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Chris Wilson
Serial Social Entrepreneur, Storyteller, Artist, Social Justice Advocate & Author
Chris Wilson
Serial Social Entrepreneur, Storyteller, Artist, Social Justice Advocate & Author
Biography
Born and raised in Washington D.C, Chris grew up under extremely difficult circumstances. Poverty, drug addiction, and gun violence was the everyday norm in his community. At the age of 17, he was charged with a crime, convicted, and sentenced to natural life in prison. It was during times of isolation that he decided to not only to turn his life around, but to make a difference in the lives of people who currently live in poverty-stricken communities similar to his childhood surroundings. “Many years ago, I committed my life to self-improvement and helping others. I sat in a dark cell and wrote up what I now call my Master Plan. A plan to build a business empire and help others.”
While imprisoned, he earned his high school diploma, graduated from all of the vocational shops, earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Sociology, from Anne Arundel Community College and taught himself to speak and write in several foreign languages. He became a mentor, started a career center, book club and after serving 16 years in prison, he has returned to society a changed man.
He now resides in Baltimore City and is the owner and founder of the Barclay Investment Corporation, a multi-service social enterprise, specializing in residential and commercial contracting work. Barclay works closely with local workforce and social service providers to connect unemployed Baltimore City residents with clients who are in need of a number of services.
His other business ventures include The House of DaVinci, a high-end furniture restoration and design company and Master Plan Productions, a social impact content development company.
Speaker Videos
The Master Plan
Speech Topics
The Master Plan
Growing up in a tough Washington, D.C., neighborhood, Chris Wilson was so afraid for his life he wouldn’t leave the house without a gun. One night, defending himself, he killed a man. At eighteen, he was sentenced to life in prison with no hope of parole.
But what should have been the end of his story became the beginning. Deciding to make something of his life, Chris embarked on a journey of self-improvement–reading, working out, learning languages, even starting a business. He wrote his Master Plan: a list of all he expected to accomplish or acquire. He worked his plan every day for years, and in his mid-thirties he did the impossible: he convinced a judge to reduce his sentence and became a free man. This is the inspiring, instructive, and ultimately triumphant story of a man who use used hard work and a master plan to turn a life sentence into a second chance.
Books Saved My Life
At the age of 17, Chris Wilson found himself serving a life sentence for murder. He had no education, no direction and no hope. In this inspiring and uplifting keynote, Chris shares how he discovered a love for reading while behind bars, and how it eventually led him to earn his high school diploma, a college degree, learn multiple languages and create a purposeful life outside prison walls.
Mass Incarceration: A Broken System
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