Chris Gardner is an entrepreneur, international best-selling author, and an award-winning film producer. Gardner’s autobiography, "The Pursuit of HappYness" became a New York Times #1 best seller and has been translated into over 40 languages, including six dialects of Chinese and recently into Arabic.

Gardner’s book, The Pursuit of HappYness was the inspiration for the critically acclaimed film in which Will Smith received the Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award nominations for his performance. His second book, “Start Where You Are,” also a best seller, was published in 2009. Gardner’s new book “Permission to Dream” was selected as “Book Of The Month” by the Wall Street Journal upon its publication.

Chris recently partnered with Transfr, Inc., the leading provider of virtual reality (VR) career training and exploration, to launch "Permission to Dream 2.0: Pathways to Success," to bring together Gardner’s inspirational programming with Transfr’s immersive career exploration and skills training to create career pathways and generational wealth-creation opportunities for individuals, including those from underserved communities. He will work with institutions in the U.S. to help learners access Transfr’s programs to prepare for meaningful, well-paying careers that don’t require a four-year degree.