26/01/2026
🌟 Leader of the Day 🌟
Chris Baréz-Brown
Making Work Brilliantly Human
“We are stardust. We are golden. And we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden.” Joni Mitchell’s words perfectly capture the essence of Chris Baréz-Brown’s life’s work, helping people and organizations reconnect with their energy, creativity, and humanity.
After leading innovation powerhouse What If! across London, New York, and Sydney, Chris founded Upping Your Elvis to help companies become more alive, creative, and commercially sharp. From Unilever, Haleon, Nike, Diageo, Coca-Cola, and Uber, his work has helped leaders and teams wake up, rediscover their spark, and deliver measurable impact, earning recognition even from Harvard Business Review.
Described by The Guardian as “a long-haired, twinkly-eyed cross between Richard Branson and a wizard,” Chris blends deep behavioral insight with playful experimentation. His philosophy of working with your natural design aligns personal energy with strategic intent, allowing teams to innovate faster and feel better while doing it.
A prolific author, Chris has written five acclaimed books, including Shine, Wake Up!, and Upping Your Elvis, reaching global audiences through features on the BBC, The Guardian, and The Sunday Times. Beyond the stage and page, he co-created Street Wisdom, a global wellbeing movement, and launched Talk It Out, a social enterprise offering fast, human paths to mental clarity.
Chris Baréz-Brown isn’t just a keynote speaker or culture-change advisor, he’s a catalyst for making work more human, creativity more practical, and leadership more alive.
Because these are extraordinary times, and as Chris reminds us, we shouldn’t waste them.