WS Chronicle

Entrepreneur, author and philanthropist Chris Gardner will speak at a free event on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 3 p.m. at the Arts Council Theater, 610 Coliseum Drive.

His book, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” is this year’s On the Same Page community read selection. The book, which was the basis for a hit Will Smith movie, details how Gardner went from a homeless single father to a business success.

During his address, Gardner will introduce “spiritual genetics,” a concept he developed that espouses that there is a “you in you” that is ungoverned by gender, ethnicity, or DNA, and that this inner spirit is within everyone’s power to transform. He will also identify the importance of the “P’s” in life — finding your passion, being practical, and having a plan.

Gardner is CEO of Gardner Rich & Co LLC, a stock brokerage firm he founded in 1987. Reportedly, he had only $10,000 and a single piece of furniture when he launched the firm, which is headquartered in Chicago. There are also New York and San Francisco offices.

A day after his local appearance, Gardner will be in Durham to speak at a free event at North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company. The presentation is one of a series of events celebrating North Carolina Mutual’s 115th anniversary. The year-long recognition of the company’s storied history will culminate in celebrations and special events throughout the month of October. Descendants of the three founders of the company, John Merrick, Dr. Aaron M. Moore and Charles C. Spaulding, will be involved in both the planning of the celebration and the events themselves.