The event
In May 2026, Paris Norriss delivered his talk on grit to 150 entrepreneurs at an event hosted by Creative Zone in Dubai. Facing a room of founders who had come to build their futures, he felt something he didn’t expect: nostalgia.
“17 years ago, I stood staring at a 3D model of a city that didn’t exist yet,” he wrote. “Last night, I stood inside it.”
What Paris spoke about
Paris shared The Grit Code and the reality of building a business. When he arrived with a business plan and an investor, events like this didn’t exist. There was no ecosystem, no playbook and no local success stories to point at.
Today the landscape has transformed. Thanks to companies like Creative Zone, incorporation is faster, local partner laws have evolved and funding options have multiplied. There is also proof: Careem, talabat, dubizzle and the ENTERTAINER, founders who started, scaled and exited here.
Paris recalled meeting Karl Magnus Olsson at a similar event in 2012, at the Capital Club, when he was about to launch what was then a limousine company. That company became Careem. “Those early founders didn’t have role models. So they became them.”
The question he left them with
With a world-class ecosystem now in place, who will be the success stories people talk about 15 years from now? For a room of 150 founders, it was a challenge as much as a question.
About The Grit Code keynote
The Grit Code is built on real stories from extreme environments. Paris rowed 4,800km across the Pacific Ocean in 2023 with the Brothers N Oars crew, a row that raised more than £150,000 for marine conservation. He also ran seven marathons on seven continents in 5 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes, in Antarctica, Cape Town, Perth, Dubai, Madrid, Fortaleza and Miami.
From those experiences he draws practical lessons on purpose, vision, limiting beliefs, adapting a plan and keeping a clear head under pressure. He has delivered the keynote for audiences including the UN Tourism General Assembly, TEDx Amman, COP28, Expo 2020, DHL, Nokia, Kraft Heinz, IHG, Dubai Airports, Durlston Partners in London and Surfbreak in Honolulu. Every talk starts with a briefing call, so the stories connect to your theme, your industry and the challenges your people are facing right now.
“Those early founders didn’t have role models. So they became them.”
— Paris Norriss on LinkedIn
Want Paris for your own conference or leadership event? Read more about The Grit Code, see more past speaking events or send an enquiry. Planning an event in the region? See Paris as a keynote speaker in the UAE.
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