Fee Range for Joe Roberts
$10,001 - $15,000
Joe Roberts' Videos
Videos & Resources
LATEST BOOKS:
The Push For Change - Stepping into Possibility
Awaken your inner strength for achieving the unthinkable as you read this extraordinary story.
On a cold rainy night in 1989, Joe Roberts was homeless and destitute on a park bench in Vancouver, but he made a promise that if he was granted a second chance in life, he would pay it forward.
Walk with Joe through his personal transformation, his success in business, and the epic pay-it-forward campaign that saw Joe walk across the entire width of Canada.
Seven Secrets to Profit from Adversity : Success Against All Odds
In this book Joe Roberts tells how he left the streets of Vancouver, B.C. Canada in 1989, a broken, homeless drug addict. For over 10 years he lived a substandard life then something changed and his life began to get better. This book is a collection of his beliefs, his stories and most of all, his philosophy for successful living.
Joe Roberts
From Skid Row to CEO,
Inspirational Leadership Speaker
About Joe Roberts
Joe Roberts, known internationally as The Skidrow CEO, is an award-winning keynote speaker specializing in resilience, business leadership, and mental health in the workplace. He addresses Fortune 500 companies, professional associations, and organizations internationally, drawing on more than 20 years of speaking experience.
Career highlights: President and CEO of Mindware Design Communications, growing the company 800% in under four years; founder of The Push for Change, a national youth homelessness prevention campaign launched via a 9,064-kilometre cross-Canada walk in 2011; recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from Laurentian University, the Senate of Canada's Canada 150 Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada, the BC Courage to Come Back Award, the Medal of Good Citizenship from the Province of British Columbia, and the Ontario Premier's Award for Business.
Joe speaks on resilience and overcoming adversity, business leadership and high performance, mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, youth homelessness advocacy, and change management — helping audiences confront limiting mindsets and unlock potential, both their own and their organizations'.
Joe Roberts' Expertise
- Resilience & Overcoming Adversity — drawing on his own transformation from homelessness and addiction to CEO, teaching audiences how to turn their greatest challenges into their greatest opportunities
- Business Leadership & High Performance — as former President and CEO of Mindware Design Communications, grew the company 800% in under four years and generated millions in results for clients across industries
- Mental Health & Wellbeing in the Workplace — speaks openly on addiction, trauma, and mental health, helping organizations build psychologically safer, more resilient teams
- Youth Homelessness Advocacy — founder of The Push for Change, a national campaign born from his 9,064-kilometre walk across Canada to raise awareness and drive policy change for at-risk youth
- Change Management & Unlocking Potential — helps individuals and organizations confront limiting mindsets and recognize the unrealized potential already within their teams
Joe Roberts' Bio
In 1989, Joe Roberts was living on the streets of Vancouver, addicted and homeless. He made a promise that day: if his life was spared, he would pay it forward. Everything that followed has been that promise, kept.
Joe pulled himself out of addiction and homelessness through sheer determination, earning two college diplomas and building a career in multimedia. He eventually became President and CEO of Mindware Design Communications, one of Vancouver's leading multimedia companies, leading the business to an 800% increase in revenue in under four years. His strategies generated millions of dollars for clients across multiple industries — experience he now draws on when he speaks to Fortune 500 companies, associations, and organizations around the world.
But Joe's defining chapter came in 2011, when he set out to keep the promise he made on the streets more than two decades earlier. Pushing a shopping cart, the same symbol of his rock bottom, Joe walked 9,064 kilometres across Canada, coast to coast, to raise awareness for youth homelessness. That walk became The Push for Change, a national movement that has inspired Canadians across the country to create ripple effects of change in the lives of at-risk youth.
Today, known as The Skidrow CEO, Joe has spent more than 20 years turning his story into a framework audiences can actually use — for resilience, for confronting limiting mindsets, and for recognizing what's truly possible in themselves. His work has been recognized with an Honorary Doctorate from Laurentian University, the Senate of Canada's Canada 150 Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada, the BC Courage to Come Back Award, British Columbia's Medal of Good Citizenship, and the Ontario Premier's Award for Business. Maclean's Magazine named him one of "10 Canadians Who Make a Difference."
