I’M CHRIS SCHEMBRA,

A champion for human connection in an era of disconnection.

For the last decade, I’ve dedicated my life to a single mission: helping people rediscover the power of gratitude, connection, and belonging — at work and beyond.

Through my work, we’ve helped thousands of leaders and teams create workplaces that are more joyful, resilient, and human — and lives that feel fuller, richer, and more meaningful.

I'm the Founder and Chief Question Asker of the 7:47 Gratitude Experience™ — an evidence-based framework that has sparked thousands of powerful workplace relationships around the world. I'm also the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Gratitude Through Hard Times and Gratitude and Pasta, and a Founding Member of Rolling Stone Magazine’s Culture Council. USA Today calls me their “Gratitude Guru,” but what matters most to me is simple: helping people rediscover the power of connection.

As a keynote speaker and expert in building human-centered organizations, I’ve spoken at hundreds of leading institutions — from Microsoft and Google to IBM, Dell, the U.S. Navy, and Harvard.
And I’m truly glad you're here.

I’M DRIVEN BY THESE WORDS FROM WRITER MAYA ANGELOU:

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but PEOPLE WILL NEVER FORGET HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.”

When I came back from a trip to Italy in 2015, my entire life changed.

The Italians were doing something right — they lived connected to each other, unrushed, savoring the moments that mattered. Me? I was lonely, disconnected, insecure, and exhausted. I realized I desperately needed gratitude and human connection in my life. So I invented a pasta sauce recipe.

On July 15, 2015, I hosted a dinner party in my New York City apartment. Fueled by pasta and curiosity, a group of strangers gathered around the table. At 7:47 PM, I asked one simple question: "If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don't give enough credit or thanks to, who would that be?" That one question changed everything. That night, and every week thereafter, people shared powerful stories of gratitude, reflection, and connection — stories that brought down walls and opened up hearts.

A few months later, I realized something profound: I was finally feeling joy. Joy I had spent my whole life chasing in all the wrong places. As Johan Hari said, “The opposite of addiction is not sobriety — it’s human connection.”

Word quickly spread about the transformational moments happening around my dinner table. Soon, companies began calling, asking me to create the same experience for their teams, clients, and communities.

From those humble beginnings, the 7:47 Gratitude Experience™ was born — an evidence-based framework now proven to create a 99.8% positive emotional transformation, helping teams and organizations foster gratitude, connection, and sustainable success.

Today, propelled by that same spirit, I lead keynotes, craft intimate experiences, and advise leaders and organizations around the world — all rooted in the belief that human connection is the most valuable asset we have.