As part of Kent State Stark’s 2006-2007 Featured Speakers Series, entrepreneur Christopher Gardner presents “The Pursuit of Happyness” at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1, in the Kent State Stark Timken Great Hall, Professional Education and Conference Center, 6000 Frank Avenue NW. The event is free and open to the public; tickets are not necessary. Seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis.

A series of unfortunate circumstances left Gardner homeless in San Francisco and the sole guardian of his toddler son. Unwilling to give up his son or his dream of financial independence, he started at the bottom of the financial industry and worked his way up. Gardner, who is now the president and CEO of his own brokerage firm, Gardner Rich & Company Inc., donates 10 percent or more of his company’s earnings toward school and educational projects in his community. The Pursuit of Happyness, his amazing life story of struggle, faith, entrepreneurialism and fatherly devotion was recently published and has been made into a movie starring actor Will Smith.

For more information on Kent State Stark’s Featured Speakers Series, contact Cynthia Williams at 330-244-3262 or cwilliams@stark.kent.edu.