Chad Sanders

  • Creator, Screenwriter, and Entrepreneur
  • Author of 'Black Magic: What Black Leaders Learned From Trauma and Triumph'
  • Writer for ABC Freeform’s 'Grown-ish' and HBO’s 'Rap Sh!t'
  • Podcaster and Co-Host, Quitters Podcast

Tech entrepreneur, author, and Hollywood creative Chad Sanders is a thought leader on creating equity in our workplaces, values-driven leadership, and creativity. Chad started his career at Google, later serving as the Head of Expansion for a startup that was eventually bought by Kaplan. But he felt racially marginalized in these corporate environments and pivoted to a creative career in writing. Chad credits this shift to what he calls Black Magic – the resiliency, creativity, and confidence forged in his experience navigating America as a Black man – and he tested his theory by interviewing Black leaders, scientists, artists, activists, and champions. The result is his critically acclaimed book of essays Black Magic: What Black Leaders Learned from Trauma and Triumph. An insightful and motivational speaker, Chad shares his personal journey back to his authentic self, practical takeaways for creating more equitable and welcoming workplaces and teams, and inspires audiences to commit to themselves to experience joy and success.

Chad’s writing has been featured in The New York TimesSLAM Magazine, TIMETeen VogueFortune, and more, and has been celebrated by literary luminaries such as Brené Brown, Angie Martinez, and Shea Serrano. He has appeared on CBS NewsNPRDare to Lead with Brené BrownHarvard Business Review’s IdeaCastArmchair Expert with Dax Shepard, among others. Chad has written for ABC Freeform’s Grown-ish and HBO’s Rap Sh!t. He has collaborated with powerhouses such as Spike Lee, Morgan Freeman, and Will Packer, and is the co-host of the Quitters Podcast alongside Julie Bowen. An in-demand keynote speaker, Chad has been sought after for events at GoogleNetflixTargetTwitterNew York UniversityColumbia Business SchoolPymetricsBerlin questionsThe Michelle Meow Show at the Commonwealth Club of California, and many more.

 



Chad Sanders headshot
Past Hosts Include:
  • Blake High School, Maryland
  • Commonwealth Club of California
  • Columbia Business School
  • Q Berlin Questions
  • New York University
  • Netflix
  • Twitter
  • Pymetrics
  • Google
Rave Reviews About Chad Sanders as a Speaker
Chad has the unique ability to turn his experiences and the experiences of others into a guidebook that will inspire many healthy conversations. This is Chad's superpower.

Virt. Day Show - A Former Tech Entrepreneur Is Making Waves Sharing Stories About Navigating America While Black | Tamron Hall [4:07] - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with Chad Sanders
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Embrace Your Authenticity for Aligned Success

Author, podcaster, and thought leader Chad Sanders was achieving success as a tech entrepreneur but felt out of alignment with his creativity and his identity. Feeling marginalized racially in the corporate environment, he made a major career shift – pivoting to become a sought-after Hollywood creat ...

Author, podcaster, and thought leader Chad Sanders was achieving success as a tech entrepreneur but felt out of alignment with his creativity and his identity. Feeling marginalized racially in the corporate environment, he made a major career shift – pivoting to become a sought-after Hollywood creative and thought leader on authenticity in the workplace. In this compelling talk, he shares insights from his personal journey, as well as the wisdom gathered from industry leaders for his acclaimed book, Black Magic, encouraging audiences to embrace their authenticity to find greater alignment and success.

DEI: Having Hard Conversations at Work After Tragedy

In this compelling talk, tech entrepreneur and Hollywood creative Chad Sanders shares unparalleled insights about how to have hard conversations at work, particularly following a tragedy. The author of Black Magic and sought-after voice in conversations about creating equity in the workplace unpacks ...

