Imagine thinking in pictures instead of words and being unable to recognize faces.
Now try to imagine navigating an unfamiliar education system with a severe form of dyslexia that makes reading and remembering almost impossible.
Those were the challenges David Chalk, a serial entrepreneur and motivational speaker, faced as a child and adolescent growing up in Burnaby, B.C.
“I don’t have the part of the brain that can recognize facial features and know where to put them, so sure I see different noses, different hair cuts and different colours, but I can’t attach them to a person and I can’t attach them to a memory,” said Chalk, who only learned about his disability at the age of 40.
“I went in to have some testing done and they found 37 cognitive challenges with my brain and when I came out of the test, I remember the lady saying to me, ‘David how do you get up in the morning and live your life?’”
On May 28, Chalk will share his story at the Hinton Centre and talk about how he overcame his challenges to become a hugely successful entrepreneur.
“He has found ways to work around his challenges and uses that to his advantage,” said Geke Duncan, fundraising coordinator for the Johnson Multiple Sclerosis Bike Tour in Hinton, which is co-hosting the event.
“He’s really about thinking outside the box and renewing enthusiasm in employees and encouraging and empowering people to become entrepreneurs.”
At the age of 19, Chalk became one of the youngest airline pilots in Canada to fly 737s, but quickly grew bored because of his attention deficit disorder.
After dropping out of university, he launched his first business at the age of 23 in his parent’s basement. It was called Doppler Computers and included seven locations, earning more than $150 million in sales.
Nearly 30 years later, Chalk has launched more than 23 companies, is a motivational speaker and a leading cyber security expert.
His resume includes starting Canada’s first technology magazine, developing the first video engine for Yahoo!, being named a Top 30 entrepreneur by The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and speaking at events for Microsoft on behalf of Bill Gates.
Not bad for a kid who was born with an undiagnosed learning disability.
“Never give up,” said Chalk. “Always realize there will be people that have ulterior motives, desires and reasons to continue what they’re doing, but if you believe in what you’re doing and you have the coping skills you can, at some point—I don’t always know when—overcome those challenges.”
Community Futures West Yellowhead, a non-profit organization that helps small businesses, is also co-hosting the May 28 event.
“We want businesses to just come and enjoy it and learn from it, whether it’s professionally or personally,” said Melody Roth, special projects coordinator for Community Futures West Yellowhead.
In addition to his entrepreneurial success, Chalk also established the longest-running technology show in Canada, called Dave Chalk’s Computer Show, he created the first national radio talk show on computer education, and created a training software company, Chalk Media, which he sold to Research in Motion.
Today, he is considered a leading expert in cyber warfare prevention and is involved with the world’s only patented technology that identifies and eliminates process abnormalities, such as fraud, operational risk, cyber attacks, regulatory breaches and security threats for government and large-scale corporate enterprises.
Although incredibly accompolished, Chalk is also down to Earth. He said he can’t wait to come to Hinton.
“I hope [people will] come up to me before and after the talk. Many people think that people like me aren’t approachable—we’re approachable 100 per cent. I’m wide open. I want to help anyone who wants help,” he said, adding he will be giving out his email address to anyone who wants it.
There are 300 tickets available with 60 per cent of the sales going to support the Johnson MS Bike Tour in Hinton, and 40 per cent going to support Community Futures West Yellowhead.
Advance tickets are $39 and can be purchased online at www.davidchalk.eventbrite.ca or from Greg Van Tighem, Jasper’s fire chief.
Tickets will also be available at the door for $45. The event starts at 7 p.m.
Paul Clarke
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