The day Rich started a pencil insurance company in Mrs. Evan’s Third Grade class, an entrepreneur was born. For a mere 5 cent weekly premium, if you broke your pencil, Rich would give you a new one. Thwarted by government regulation (a.k.a. his mother, also a teacher, who forbid Rich from taking money from other students), Rich’s first endeavor failed. However, those first lessons – in need-finding, bias toward action, failing forward, and how to pitch an idea – continued to develop through a software engineering career and the creation of three consulting companies, and a venture-backed e-commerce company.

Rich Cox challenges leaders, groups and companies to stretch farther and achieve more. He helps world leaders and change-makers inspire others to action. He unlocks the creative genius in entrepreneurs and teams so they can go out and dent the universe. He enables leaders to find their authentic voice and stand up as their most powerful selves. He transforms organizations into resilient cultures that thrive and adapt. He is a master coach and facilitator that empowers you to discover and develop your best self.

Rich is a Lecturer at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and teaches at the Stanford Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school). He is also a Guest Lecturer at London Business School and Aalto University in Helsinki.

Rich’s Management Design Consulting Firm, People Rocket, combines Art+Science+Design to bring disruptive elegance to business, organizations and ventures and create better people, teams, and cultures. Rich coaches executives, leaders and teams at organizations such as the Clinton Global Initiative, Istanbul 2020 Olympic Bid Committee, TEDx, Mozilla, Google, Cisco, and JP Morgan Chase.

In addition, Rich is an improv performer and coach. He integrates improv tools and mindsets into his work on creativity, innovation and leadership on organizational stages around the world as a speaker and consultant.

He has walked from Mexico to Canada along the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail and now lives in San Francisco with his two dogs Ali and Shug.

Rich believes that we, humankind, know how to do much of what we are doing today better than we are doing it today. He is on a crusade to help everyone reach their full potential and make the world a better place.