In this compelling talk, tech entrepreneur and Hollywood creative Chad Sanders shares unparalleled insights about how to have hard conversations at work, particularly following a tragedy. The author of Black Magic and sought-after voice in conversations about creating equity in the workplace unpacks what DEI concepts mean in practice, balancing actionable strategies with his personal experience, such as how his colleagues could have supported him after the murder of George Floyd.

Why Achievers Quit and How You Can Change Their Minds

Tech entrepreneur, Hollywood creative, and host of the Quitters Podcast Chad Sanders is an expert on workplace culture and how – and why – employees are pivoting. In this informative and engaging talk, Chad shares insights about workforce trends and the dynamics that impact employee decision-making, ...

Tech entrepreneur, Hollywood creative, and host of the Quitters Podcast Chad Sanders is an expert on workplace culture and how – and why – employees are pivoting. In this informative and engaging talk, Chad shares insights about workforce trends and the dynamics that impact employee decision-making, as well as tangible ideas about how to attract – and retain – top employees for stronger teams and greater success.

Fireside Chat with Chad Sanders, Author of Black Magic and Writer on HBO’s Rap Sh!t

Join Hollywood creative, author, and podcaster Chad Sanders for an engaging conversation about his current projects, his unique perspective on the new media landscape, and the creative process. The author of Black Magic, writer for numerous projects including HBO’s Rap Sh!t, and prolific podcaster s ...

Join Hollywood creative, author, and podcaster Chad Sanders for an engaging conversation about his current projects, his unique perspective on the new media landscape, and the creative process. The author of Black Magic, writer for numerous projects including HBO’s Rap Sh!t, and prolific podcaster shares insights and actionable takeaways that make an impact with audiences of all kinds.

Black Magic: What Black Leaders Learned from Trauma and Triumph

Chad Sanders delivers an honest exploration of Black experiences when moving towards success in white environments. His first job in Silicon Valley quickly taught him that to gain success at work, he would need to code switch and play a certain social game to imitate whiteness. After changing every ...

Chad Sanders delivers an honest exploration of Black experiences when moving towards success in white environments. His first job in Silicon Valley quickly taught him that to gain success at work, he would need to code switch and play a certain social game to imitate whiteness.

After changing everything that connected him with his identity as a Black man, he was accepted in the business world, but did not feel like himself. When that weight became too heavy to bear, he changed back his clothes, behavior, speech, and more. Once he did, everything began to turn around for him. Sanders credits this change to what he calls Black Magic, the resilience, ingenuity, and stamina forged in his experience in America as a Black man.

In his talk, Sanders draws on powerful interviews with Black artists, activists, scientists, leaders, and champions, as well as his own story, to share the experience of imitating whiteness to gain success, and demonstrates how important it is to be your true self.

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Speaker News
<p><strong>Tech entrepreneur and rising Hollywood star Chad Sanders is set to release his highly anticipated podcast, <em>‘Direct Deposit’</em></strong></p>

Tech entrepreneur and rising Hollywood star Chad Sanders is set to release his highly anticipated podcast, ‘Direct Deposit’

Prolific creative, author, and tech entrepreneur CHAD SANDERS is set to release his highly anticipated Audible Podcast, Direct Deposit: What Happens When Black People Get Rich. Featuring a star-studded roster of guests including Issa Rae, Charles D. King, and Gabrielle Union, the Black Magic author will host frank conversations about race and wealth. Sanders, who is also a co-creator of the Quitters Podcast, is an expert at moderating conversations and getting to the heart of complex subjects. This groundbreaking new series has been featured in The Hollywood Reporter, Yahoo! Entertainment, VIBE, and more, and will feature candid, funny, and profound conversations about urgent questions that will resonate with any audience.

