Co-Founder and CEO (Chief Executive Optimist) of Life is Good, an organization that seeks to overcome violence, poverty and illness, Bert Jacobs believes that “Optimism can take you anywhere“. The Boston-based Life is Good lifestyle brand – a hybrid not-for-profit and for-profit organization – works to spread the power of optimism and help kids in need by donating 10% of its net profits to The Life is Good Kids Foundation. Officially launched in 1994 by Bert and his brother John – who had a combined sum of just $78 in the bank – Life is Good is now a $100 million positive lifestyle brand sold by over 2,000 retailers across the US and Canada. Bert has been awarded honorary doctorates from several universities, and he and Life is Good have been featured on CNBC’s Business Nation, CNN’s Tips from the Top, ABC News, Nightline, The Today Show, and in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, Men’s Health Magazine, The Huffington Post and more.

Also a corporate speaker, Bert focuses on providing inspirational information on how to stay happy, healthy and empowered, with speech topics including Optimism Can Take You Anywhere. In this engagement, Bert combines innovative business lessons, humor and inspired storytelling with the compelling story of how he and brother John launched their Life is Good business, which continues to attract a growing community of “optimists” (like their 1.5 million+ followers on Facebook) by forging meaningful, emotional connections. Fusing the interests of children facing life-threatening challenges with the interests of its business at every touch-point, Life is Good also presents a powerful and inspiring model for integrating a for-profit and a non-profit. And with innovative lessons on branding, leadership and corporate social responsibility that apply to organizations of all sizes, Bert’s inspiring story will help you see how optimism can truly take you anywhere.