Joe's message is simple, and it's the same one that got him off the street in 1989: there is truly more to each of us than what we see.
Contact Us for Joe Roberts' speaker fees, and date availability.
Joe Roberts' Presentation Topics
Joe Roberts travels from Vancouver, BC Canada. He offers a wide variety of different presentation formats including keynote presentations, workshops, fireside chats, moderated Q&A, on a wide variety of topics. Each presentation is customized and tailored for audiences, industries, conferences and event formats. All of Joe's programs can be delivered as a keynote (45 - 70 minutes) or as workshop (1.5 - 3 hours)
From Skid Row to CEO - Building resilience one step at a time +
In this empowering keynote, Joe teaches audiences how to build the resiliency needed to succeed in the face of adversity and change by taking small, attainable steps. Sharing the story of his catastrophic failure and extraordinary success, Joe inspires audiences to see beyond their perceived limitations to overcome life’s challenges and embrace change.
This keynote is ideal for anyone who is:
- Trying to adapt to significant change or disruption
- Disconnected from their purpose and passion and showing signs of burnout or underperformance
- Feeling stuck or holding onto limiting beliefs and a negative outlook
- Struggling to see their potential and ability to accomplish anything!
The audience will leave with:
- Actionable insights on building personal resilience no matter what challenge or change they are facing
- A greater understanding of the cumulative impact of small, consistent actions and the motivation to take the first step
- Renewed interest and focus in their work as they reconnect to their purpose and passion
- Tools for reframing a limiting mindset so they can see the possibilities in themselves and the world around them
Suitable for: Corporate; Educators, Non-Profit/Associations, Government, Healthcare --
There’s More to You Than You Can See - Collapsing mental health stigma +
In this eye-opening keynote, Joe shares the critical role family and community support played in helping him overcome a lifelong struggle with substance use disorder and mental illness. Through the lens of his incredible transformation, audiences will be reminded that every person, including themselves, has enormous potential and will leave inspired to create safe spaces for others to learn, grow, and change.
This program is perfect for leaders and teams who are:
- Seeing a rapid rise in sick leave, burnout, suicide, PTSD, substance use disorder, and depression in their organization
- Experiencing productivity decreases, increased sick days, quiet quitting, unmotivated staff, high turnover, or internal strife and tensions
- Needing to build empathy-based leadership and a psychologically safe work environment
- Unaware or unconcerned about the stigma and issues surrounding mental health, addiction, and suicide
The audience will leave with:
- The motivation and tools to develop empathy centered leadership and see the possibilities in everyone they meet
- Simple steps anyone can take to create a safe space where people are seen and heard
- Practical techniques for supporting the person AND challenging the behavior, including tools for conducting “Tough Stuff” Mental Health Conversations
Suitable for: Corporate; Educators, Non-Profit/Associations, Government, Healthcare --
To Protect and Serve - The life-changing potential of every interaction +
In this inspiring keynote, Joe Roberts highlights the life-changing impact first responders can have in every interaction through his own remarkable story. What was a typical distress call for Constable Scott MacLeod (another man with a gun threatening suicide) became a moment that changed Joe’s life forever. Joe’s story reminds first responders of the power of every interaction and the deep impact they have, but don’t always see, on their communities.
This keynote is perfect for any first responder who is:
- Feeling underappreciated under the weight of public hostility, negative headlines, and the growing anti-police movements
- Needing a reminder of the good work being done every day in their millions of positive interactions
- Struggling to see the potential in the people they support and serve because of burnout, frustration, or unrecognized bias and stigma
The audience will leave with:
- A feeling of being honored and appreciated for their work
- A powerful reminder of their ability to make a difference in their community through a real-life example
- A rededication and commitment to purpose and passion and tools for staying inspired and motivated despite external factors
- Greater empathy and respect for the potential of those who struggle with mental health or addiction
Suitable for: Law Enforcement, Fire Fighters, Probation, Parole --
Safety - It’s About the Little Things. Leading and inspiring a culture of safety +
In this keynote, Joe explores the connection between mental safety and physical safety and shares how anyone can connect their personal purpose to safer behavior. As Joe walks the audience through his first poor choice and how it led to a journey of degradation and despair, they will understand why people make unsafe decisions and how they can intentionally build physically and mentally safer workplaces with every small decision.
