so much honesty. Or so much humor. Or so much inspiration to come from such a very, very personal story. They came away awed and inspired. As does anyone who meets him.” – Helayne Spivak, Director, VCU Brandcenter
“As a conference organizer, I can’t give higher praise to Chris as a speaker–nor could the attendees who gave him the highest rankings in our exit survey. Chris’ story is so interesting to people, especially the way he explains how he used branding principles from advertising to rebrand himself during his gender transition. He’s personable, funny, relatable and someone you feel grateful to know and eager to hear more from. Simply put, he’s a fascinating person.”– Kat Gordon, Founder and CEO, The 3% Conference
“From the minute Chris started speaking he had the entire 2nd year Harvard Medical Students captivated by his stories that are peppered with wit and charm. He is a gifted public speaker and charismatic man who presents a powerful message.” – Jeremi Carswell, MD, Medical Director, Gender Management Services, Boston Children’s Hospital
“Chris is a fantastic and inspirational speaker who captivated the attention and hearts of our medical students. Hearing Chris’s story in the genuine and heartfelt manner in which he told it, including the unimaginable challenges and obstacles he faced, is an educational experience that few medical students encounter, but ironically the very kind that most students find the most valuable, rewarding, and memorable. Our Harvard Medical Students learned more about the human aspect of medicine and the patients they will one day treat in the one hour Chris taught them then they could have in days of “traditional” teaching.”– Anand Vaidya, MD MMSc, Director, Endocrinology and Reproductive Pathophysiology Course Harvard Medical School
“Weber Shandwick, the largest global public relations agency in the country, prides itself on diversity of people and ideas. Everyone’s journey is a learning experience and a different story to be shared and heard. To that end, we created an internal series titled ‘Brave Space’ where employees and invited guests could share their life paths and perspectives. We featured Chris, a very engaging speaker, in our recent speakers series to an unprecedented number of Boston employees. His humor, openness and authenticity led to a lively and enlightening discussion and Q&A that left all of us more knowledgeable and better positioned to speak to the transgender topic as PR professionals. It also shed light and great perspective on one journey during a very different time in our country. People were moved and motivated to seek their own truth and support others as they do the same. I highly recommend Chris as a speaker and author to all who seek to better our world and workplace.” – Patty Stone, EVP, Weber Shandwick
“Chris is one of the most phenomenal speakers you’re ever going to hear. The remarkable thing about Chris is that you can walk into a room, not knowing anything about him or what he’s going to talk about, and walk out completely enlightened. Our company, Aquent/Vitamin T, was beyond fortunate to have Chris as a speaker. We are all better people for hearing Chris’ story.” – Lola Sizemore, Agent, Vitamin T
“Chris is so authentic. So inspiring. An incredible story of being true to yourself. The feedback from our team was outstanding.”
– Pam Hamlin, Global CEO, Arnold Worldwide
“High school students are some of the toughest critics of public speakers. It takes a really special person to engage them, teach them, and especially to make them laugh. Amazingly, Chris did it all! Chris had an auditorium full of 1000 high school students riveted for a full hour listening to his story. And, afterwards, he had a crowd of teenagers standing in line for 30 minutes to talk to him and have him sign their book. That’s unusual and something incredible. Invite him to come speak at your high school. You won’t be disappointed!”
– Kate Leslie, Social Studies Teacher & GSA Advisor
Brookline High School
“What an engaging speaker and funny too! Chris spoke to a crowd of 150 at the Wayland Public Library sharing his special story. Staff received only glowing reviews and positive feedback following the event and I have already recommended Chris’ talk to another organization.”
– Rachel Sideman-Kurtz, Wayland Public Library