Resilience keynotes for Milwaukee’s makers and manufacturers
Milwaukee, on Lake Michigan, is the home of Harley-Davidson and a long manufacturing tradition. Paris brings The Grit Code to its teams.
Built by makers
Milwaukee is Wisconsin’s largest city, on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
Harley-Davidson was founded here in 1903, and manufacturing and brewing shaped the city.
Grit is passion and perseverance for long-term goals. Paris ran 7 marathons on 7 continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
Who Paris speaks to in Milwaukee
Manufacturing
Keynotes for plant and engineering teams.
Headquarters
Sessions for leadership offsites.
Healthcare
Talks for hospital teams.
Universities
Keynotes for students.
Event venues
The Baird Center hosts conventions and trade shows in downtown Milwaukee.
- Baird Center – downtown, formerly the Wisconsin Center
- Lakefront venues – along Lake Michigan
Ways to book Paris in Milwaukee
Most Milwaukee organisers book the 45–60 minute Grit Code keynote. Teams that want depth add a Grit Deconstruction workshop of 90 minutes to half a day, remote audiences get a 30–45 minute virtual version, and Paris can also host and moderate full-day events. Compare formats →
Stories with the miles behind them
Seven marathons in under six days
Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and Miami: 7 marathons on 7 continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
Across the Pacific by rowing boat
A 4,800 km row in 2023 that raised more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
Read the Kraft Heinz convention recap. Kraft Heinz leadership convention recap · Keynote speaker Chicago
Booking for Milwaukee
Available for in-person events in Milwaukee, or virtually in your local time zone.
Organisers typically book US speakers three to five months ahead, so get in touch early to secure your 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 Milwaukee 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.
Milwaukee’s economy and who the talk is for
Milwaukee has a population of about 577,222 (2020 figure, Wikidata), which makes it a substantial market for conferences, leadership events and company gatherings.
Milwaukee is the head-office city for organisations such as Harley-Davidson (automotive industry), Alpha Tomo Global Resoures Sdn Bhd (staffing industry), Koss Corporation (electronics), A. O. Smith (water collection, treatment and supply), Briggs & Stratton (mechanical engineering) and Northwestern Mutual (financial services).
Manufacturing and engineering (Alpha Tomo Global Resoures Sdn Bhd, Briggs & Stratton and The Manitowoc Company). For industrial and engineering businesses, Paris’s message is that resilience is built, not born. Safety days, operations conferences and leadership offsites are typical bookings.
Automotive (Harley-Davidson). Automotive teams balance engineering precision with commercial pressure. Paris was a brand ambassador for Land Rover Middle East, and the keynote shows how grit turns long development cycles and tough sales targets into steady progress.
Technology and software (Koss Corporation). Technology teams ship, fail, learn and ship again. Paris connects that loop to life on an ocean rowing boat, where a broken plan is normal and the crew that adapts fastest wins. It suits engineering all-hands, product kick-offs and AI transformation programmes.
Students, graduates and faculty
Milwaukee’s universities, including Marquette University, Wisconsin Lutheran College and Mount Mary University, make it a strong market for student, graduate and alumni events. Paris speaks to young audiences about effort, setbacks and choosing hard goals, and to faculty about building resilient teams.
Typical formats include welcome weeks, graduation events, entrepreneurship programmes and alumni dinners. University keynote speaker →
Other large venues in Milwaukee
Beyond the main conference halls, Milwaukee also has large venues for major events, including Fiserv Forum, UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena and Al McGuire Center.
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 Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee
Organisers in Milwaukee usually book Paris for one of these occasions:
- 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
- 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.
- In 2023 he rowed 4,800 km across the Pacific with three teammates, raising more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
- His TV shows have been distributed in 123 countries, and Guy in Dubai has 22 million views.
Questions from Milwaukee organisers
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in Milwaukee?
Yes. Organisers in Milwaukee can book him in person or for a virtual session.
Does Paris speak to manufacturing teams?
Yes. He has spoken for Kraft Heinz and Nokia, among others.
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 Milwaukee industries is The Grit Code suited to?
The keynote is tailored to each sector. In Milwaukee it suits manufacturing and engineering, automotive and technology and software audiences in particular, along with leadership teams, sales kick-offs and all-hands meetings in any industry.
Does Paris speak at universities in Milwaukee?
Yes. He speaks to students, graduates and staff, for example at institutions such as Marquette University and Wisconsin Lutheran College, on grit as a learnable skill.
Is there a workshop option for teams in Milwaukee?
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 Milwaukee?
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 Milwaukee
Send the basics and Paris’s team will reply, or book a call.