Josh Sundquist is a motivational speaker, comedian and bestselling author who has shared his story with audiences across the world, ranging from schools to the White House to Fortune 50 companies like Facebook, Walmart, Apple, Spotify, Google, CVS and General Motors. Josh is an in-demand keynote speaker for groups of sales people, educators, student leaders, and health professionals.
At age nine, Josh was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and given a fifty percent chance to live. He spent a year on chemotherapy treatments and his left leg was amputated. Doctors declared Josh cured of the disease at age thirteen and he took up ski racing three years later.
Josh trained for the next five years and in 2006 he was named to the US Paralympic Ski Team for The Paralympic Games in Turino, Italy. Today, Josh represents the United States in international competition as a member of the U.S. Amputee Soccer Team.
On the internet, Josh is best known for his viral photos, especially his Halloween costumes. His videos have been viewed over 500 million times and he has over three million followers. People named him to the 2017 “Social Media Power List.” As a social media influencer, he’s worked with brands like Apple, Meta, Tommy Hilfiger, Chase, Chevrolet and AT&T.
Josh is an ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and makes regular appearances at events and in the media to raise money for children’s hospitals across the country. He has been featured on the back of Doritos bags (specifically, Spicy Nacho flavor) for his work on behalf of amputees.
Josh has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, NPR and CNN. His first memoir, Just Don’t Fall, was a national bestseller and his second memoir We Should Hang Out Sometime was optioned for movie rights by a division of Disney. His debut novel Love and First Sight was published in 2017. Josh’s fourth book, Semi-Famous was released in 2022. His books have been translated into German, Italian, and Turkish and have been published in North America, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Turkey, Italy, and Austria.
Josh is an executive producer and writer on the new television series, “Best Foot Forward” on Apple TV+. The series is inspired by his childhood.
Josh received a degree in business from the College of William and Mary and a Master’s in Communications from the University of Southern California. He lives with his wife, Ashley near the beach in California.
Josh's keynote presentations blend clean comedy with soulful storytelling. Hilarious audience interactions are punctuated by moments of profound silence. Your attendees experience a roller-coaster ride of laughter, tears, chills, and still more laughter. His storytelling format engages, entertains, and instills hope in those who are facing personal and professional challenges. Key takeaways include how to fall forward by learning from disappointments and failures, why our results are based more on our response to adversity than our response to success, and how to keep swinging despite feeling like we've struck out.
AI keynote speaker Kate O'Neill share event planning strategies that can help professionals streamline workflows while preserving human connection.
Read MorePeople resist persuasion but crave great service. Learn how to influence through assistance, not manipulation, with proven strategies from Dan Pink.
Read MoreDiscover proven team energy strategies from keynote speaker Judi Holler that transform workplace culture and unlock your team's creative potential.
Read MoreLearn how event pros can build mental resilience and prevent workplace exhaustion with these proven burnout recovery strategies.
Read MoreChange keynote speaker April Rinne discussing human-centered change strategies that go beyond listing what you want to transform in your life.
Read MoreLearn AI productivity strategies from innovation keynote speaker Lisa Bodell to automate routine tasks and reclaim time for creative work.
Read More