Cory Richards Resilience and Mental Health Keynote Speaker, Hiking in the Mountains

Impossible Isn’t

Cory Richards is a keynote speaker, former professional athlete, author, and National Geographic photography fellow.

He helps audiences reframe their stories, amplify their progress, and create a life where the once impossible isn’t.

Resilience Keynote Speaker Cory Richards on Stage
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Cory Richards Photography, Inspirational Keynote Speaker
Cory Richards Photography, Inspirational Keynote Speaker

Certainty Kills Curiosity

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Trust Transcends Force

There’s More to Life Than Survival.

In a world that glorifies stress and reactivity, individuals and organizations everywhere are quietly breaking under the weight of burnout and disconnection. Through the power of story and resilience, keynote speaker Cory Richards helps you create an environment where creativity, connection, trust, and agency can thrive again.

Black and White Photograph by Cory Richards
Cory Richards Photographer and Keynote Speaker

Agency is Everything

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Discovery Demands Discomfort

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Cory Richards Resilience and Mental Health Keynote Speaker
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Cory Richards has summited Everest without oxygen, survived addiction, dealt with bipolar disorder, survived a near-fatal avalanche, and come back with something bigger than a story:

PERSPECTIVE

Today, he uses the power of storytelling to help individuals and organizations alike move through life with resilience, meaning, and agency — transforming lives, leadership, culture, and performance.

MEET CORY

MEET CORY

Cory Richards Resilience and Mental Health Keynote Speaker
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Experience The
Resilience Method

Cory Richards’ keynotes cut through the noise and give your people something to hold onto. Each interactive, authentic keynote can be completely customized to your unique needs — and Cory explores topics like:

  • The Edge Is Where We Begin: The Art of Resilience

    Resilience isn’t about gripping harder. It’s about letting go smarter. In this keynote, Cory shows how adaptation, creative thinking, and radical honesty become the engine of real transformation.

  • No Summit Solo: Building Resilient Teams

    Cory summited Everest alone, without oxygen. But what looks like solo success is always collective. Cory shares how radical trust and self-mastery build teams that thrive, even under extreme pressure.

  • The Inside-Out Leader: Redefining Leadership From Within

    Great leaders go inside first; into honesty, uncertainty, and personal growth. This keynote explores how emotional intelligence leads to real influence.

  • Strong Enough to Feel: Modern Masculinity & Emotional Intelligence

    The old armor doesn’t fit. Through his own experience in the hyper-masculine environment of professional athletics, Cory challenges outdated models of toughness and makes space for a more grounded, open, human version of strength.

  • Breaking the Story of Broken: Mental Health, Performance & Truth

    Cory reframes mental health as a foundation, not a flaw. This keynote helps teams move from silence to sustainability by inviting individuals to embrace their totality and unlock their true potential.

  • Impossible Isn’t: Unlocking Personal and Professional Transformation

    You don’t need to become someone else — you need to become more fully yourself. This talk helps audiences rewrite limiting stories and reconnect to what’s possible.

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Cory Richards Resilience and Mental Health Keynote Speaker on Stage
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Testimonials

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Testimonial about Cory Richards Keynote Speaker
Testimonial about Cory Richards Keynote Speaker
Testimonial about Cory Richards Keynote Speaker

“The truth isn’t often told, it is lived. Cory’s journey as told through his unique and daring vision is as close to that truth as one can get.”

Reinaldo Marcus Green,
American director and film producer of One Love and King Richard

“As high as Cory has climbed to summit Everest, he’s arguably gone down deeper into the depths of his own humanity.”

Wesley Schultz & Jeremiah Fraites,
The Lumineers

“Cory’s story is nothing less than a bullet train into the heart of darkness — and back out again.”

Amy Ellis Nutt,
Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist and author of Becoming Nicole

Testimonial about Cory Richards Keynote Speaker
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The Color of Everything Book by Cory Richards

Turning the Page

In his books, Cory Richards takes audiences inside the raw, reflective, and real pages of his own story — from homelessness and institutionalization to the summit of Everest and the cover of National Geographic.

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THE JOURNAL

THE JOURNAL

Not everything fits in a keynote. On Cory’s blog, find reflections on pain, growth, clarity, and whatever comes next.

Podcast Interview with Cory Richards, Resilience Keynote Speaker
Podcast Interview with Cory Richards, Resilience Keynote Speaker
Cory Richards, Resilience Keynote Speaker on Stage
Podcast Interview with Cory Richards, Resilience Keynote Speaker
Cory Richards Photography
Cory Richards Photography Instagram Feed