Chris Heeter

Chris Heeter is the founder of The Wild Institute ( http://www.thewildinstitute.com ), an organization that awakens people’s Wild spirits through professional speaking and wilderness trips. She was selected as a Top Ten Speaker of 2014 by MeetingsNet, and was the highest rated speaker of Meeting Professional International's 2014 World Education Congress. A wilderness guide since 1984 and professional speaker since 2001, Chris has led and worked with a diverse array of teams, both canine and human! 

Featured on The Discovery Channel's “National Geographic Today,” she brings decades of leadership experience indoors, to conferences and offices, working with teams and leaders, helping us recognize that leadership and teamwork doesn't have to be so complicated. With remarkable parallels to the work world, Chris shares hilarious stories from her sled dog team with their quirky personalities and from guiding whitewater trips, where successfully navigating obstacles (mostly) is part of the journey. 

She sat on the board of the University of Minnesota's Raptor Center for 9 years, is a certified Wilderness First Responder and a graduate of NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School). She holds a bachelor's degree in recreation and social work from George Williams College, where she recently received the Distinguished Alumnae Award. She is a poet and shares her writing through various Wild Institute newsletters. Chris challenges and inspires organizations and individuals toward Wild leadership, compassionate presence, and daring authenticity.