Resilience keynotes for Minneapolis corporate teams
Minneapolis is home to Target’s headquarters and many large companies, and knows long, hard winters. Paris brings The Grit Code to its events.
Winter-tested teams
Minneapolis is the largest city in Minnesota and, with Saint Paul, forms the Twin Cities. Target is headquartered downtown.
One of Paris’s 7 marathons on 7 continents was run in Antarctica, so cold is part of his story.
He also rowed 4,800 km across the Pacific in 2023, raising more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
Who Paris speaks to in Minneapolis
Retail
Keynotes for retail leaders and teams.
Healthcare and medtech
Resilience for clinical and device teams.
Conferences
Main-stage keynotes.
Universities
Talks for students.
Where Minneapolis meets
The Minneapolis Convention Center hosts corporate and association conferences downtown.
- Minneapolis Convention Center – downtown Minneapolis
- Hotel venues – across the Twin Cities
Ways to book Paris in Minneapolis
Choose the flagship Grit Code keynote (45–60 min), a Grit Deconstruction workshop (90 min to half day), a 30–45 min virtual keynote, or Paris as host and MC for the day. 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 article on mindset from the Antarctic ice. From Antarctic ice to unbreakable mindset · The Grit Code keynote
Speaking in Minneapolis, in person or virtually
Available for in-person events in Minneapolis, 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 Minneapolis 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.
Minneapolis’s economy and who the talk is for
Minneapolis has a population of about 429,954 (2020 figure, Wikidata), which makes it a substantial market for conferences, leadership events and company gatherings.
Companies headquartered in Minneapolis include Target Corporation (big-box store), U.S. Bancorp (economics of banking), Buffalo Wild Wings (fast food), Ameriprise Financial (financial services), Xcel Energy (public utility) and SuperValu (retail).
Retail and consumer goods (Target Corporation, Buffalo Wild Wings and SuperValu). Retail and consumer brands live and die by execution. Paris has spoken for Kraft Heinz and Al Kabeer Foods, and the keynote helps sales and store teams keep going through peak seasons and tough trading.
Banking and financial services (U.S. Bancorp, Ameriprise Financial and Piper Sandler Companies). Banking and finance audiences respond to evidence. Paris frames grit as a measurable habit rather than a personality trait, and links it to the pressure of targets, regulation and market swings that finance teams face every quarter.
Energy and resources (Xcel Energy). Energy teams live with long project cycles, price shocks and safety-critical work. The Grit Code gives operations and project leaders a shared language for staying steady when a plan meets reality, which is the same discipline that kept four rowers moving across 4,800 km of the Pacific.
Students, graduates and faculty
Higher education is part of Minneapolis’s talent pipeline, with institutions such as Capella University and Walden 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 Minneapolis
For bigger audiences and set-piece events, Minneapolis venues include Minneapolis Armory, Ridder Arena, Williams Arena and Hennepin County Government 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
- Paris starts with a short briefing call to understand the room, the sector and the challenge in front of it.
- The keynote uses film from his expeditions and TV work to make each idea concrete.
- Many organisers pair it with a Grit Deconstruction workshop or ask Paris to host the full day.
The content is shaped around Minneapolis 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 Minneapolis
Organisers in Minneapolis 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.
- His TV shows have been distributed in 123 countries, and Guy in Dubai has 22 million views.
- In 2023 he rowed 4,800 km across the Pacific with three teammates, raising more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
- He is the CEO of Blazing Sand Studios, an AI video production company.
FAQ
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in Minneapolis?
Yes. Paris speaks at conferences, company events and leadership programmes in Minneapolis, in person or virtually.
Is the keynote suited to retail teams?
Yes. Kraft Heinz is among the companies that have booked Paris, and every talk is tailored.
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 Minneapolis industries is The Grit Code suited to?
The keynote is tailored to each sector. In Minneapolis it suits retail and consumer goods, banking and financial services and energy and resources audiences in particular, along with leadership teams, sales kick-offs and all-hands meetings in any industry.
Does Paris speak at universities in Minneapolis?
Yes. He speaks to students, graduates and staff, for example at institutions such as Capella University and Walden University, on grit as a learnable skill.
Is there a workshop option for teams in Minneapolis?
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 Minneapolis?
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.
Bring grit to your next Minneapolis event
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More about Paris: About · The Grit Code · TV shows · Contact