Resilience keynotes for Omaha’s finance and insurance teams
Omaha is home to Berkshire Hathaway and its famous annual shareholders’ meeting. Paris brings The Grit Code to the city’s conferences.
Long-term thinking
Berkshire Hathaway is headquartered in Omaha, and its annual meeting draws tens of thousands of shareholders.
Insurance, finance and rail companies make the city a corporate centre on the Missouri River, and Offutt Air Force Base is nearby.
Grit means passion and perseverance for long-term goals, a natural fit for a city known for patient investing.
Who Paris speaks to in Omaha
Finance and insurance
Keynotes for teams in volatile markets.
Headquarters
Opening keynotes.
Air Force
Leadership talks for service teams.
Agribusiness
Resilience for food and farming.
Event venues
The CHI Health Center hosts the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting and other large events.
- CHI Health Center Omaha – downtown
- Riverfront venues – along the Missouri River
Ways to book Paris in Omaha
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 →
Tested at sea, on the ice and on stage
7 marathons, 7 continents
Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and Miami in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes.
Rowed the Pacific
4,800 km in 2023, raising more than £150,000 for marine conservation.
Watch the Pacific row film. 39 days at sea: the Pacific row film · The Grit Code keynote
Booking for Omaha
Available for in-person events in Omaha, 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 Omaha 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.
Omaha’s economy and who the talk is for
Omaha has a population of about 486,051 (2020 figure, Wikidata), which makes it a substantial market for conferences, leadership events and company gatherings.
Companies headquartered in Omaha include Berkshire Hathaway (aircraft industry), Union Pacific Railroad (rail transport), TD Ameritrade (financial services), Valmont Industries (industrial manufacturing) and Union Pacific Corporation (rail transport).
Banking and financial services (Berkshire Hathaway and TD Ameritrade). Financial services teams often ask for a keynote that respects their intelligence. The Grit Code uses real numbers (5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes for 7 marathons; 4,800 km rowed) to show how high performers manage risk, fatigue and decision-making under pressure.
Aviation, transport and logistics (Union Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific Corporation). 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.
Manufacturing and engineering (Valmont Industries). Manufacturing and engineering audiences value process. The Grit Code breaks grit into habits that can be practised on a production line or a project site, using the discipline of a 4,800 km ocean row as the example.
Students, graduates and faculty
Omaha’s universities, including Creighton 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 →
How a Grit Code session works
- Each booking begins with a call about the audience and what success looks like after the event.
- The talk turns the 7-marathon challenge and the Pacific row into habits teams can use on Monday morning.
- A virtual version of 30–45 minutes is available for distributed teams.
The content is shaped around Omaha 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 Omaha
Organisers in Omaha usually book Paris for one of these occasions:
- Kick-off meetings for new financial years, projects or teams.
- Industry association conferences and trade-show main stages.
- Executive retreats that pair the keynote with a Grit Deconstruction workshop.
- Hybrid all-hands meetings with a virtual version for remote staff.
Credentials at a glance
- 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.
- His TV shows have been distributed in 123 countries, and Guy in Dubai has 22 million views.
Questions from Omaha organisers
Can I book Paris Norriss as a keynote speaker in Omaha?
Yes. Organisers in Omaha can book him in person or for a virtual session.
Does the keynote suit finance teams?
Yes. It is tailored to long-term pressure in a briefing call.
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 Omaha industries is The Grit Code suited to?
The keynote is tailored to each sector. In Omaha it suits banking and financial services, aviation, transport and logistics and manufacturing and engineering audiences in particular, along with leadership teams, sales kick-offs and all-hands meetings in any industry.
Does Paris speak at universities in Omaha?
Yes. He speaks to students, graduates and staff, for example at institutions such as Creighton University, on grit as a learnable skill.
Is there a workshop option for teams in Omaha?
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 Omaha?
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 Omaha
Send the basics and Paris’s team will reply, or book a call.