This presentation is perfect for safety leaders and teams who are:
- Unaware of the significant impact mental health can have on job performance and safety
- Lacking a safe and supportive environment where employees feel comfortable discussing their mental health
- Struggling to pay attention to the little things, leading to potentially costly mistakes
- Unsure how they can build a culture of empathy where people feel seen, heard, and safe enough to address potential safety issues
The audience will leave with:
- A deeper understanding of why the little things matter so much and the motivation to make every small choice a good one
- A greater appreciation for the importance of advocating for prevention, even if it means having a tough conversation
- Tools for creating a safe space where people are not only seen and heard but also supported in their struggles
Suitable for: Corporate, Healthcare --
Be Like GUS - Empathic leadership that transforms people and performance +
In this heart-opening and practical keynote, Joe introduces the leadership model inspired by a chance encounter with a man named Gus — a moment that changed Joe’s life forever. Drawing on lived experience and 30+ years in business, Joe reveals how leaders can ignite possibility in others by embracing three transformational behaviours: encouragement, accountability, and acknowledgment.
This keynote is ideal for leaders and teams who are:
- Looking to create stronger psychological safety and connection
- Ready to improve team performance through accountability and support
- Navigating tough conversations but want to lead with heart, not harshness
- Striving to see the full potential in those they lead — and themselves
The audience will leave with:
- A practical model for empathic leadership rooted in real-world impact
- Tools to encourage growth, challenge constructively, and acknowledge meaningfully
- A deeper understanding of how small moments of leadership can change lives
- A renewed commitment to lead with courage, compassion, and clarity --
Book Joe Roberts to speak at your next conference or corporate event.
Frequently Asked Questions About Joe Roberts
Who is Joe Roberts? +
Joe Roberts, known as The Skidrow CEO, is a Canadian keynote speaker, author, and youth homelessness advocate. In 1989 he was homeless and addicted on the streets of Vancouver; he went on to become President and CEO of Mindware Design Communications, growing the company 800% in under four years, before becoming a full-time speaker on resilience and change. --
What is The Push for Change? +
The Push for Change is a national youth homelessness prevention campaign Joe Roberts founded in 2011, when he pushed a shopping cart 9,064 kilometres across Canada to raise awareness and inspire action for at-risk youth. The campaign has since driven ongoing advocacy for homeless and at-risk youth across the country. --
What business experience does Joe Roberts bring to his keynotes? +
Before becoming a speaker, Joe Roberts was President and CEO of Mindware Design Communications, a multimedia company he grew 800% in under four years, generating millions in results for clients across multiple industries. He draws on this business leadership experience when speaking to Fortune 500 companies, associations, and organizations internationally. --
Does Joe Roberts speak about mental health? +
Yes. Joe speaks openly about his own experience with addiction and trauma, helping organizations have honest conversations about mental health in the workplace and build more resilient, psychologically safer teams. --
What awards has Joe Roberts received? +
Joe Roberts has received an Honorary Doctorate from Laurentian University, the Senate of Canada's Canada 150 Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General of Canada, the BC Courage to Come Back Award, the Medal of Good Citizenship from the Province of British Columbia, and the Ontario Premier's Award for Business. Maclean's Magazine named him one of "10 Canadians Who Make a Difference." --
How long has Joe Roberts been a professional speaker? +
Joe Roberts has more than 20 years of professional speaking experience, addressing Fortune 500 companies, professional associations, and organizations internationally on resilience, leadership, and human potential. --
Is Joe Roberts available for events outside Canada? +
Yes. Joe Roberts travels from Vancouver, British Columbia, and is available for keynotes and events across Canada, the United States, and internationally, for both in-person and virtual formats. Contact K&M Productions to confirm availability for your event's location. --
How much does it cost to book Joe Roberts as a keynote speaker? +
Joe Roberts' current fee range is $10,001 - $15,000, with final pricing confirmed through K&M Productions Speakers & Shows based on event format, location, audience size, and customization. Contact K&M Productions to check date availability and arrange a pre-event call. --
