Christoper Gergen

Christopher Gergen is CEO of Forward Impact that unleashes the impact potential of next generation entrepreneurial leaders. This work includes supporting community-based strategies to develop and scale high-impact entrepreneurs including Bull City Forward in Durham, NC, Queen City Forward in Charlotte, NC, Moore Forward in Moore County, NC and HUB Raleigh, all of which Christopher helped to start. Forward Impact also helps schools, universities, and communities develop transformational entrepreneurial leadership experiences with partners such as the Center for Creative Leadership, where Christopher is Innovator in Residence. This work complements Christopher's role as adjunct professor and fellow at the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. Christopher is co-author of the nationally acclaimed book Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives and co-authors a bi-weekly column on social innovation for the Raleigh News & Observer and the Charlotte Observer titled "Doing Better at Doing Good." Christopher's co-founded SMARTHINKING that became the leading online tutoring provider in the U.S. before being acquired by Pearson Education in 2011. Other ventures include starting a coffeehouse/bar in Santiago, Chile and "Entrepreneur Corps"—an AmeriCorps*VISTA initiative that placed 400 full-time business volunteers for a year of service in over 90 non-profits. Previously, Christopher started LEAD!, a leadership, entrepreneurship, and service program for Gonzaga College high school students in Washington, D.C. and is a founding board member of the E.L. Haynes Public Charter School also in D.C. Further experience includes serving as Vice President of New Market Development for K12 Inc. and Chief Operating Officer for New American Schools. Christopher received a Bachelor of Arts with honors from Duke University, a Master's Degree in Public Policy from the George Washington University, and his M.B.A. from Georgetown University. He lives with his wife and two children in Durham, NC. He is a member of the 2013 Class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.