Listen to Chad Sanders’ Direct Deposit trailer here >>

<p><strong>Tech entrepreneur, author, and rising Hollywood creative Chad Sanders is an in-demand voice on equity and entrepreneurship</strong></p>

Tech entrepreneur, author, and rising Hollywood creative Chad Sanders is an in-demand voice on equity and entrepreneurship

Tech entrepreneur, author, and rising Hollywood creative CHAD SANDERS is a leading voice in conversations about creating equity in our workplaces, values-driven leadership, and creativity. In a compelling interview for NPR’s Wisdom from the Top with Guy Raz, Sanders shares his experience navigating white culture throughout his life, his journey back to his authentic self, and how he leveraged these experiences to establish himself as a thought leader across industries. Sanders credits this shift to what he calls Black Magic – the resiliency, creativity, and confidence forged in his experience navigating America as a Black man – and he tested his theory by interviewing Black leaders, scientists, artists, activists, and champions. The result is his critically acclaimed book of essays Black Magic: What Black Leaders Learned from Trauma and Triumph. The response to his debut book is resounding, and Sanders has been sought-after for appearances on CBS News, NPR, Dare to Lead with Brené Brown, Harvard Business Review’s IdeaCast, Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard, among others. In revelatory keynotes and conversations, Sanders explores Black experiences in predominantly white environments, the risks of self-betrayal, and the value of being yourself.

Sanders’ work has been featured in The New York Times, SLAM, TIME, Teen Vogue, Fortune, and more, and he has collaborated with Spike Lee on a TV series based on his life, Archer, and is the co-creator and Executive Producer of Peacock’s highly anticipated How To Survive Inglewood. He is also co-writing Universal’s sports drama One and Done, and recently launched the Quitters Podcast, which he co-hosts. He is sought after for keynotes and conversations at venues such as Google, Netflix, Target, Twitter, New York University, Columbia Business School, Pymetrics, Berlin questions, The Michelle Meow Show at the Commonwealth Club of California, and many more. An in-demand speaker, Sanders offers insights from his personal experience as well as the wealth of knowledge cultivated through interviews for Black Magic, practical takeaways for corporations looking to shift their culture, and shares how and why his career took off when he embraced, instead of trying to hide, his identity as a Black man and a creative.

<p>Chad Sanders' Black Magic is a powerful exploration of Black achievement based on honest, provocative, and moving interviews with Black leaders, scientists, artists, activists, and champions</p>

Chad Sanders' Black Magic is a powerful exploration of Black achievement based on honest, provocative, and moving interviews with Black leaders, scientists, artists, activists, and champions

In moving essays and in his speeches, CHAD SANDERS dives into his formative experiences to see if they might offer the possibility of discovering or honing what he identifies as Black Magic, namely resilience, creativity, and confidence forged in his experience navigating America as a Black man. He tests his theory by interviewing Black leaders across industries to get their take on Black Magic. The result is a revelatory and very necessary book and talk. Black Magic explores Black experiences in predominantly white environments and demonstrates the risks of self-betrayal and the value of being yourself.

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Books by Chad Sanders
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Biography

Chad is the author of the critically acclaimed Black Magic: What Black Leaders Learned from Trauma and Triumph and a staff writer on HBO Max’s Rap Sh!t. Chad’s op-ed writing has appeared in The New York Times, TIME and others and he has written for ABC Freeform’s Grown-ish.

Chad is also the creator and co-host of the Quitters podcast, along with co-host Julie Bowen, which has welcomed a number of high profile guests including Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Hyland, Mayim Bialik, Lamorne Morris, Meghan Trainor and more.

Chad has been featured in publications such as Forbes, Fortune, and Variety, and he has appeared as a guest on several TV networks including MSNBC, CBS News, NBC, and E! as well as highly charting podcasts such as Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead, Dax Shephard’s Armchair Expert, NPR’s Wisdom From the Top and the Harvard Business Review podcast.

Chad’s creative collaborators have included Spike Lee, Issa Rae, Kenya Barris, Morgan Freeman, Craig Ferguson, Will Packer and more.

Chad formerly worked at Google, YouTube and as a tech entrepreneur in CA, NY, London and Berlin. Chad is from Silver Spring, Maryland and resides in New York City.