Les Stroud

Les Stroud is a celebrated keynote speaker, author, filmmaker, and survival expert, best known as the Canadian Screen Award-winning producer, creator, and star of the hit reality television show Survivorman. The original genre creator of "Survival TV," he also is the only producer in the history of television to produce an internationally broadcast series entirely written, videotaped, and hosted alone. 

Stroud also has appeared in and/or produced numerous television specials, making celebrity guest appearances on Extreme Makeover Home Edition, Top Chef, and MTV Cribs. He also has made numerous talk show appearances, including Piers Morgan Tonite, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The View, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Larry King Live.

Musically, Les Stroud is revered for his iconic harmonica playing and has shared the stage with major artists, including Slash, Alice Cooper, Steven Stills, Blues Traveler, Tesla, Randy Bachman, Chicago, and The Roots. Stroud’s songwriting style runs an eclectic gamut, from art-folk-roots rock to contemporary art rock. He has written all the theme songs for his TV series and scored several independent films. He has won numerous regional music festivals and recorded three CDs (one in collaboration with the Northern Pikes).

Les Stroud has received both the Distinguished Alumni Award and was nominated for the Premieres Award for excellence for work in his field. He contributes to dozens of charities and benefits, and is an advanced survival trainer for the Canadian Military Armed Forces.

Two of his books, Survive!: Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere—Alive! and Will to Live, made the New York Times best seller list. His third book, Beyond Survivorman, featured the photography of Laura Bombier.