Wharton-educated and an Oxford MBA, Alexander Blass, 34, certainly understands the value of education and is a sought after speaker to and about Generation Y. He holds two bachelor degrees, and two master degrees in electrical engineering and business. The son of a Holocaust-survivor who became an acclaimed social psychologist and professor, Alexander, 34, grew up in a home where the power of education and the future was only fully realized when coupled with a deep appreciation and understanding of the past. He has spoken at major public and private universities and enjoys inspiring and educating tomorrow’s leaders by sharing his passion, vision, and fascinating experiences.
When an engagement is booked, Alexander is pleased to customize his speeches to the nuances and needs of your particular audience for maximum impact.
To further his deep and longstanding commitment to and appreciation for higher education and inspiring the leaders of tomorrow, qualified educational instituions receive a significant discount from his standard fees.
Sample Keynote Speeches:
FINDING YOUR PASSION: YOU TOO, CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
Topics: motivation, inspiration, social entrepreneurship
As a child, Alexander Blass often gazed at the black and white photos on his parents’ piano of his father’s family members who perished in the Holocaust. The lessons he learned as a boy about the preciousness of human life, combined with world events, ultimately led him to a “lightbulb moment.” He left a career in finance to make a difference, inventing and patenting a new way to make philanthropic contributions in 50 countries through the power of the Internet. Blass draws from his experience and the lessons learned as a social entrepreneur to inspire and motivate, ensuring audiences that by finding their passion, maximizing their unique abilities, and embracing change, one person can indeed change our world.
[Note: A half-day Master Class length version of this topic is also available on social entrepreneurship and corporate and social responsibility.]
TALES FROM THE INNOVATOR: FROM IDEAS TO IMPLEMENTATION
Topics: innovation, entrepreneurship, marketing, and overcoming adversity
In this fascinating and often hilarious recount of his journey to becoming an award-winning entrepreneur, Blass offers a candid view of the enormous challenges and setbacks that were overcome, emphasizing the importance and power of tenacity in the face of adversity. From sleeping on his software developer’s couch thousands of miles from home to a “memorable” encounter with Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander, Blass’s story inspires and educates audiences. Blass teaches the qualities necessary to be a successful innovator and how anyone can create a marketing sensation and “buzz” with limited resources. [Note: A full-day Master Class length version of this topic is also available for successfully launching new ventures.]
FROM ADVERSITY TO THE AMERICAN DREAM: MOVING MESSAGES FROM A HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR AND HIS SON
Topics: holocaust, adversity, inspiration, spirituality
In this powerful and extremely rare opportunity, Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor Dr. Thomas Blass — an internationally recognized social psychologist and author who has published several critically acclaimed books and over 50 papers — teams up with his son, award-winning CEO and innovator Alexander Blass to deliver an unusually moving and poignant keynote together. In the opening half of the engagement, Dr. Blass details his harrowing and miraculous tale of survival as a boy hiding in Budapest, Hungary during Nazi occupation while most of his family was deported to and murdered in Auschwitz. Then American-born son Alexander Blass, who has traveled to 40 countries, continues by discussing the profound impact of this family legacy on his own personal development, including a visit to Auschwitz to pay respects to his ancestors that forever changed his life and career. [Note: Alexander Blass is also available to speak individually on this subject from the perspective of a survivor's son.]
FUNDRAISING 2.0: REVEALING AND RAISING THE INVISIBLE MILLIONS
Topics: philanthropy, fundraising, social networking, technology
Blass, credited with “revolutionizing charitable giving,” offers an evocative and eye-opening look into human nature, delving into the psychology of giving as well as the power of social networks and grassroots activism. Blass explores how technological innovation is changing the face of philanthropy, and offers thought-provoking strategies for fundraising success.
[Note: A full-day Master Class length version of this topic is also available.]