“I initially moved to San Francisco to become a research associate for one of the top young heart surgeons in the country. Everything that I learned in that position is that skills, talent, and expertise are transferable.”

American businessman and motivational speaker

Chris Gardner is an American businessman and motivational speaker. He became a stockbroker in the mid-1970s and later founded Gardner Rich & Co in 1987. In 2006, he sold his minority stake in the firm and published a memoir that was later adapted into the film The Pursuit of Happyness. He is also known for speaking about persistence, hardship, and turning setbacks into progress.