Is Joe Roberts represented by a speakers bureau in Canada? +
Yes. Joe Roberts is represented by K&M Productions Speakers & Shows Canada for booking coordination and contract management. Working through a bureau gives event planners a single point of contact for logistics, billing, and payments, plus a safeguard should a replacement speaker ever be needed. --
How do I contact Joe Roberts to check availability and begin the booking process for events in Canada? +
Joe Roberts is directly contacted and booked through K&M Productions. They have Joe's schedule and are able to quickly check his availability for your Canadian or USA event. Their team will confirm open dates, discuss your event details, and guide you through the booking process. Event planners are encouraged to schedule a pre-event consultation call to clarify format, audience, objectives, and speaker expectations. Once your event requirements are confirmed, written booking confirmation follows upon contract execution — ensuring a clear, professional agreement for all parties. --
This speaker profile was last updated by K&M Productions on August 27, 2026
What Clients are Saying About Joe Roberts
When we were selecting our speaker to tour the country with us we needed someone who could speak with authenticity to our group, someone that under-stood the nuances of sales and could deliver not just a talk but tangible value and tools our reps could take to the streets to generate new business. From Victoria to Halifax you blew audience after audience away. As an entrepreneur I LOVE your story and so did each participant at DLC University.
–President & CEO Dominion Lending Centres
I want to personally thank you for the excellent work you did on our recent 11 city cross Canada road tour with Primerica. Finding the perfect speaker for our annual tour is never easy. Rarely do we find individuals whose personal life experience has the power to motivate and move people like your story did. The way you delivered with consistency night after night and the impact you had on each room was reflected in the high level of engagement and feedback that we are still receiving. Your message was perfect for our sales group and I want to thank you for inspiring, educating and empowering all of us.
–Vice President Strategic Accounts, AGF
Your presentation was absolutely thought provoking, powerful and very moving. It was very motivational for the group to hear what happens when "things go right." I heard personally from numerous officers in attendance that they were emotionally impacted by your message and so very proud to be a police officer.
–J.V.N. (Vince) Hawkes, Commissioner Ontario Provincial Police
50 years in the making we were looking for a motivational story that could connect with our delegates. We got that and a whole lot more! Your energy, humour and honesty resonated with our group. There were moments when you could hear a pin drop. The feedback we have received has been incredibly positive. Our delegates left viewing life from a new perspective. Well done Joe! Highly recommend you to anyone planning an event.
–Canadian Association of Petroleum Producing Accountants
This year you raised the bar at our annual Recruits Conference! Your story of transformation was riveting. How you overcame living on the streets of Vancouver to becoming a multi-million dollar sales professional is amazing. In fact, David, one of our top managing directors from Ottawa said that you should be speaking at Million Dollar Round Table, and he is no push over!
–VP Sales, Desjardins Financial
Joe provided a very powerful and memorable opening keynote to our conference. As an Association of municipal staff from across Ontario, our requirements, when it comes to speakers, are multi-faceted. Joe’s address brilliantly motivated the audience, spoke to their needs and provided inspiration for improvement, and outlined some lessons, both personal and professional, that remained as topics of conversation among our members throughout the conference and well beyond. Great speaker, great message, great results. I was very pleased and highly recommend him.
–Director Education and Professional Development, AMTCO
CSAE’s Education Committee had many choices but decided to have Joe Roberts be our closing keynote speaker. Joe’s remarkable story from the streets of Vancouver to corporate success resonated with our group and left an impact that will not be forgotten. With so many changes facing our members today we wanted a speaker that would put things in perspective and help convey the message that anyone can overcome perceived limitations and live their dreams. Great job Joe!
–President & CEO, Canadian Society of Association Executives
Your message was inspiring and motivating. The "buzz" from our participants continued through the entire weekend. You clearly knocked it out of the park and provided us exactly what we were looking for as a kickoff.
–Canadian Independent Adjusters' Association