Doc Hendley

Doc Hendley is a CNN Hero, founder of Wine To Water, and one of the most inspiring social entrepreneurs of his generation. A former bartender and musician from North Carolina, he has brought clean drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people in some of the most dangerous and desperate places on earth, proving that one person with an idea can change the world.

From Bartending to Saving Lives in Darfur

In 2003, while tending bar and playing music in Raleigh nightclubs, Hendley dreamed up the concept of raising money for clean water the only way he knew how — by pouring wine and playing music. By 2004, he was living in Darfur, Sudan, installing water systems for victims of the government-supported genocide, often working inside United Nations no-go zones. Two members of his team were killed during this period. He returned home with an even stronger commitment to the mission.

Wine To Water and the Power of One

Hendley grew Wine To Water into a global organization that has provided clean water and water education in dozens of countries. CNN named him a CNN Hero for his work. He is the author of Wine to Water: A Bartender’s Quest to Bring Clean Water to the World. His keynotes share a deeply moving story about the immense power of relationships, doing what you can with what you have, and how one ordinary person’s willingness to act can transform the impossible into the inevitable.

Hell or High Water: How One Man Turned Wine into Water and Transformed Customers into Crusaders

Doc gives a motivational and inspiring presentation that retells the story of his journey from bartender & musician to accidental humanitarian. When we consider a problem as far-reaching as the global water crisis,  we often question the impact that we as an individual can have.  Doc’s life work and incredible story answers the question of how much impact can one person have.

Digging for Hope: Turning Wine to Water & Other Modern Day Miracles

In this keynote, Doc discusses how to do what we can with what we have. Audiences will learn the immense power of relationships to transcend perceived barriers. Through this moving presentation, Doc Hendley proves the power of one to transform the impossible into the inevitable.