White Stupa in the Mountains by Photographer Cory Richards
Cory Richards Keynote Speaker, National Geographic Cover

MEET CORY

MEET CORY

Torn piece of white paper against a black background.

Keynote speaker. Former professional athlete. National Geographic photographer. Author. Storyteller. Climber. Adventurer.

Cory Richards Keynote Speaker

featured in

Impossible Isn’t.

Cory Richards is a leading corporate resilience keynote speaker, bestselling author, and critically acclaimed photographer.

Cory Richards has walked the professional, physical, and emotional edge of life — from surviving addiction, homelessness, and a near-fatal avalanche to navigating bipolar disorder, summiting Everest without oxygen, and photographing the cover of National Geographic.

As an ever-curious explorer, advocate, and leader, Cory lays bare the struggles and stories of his own life to inspire others — and his speaking career has led him to take the stage in front of titans of industry, massive corporations, world leaders, and policy-makers. 

Taking an interactive, visual, and wholly authentic approach to every keynote, Cory invites audiences to reimagine possibilities, triumph through resilience, and find hope.

A landscape with white snowy mountain peaks and a cloudy sky.

Mile Markers of a Life That’s Been Really Lived

Wondering about the life experience that Cory brings to every keynote stage? Once a high school dropout, Cory speaks with unflinching honesty about navigating bipolar disorder, addiction, and some of the world’s most extreme landscapes — turning both trauma and triumph into tools for transformation.

  • Featured keynote speaker at SXSW, the World Economic Forum, and beyond

  • Artist in Residence at Oxford University

  • National Geographic Adventurer of the Year

  • National Geographic Photographer Fellow

  • Two-time recipient of the National Geographic Explorers Grant

  • Author of Bi-Polar & The Color of Everything

  • Summited Everest twice, once without supplemental oxygen

  • First and only American to summit one of the world’s 8000-meter peaks in winter

  • Subject & filmmaker of award-winning documentary COLD

  • Pioneer of real-time storytelling on Everest (2B+ social media impressions)

  • Over 50 international expeditions

Mirrored image of rugged mountain peaks with snow and ice, symmetrical at center.

From the Mountains to the Mic

Explore more of Cory’s work, learn about his story, and book him to speak at your next corporate event.

SPEAKING

Keynotes that inspire creativity
and resilience.

EXPLORE TOPICS
BOOK CORY

Cory Richards Keynote Speaker on Stage

LIVING

See the world
through the lens of hope.

THE SECRET TO RESILIENCE
EXPLORE CORY’S PHOTOGRAPHY WORK

Two young children standing outdoors in a mountainous landscape
Cloud-covered mountains at sunrise or sunset with misty sky
Books by Inspirational Keynote Speaker Cory Richards

WRITING

Words that explore the unmatched
power of story.

READ CORY’S BOOKS
READ CORY’S BLOG

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Inspirational Keynote Speaker Cory Richards
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MEDIA INTERVIEW & FEATURES HIGHLIGHTS

Rich Roll: A Powerful Story of Overcoming Addiction, PTSD, & Bi-Polar Disorder

Part 1 | Simon Sinek: The Climb Out of Pain is Taller Than Everest

PART2 | Simon Sinek: The Climb Out of Pain is Taller Than Everest

Kennedy Lecture Series

The Line: Into the Unknown

World Economic Forum: Nature and the Human Spirit

THROUGH CORY'S LENS

THROUGH CORY'S LENS

Inspirational Keynote Speaker Cory Richards