Grit keynotes for Fort Worth’s aerospace and defence teams
Fort Worth grew up as a cattle town and now builds fighter jets. Paris, who has spoken for the US Army, brings The Grit Code to the city.
Cowtown to combat jets
Fort Worth began as a frontier army outpost and became a cattle-trading centre; the Stockyards still recall that era.
Lockheed Martin builds the F-35 at its plant in the city, making Fort Worth a hub for long, demanding engineering programmes.
His clients include the US Army, DHL, Nokia, Kraft Heinz and IHG.
Who Paris speaks to in Fort Worth
Defence and aerospace
Resilience keynotes for programme teams.
Regional headquarters
Opening keynotes for annual meetings.
Military audiences
Leadership talks; Paris has spoken for the US Army.
Universities
Sessions for students and staff.
Event venues
The Fort Worth Convention Center hosts trade, association and corporate events downtown.
- Fort Worth Convention Center – downtown
- Stockyards and Sundance Square venues – across the city centre
Ways to book Paris in Fort Worth
Options: keynote, 45 to 60 minutes · workshop, 90 minutes up to half a day · virtual session, 30 to 45 minutes · host or MC for your event. Compare formats →
Why audiences believe him
5 days, 21 hours, 51 minutes
The time it took Paris to run 7 marathons on 7 continents: Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and Miami.
More than £150,000 raised
For marine conservation, by rowing 4,800 km across the Pacific in 2023.
Read how Paris spoke to the US Army at Fort Shafter, Pearl Harbor. US Army at Fort Shafter recap · Keynote speaker Dallas
Booking for Fort Worth
Available for in-person events in Fort Worth, or virtually in your local time zone.
Organisers typically book US speakers three to five months ahead, so an early enquiry gives the best chance of your preferred date.
See also keynote speaker in the USA, or browse all keynote speaker locations.
An adventurer with American chapters
Paris Norriss's biggest adventure ended in the United States. With the Brothers N Oars crew he rowed 4,800 km from California to Hawaii in 39 days, 4 hours and 28 minutes, as part of a self-supported, unassisted team in the World's Toughest Row. The row raised more than £150,000 for marine conservation, and Paris went on to live in Hawaii for three months.
In 2025 he delivered his keynote to the US Army at Fort Shafter, Pearl Harbor, and he has spoken at Surfbreak in Honolulu. Miami was one of the stops when he ran seven marathons on seven continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
For Fort Worth conferences, sales kick-offs and leadership offsites, The Grit Code turns those experiences into practical habits: purpose, vision, challenging limiting beliefs, adapting the plan and keeping a clear head under pressure. Organisers in the US typically book speakers three to five months ahead, and Paris also delivers 30 to 45-minute virtual keynotes in your time zone.
Fort Worth’s economy and who the talk is for
Fort Worth has a population of about 918,915 (2020 figure, Wikidata), which makes it a substantial market for conferences, leadership events and company gatherings.
Companies headquartered in Fort Worth include BNSF Railway (rail transport), American Airlines Group (air transport) and D. R. Horton (construction).
Aviation, transport and logistics (BNSF Railway and American Airlines Group). Aviation, transport and logistics teams work around the clock and against the clock. Paris has spoken for DHL and Dubai Airports, and his record-breaking marathon challenge, run to a tight timetable across seven continents, is a natural fit for operations audiences.
Construction and real estate (D. R. Horton). Construction and real-estate teams deliver multi-year projects through cycles. Paris speaks about the patience and persistence behind big goals, which suits developer and contractor conferences.
Students, graduates and faculty
Higher education is part of Fort Worth’s talent pipeline, with institutions such as Texas Wesleyan University and Fort Worth University. Paris’s talks for students and graduates focus on grit as a skill that can be learned, using his own expeditions as evidence.
Typical formats include welcome weeks, graduation events, entrepreneurship programmes and alumni dinners. University keynote speaker →
Other large venues in Fort Worth
For bigger audiences and set-piece events, Fort Worth venues include Tarrant County Courthouse and Eldon B. Mahon United States Courthouse.
Paris is comfortable on any stage, from an arena to a boardroom, and can also host the main stage as MC. Event host and MC →
How a Grit Code session works
- Before the event, Paris speaks with the organiser about the audience and the outcome they want.
- On the day, the 45–60 minute Grit Code keynote mixes adventure film, stories and practical tools.
- Afterwards, teams can go deeper with a Grit Deconstruction workshop of 90 minutes to half a day.
The content is shaped around Fort Worth organisations and their goals, so the room hears examples that match its own challenges. Paris presents as an adventurer and CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, not as a theorist.
Where the talk fits in Fort Worth
These are typical Fort Worth events for The Grit Code:
- Annual company conferences and town halls.
- Change and transformation programmes, including AI adoption.
- Safety, wellbeing and performance days for operations teams.
- Charity dinners and community events, which Paris knows well as an ambassador for Gulf for Good.
Credentials at a glance
- Past speaking clients include Nokia, DHL, Kraft Heinz, IHG, Dubai Airports, Expo 2020, COP28 and the UN Tourism General Assembly.
- In 2023 he rowed 4,800 km across the Pacific with three teammates, raising more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
- He ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
- He is the CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, an AI video production company.
Questions from Fort Worth organisers
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in Fort Worth?
Yes. Organisers in Fort Worth can book him in person or for a virtual session.
Can the talk suit engineering programme teams?
Yes. A briefing call shapes the stories around the long programmes your people run.
Has Paris spoken in the United States?
Yes. He delivered his keynote to the US Army at Fort Shafter, Pearl Harbor, in 2025 and has spoken at Surfbreak in Honolulu.
How far ahead should US events book Paris?
Organisers in the US typically book speakers three to five months ahead. Virtual keynotes can often be arranged at shorter notice.
Which Fort Worth industries is The Grit Code suited to?
The keynote is tailored to each sector. In Fort Worth it suits aviation, transport and logistics and construction and real estate audiences in particular, along with leadership teams, sales kick-offs and all-hands meetings in any industry.
Does Paris speak at universities in Fort Worth?
Yes. He speaks to students, graduates and staff, for example at institutions such as Texas Wesleyan University and Fort Worth University, on grit as a learnable skill.
Is there a workshop option for teams in Fort Worth?
Yes. The Grit Deconstruction workshop runs from 90 minutes to half a day and turns the keynote’s ideas into team habits and actions.
Can the keynote be delivered online for teams in Fort Worth?
Yes. A 30–45 minute virtual version is available for remote or hybrid audiences, delivered in your local time zone.
Who has Paris spoken for?
Past clients include Nokia, DHL, Kraft Heinz, IHG, Dubai Airports, Expo 2020, COP28 and the UN Tourism General Assembly.
Check a date for Fort Worth
Send the basics and Paris’s team will reply, or book a call.