What is the Hero Round Table?
Often called the TED Talks of heroism, the Hero Round Table teaches people how to be more than a bystander. From our humble beginnings in Michigan to our global series on three continents and counting, we've already seen attendees go on to do amazing things.
Most importantly, the Hero Round Table has created a worldwide community dedicated to practicing heroism. We have spurred academic research on what makes people do heroic things, and we help regular people act on what we've learned.
We spread a simple idea: that you have the power to make a change when it matters most.
The Events
These events pull together speakers and audiences from all corners of the world to create a unique community energized to take action. Over two days, short 12-minute talks and hour-long workshops from experts and practitioners provide stories and techniques to inspire and instruct. Perhaps most importantly, social time is built into the schedule so you can chat with speakers, meet like-minded attendees, and establish your membership in this global movement.
The foundational philosophies of the Hero Round Table are to:
feature professional speakers alongside first-timers
line up speakers from a dozen different fields
show that age is no barrier to speaking on stage
The Speakers
The Hero Round Table brings together speakers from around the world and across disciplines.
The first event saw an ex-NFL player share the stage with a corporate trainer, the world's most famous psychologist, and a professional vagabond.
The second featured a Holocaust survivor, "America's Greatest Enemy", a Hollywood actress, and a bodyguard to the Dalai Lama.
You never know who you might be sitting next to or sharing lunch with at a Hero Round Table.
What is a hero?
Everyone comes into the Hero Round Table with a slightly (or greatly) different definition of "hero". We operate on the understanding that the title of hero comes from heroic action. It sounds obvious, but it's important to understand that we focus on the verb and not the noun. Heroic action has three components:
There has to be an act...
...on behalf of others...
...that includes a risk or sacrifice.
Preparing for heroism does not have to include those three things. Looking for opportunities to do little good things every day is a key piece of hero training. Our speakers address the preparation (or training) for heroism as well as the act itself.
The Impact
Lives Saved
Two different individuals have ended up saving lives as a direct result of what they learned at the Hero Round Table.
Founding Nonprofits
Attendees have gone on to found nonprofits and hold successful funding campaigns for causes around the world.
Corporate Culture
Dozens of companies around the world have committed to creating a hero culture to better serve all stakeholders.
Improved Schools
Kids (and teachers) are taking what they've learned and using it to decrease bullying, improve their schools, and reward positive behaviour.
The Team
Matt Langdon
CEO and Founder
Scott Mixer
Production Director
Thomas Sartor
Events Team
