About Michael Chase
Resilience. Leadership. Human Connection.
Beyond the Headlines
Michael Chase has lived through moments most people only witness on the news. Standing just feet from the second explosion at the Boston Marathon finish line, his life changed in an instant. What followed was not just survival, but a decision to turn trauma into purpose and service into impact.
Today, Michael is a nationally sought keynote speaker, author, and former educator and police officer whose work is rooted in resilience, leadership, and human connection. Drawing from more than 25 years in special education and law enforcement, he brings a rare perspective shaped by crisis, recovery, and leading through uncertainty.
Organizations do not bring Michael in simply to tell a story. They bring him in to move people. Through powerful storytelling and practical insight, he challenges audiences to rethink leadership, strengthen culture, build trust, and respond with clarity when pressure is at its highest.
Leadership Under Fire
On April 15, 2013, Michael stood fifteen feet from the second explosion at the Boston Marathon finish line. In the chaos that followed, instinct took over. Strangers became rescuers. Fear gave way to action. And in the middle of tragedy, humanity revealed itself at its best.
That experience forced Michael to confront difficult questions about trauma, identity, purpose, and leadership. Not from a stage or a textbook, but in real life.
In the years that followed, he discovered that resilience is not built during comfortable seasons of life. It is forged in uncertainty, adversity, and the moments that test who we are beneath the surface.
Today, Michael speaks to organizations, schools, leadership teams, and first responders about what happens when pressure exposes culture, communication, trust, and character. His message is not built around perfection. It is built around presence, connection, and the choices people make when moments matter most.
Where It Matters Most
Michael does not speak about crisis as a headline. He speaks about it as a lived experience that reshaped how he leads, serves, and shows up for others.
In corporate boardrooms, hospital systems, school districts, and first responder agencies, the pressures may look different, but the weight is the same. Decisions carry consequences. Culture determines performance. Trust determines whether teams fracture or grow stronger.
Through honest storytelling and grounded reflection, Michael helps leaders and teams slow down long enough to examine how they respond under pressure. He challenges organizations to build cultures rooted in trust, courage, and accountability, not just performance metrics.
His message resonates because it is not theoretical. It is human. And when people feel something, they remember it.
Service has never been a title for Michael. It has been a practice. Whether in uniform, in a classroom, or on stage, his leadership begins with presence.
Recognition and Service
Michael’s work has been recognized locally and nationally. He was honored as a Hero Among Us by the Boston Celtics for his actions following the Boston Marathon bombing and received the Life Saver Award from the Massachusetts Municipal Police Training Committee for his efforts to preserve life during a critical incident while on duty in 2017.
Before entering law enforcement, Michael spent more than fifteen years in education, serving students who required therapeutic and crisis support. That dual perspective as educator and officer gives him rare credibility when speaking about culture, trust, and leadership under pressure.
Today, he continues to serve as a School Resource Officer while speaking to organizations across the country.
At the Center of It All
Michael’s work on stage is rooted in who he is at home.
His recent engagement to Casey marked the beginning of a new chapter, blending families and deepening his understanding of responsibility, patience, and presence. As a father to Makena, and now to Chase and Mia, he has learned that resilience is not something you perform. It is something you practice.
Raising a child with unique challenges has strengthened his belief that leadership begins with empathy. The lessons he shares on stage are not drawn from theory. They are lived daily.
Everything he speaks about comes back to one truth. The way we show up for others matters.
Bring This Message to Your Organization
Michael’s keynote is more than a story. It is an experience that challenges audiences to confront adversity, strengthen connection, and lead with clarity when it matters most. If you are looking for a speaker who will move your people and leave a lasting impact, this is the message.