Eric Gnezda

Keynote speaker. Award-winning songwriter. Emmy-nominated journalist and producer. Educator. TV host. Speech coach and communications consultant.

Eric is creator and host of the American Public Television series, Songs at the Center, which showcases accomplished songwriters performing and sharing the stories behind their work. The series is seen on more than 160 stations across America.

As a performer himself, he blends his quick wit and musical talents with his deep appreciation for the human spirit. Through his humor, inspirational stories and music, Eric performs for a wide variety of national clients, from corporations and associations, to healthcare and education organizations, to service groups and general concert audiences.

Eric and his work have been featured on Entertainment Tonight, ESPN, Nickelodeon, The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, The ABC Radio Network and in Sports Illustrated. He is also a regular Writers Night performer at Nashville’s famous venue for songwriters, The Bluebird Café.

A former newspaper columnist, Eric has delivered commentaries on current events for National Public Radio, and has written on a wide range of topics for various publications, from USA Today, to Business First, to Today’s Caregiver. He received an Emmy Award nomination for a story he wrote and produced in Europe for American syndicated television.

As a singer-songwriter, he was awarded the 2006 Ohioana Citation for Music Composition, joining other recipients Michael Feinstein (The American Songbook), Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane), and Chip Davis (Mannheim Steamroller).

Away from the stage and speaker’s platform, Eric holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the Rainier Writing Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University.