Mitch Albom

Maybe it was a grandparent, a teacher, a colleague – someone who helped you see the world as a more profound place and gave you advice to help you make your way through it. For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago. Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together during Morrie’s battle with ALS and Mitch’s struggle to find meaning and purpose in his life. Mitch will share the priceless lessons learned from this wise friend during his last days.

We’ve all told a little white lie here and there—to spare someone’s feelings or to avoid an argument. But what happens when the lies we tell have more dire consequences? Bestselling author Mitch Albom’s newest book The Little Liar, set during the Holocaust, tells the story of a young boy whose renown as a truth-teller is weaponized by Nazis in Salonika, Greece. Upon learning of the role he unwittingly played in leading his own community of Jews—his family included—to their deaths at Auschwitz, he becomes a pathological liar. In an age where our leaders and major public figures lie with increasing frequency and shamelessness, and with intensifying consequences to society, a reassessment of the value of truth is much needed. In this talk, Albom dives deep into the harm we inflict with our deceits, and the power of love to ultimately redeem us.

Mitch Albom is the epitome of philanthropy done right. He’s not the type to volunteer once a year for the photo op or write a check for the tax write-off and call it a day—and he has founded nearly a dozen overtly impactful charities between Detroit and Haiti to prove it. But he wasn’t always this way. Early in his career, prior to the time he spent with his professor Morrie Schwartz on his deathbed, Mitch was committed only to his own ambition and personal gain. It was through witnessing Morrie’s priorities in his last days that Mitch was able to shift his perspective on giving back. Now when he sees a need in his community and abroad, he makes it his mission to ensure that need is met. From providing permanent housing to families in need to personally adopting a young child to ensure she received life-saving healthcare, Mitch is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those around him. Through powerful narratives and engaging video from over 30 years of boot-on-the-ground philanthropic work, Mitch will demonstrate what it takes to truly be the change you wish to see in the world and how corporations can make meaningful impacts in their communities.

Mitch Albom talks about why faith is still needed and embraced in a modern world where we think we know all the answers. Rather than divide us, Albom found—through time spent with an inner-city pastor of a poor church and an aging rabbi of a wealthy suburban synagogue—that faith can pull us together. That it unites us in our humanity. Albom shares stories about faith amongst the poor, the well-to-do, the homeless, and those who once felt God did not exist. He addresses questions such as: What do we all have in common in our hearts—no matter what house of worship we attend? How does the belief in something bigger than us give us insight, wisdom and comfort? How does faith help when bad things happen? And what can we learn from each other’s faith that can make the world, the workplace, our neighborhoods and our daily lives more harmonious? Expanding on themes already developed in his works Tuesdays With Morrie and The Five People You Meet In Heaven, Mitch Albom weaves a captivating and uplifting message about the potential in all of us for a giving, meaningful life.

Mitch Albom learned many penetrating life lessons from Morrie Schwartz, a professor he reconnected with in his final days before succumbing to ALS. The one that sticks with him the most is “giving is living.” Morrie once said, “Taking makes me feel like I’m dying. Giving makes me feel like I’m living.” This simple yet powerful idea changed the course of Mitch’s life forever. Since then, he has founded nearly a dozen charities between Detroit and Haiti, bettering the situations of countless people around the world. In this talk, Mitch asks you to adopt this mentality, to embody a giving spirit, not just around the holidays when it’s popular, but year-round—every day that you are fortunate to take another breath. In doing so, you not only make a difference in the lives of others, but also add vibrancy and vitality to your own life.