Robert Ballard is the legendary oceanographer and explorer who discovered the wreck of the Titanic in 1985 and has gone on to find numerous other significant shipwrecks including the German battleship Bismarck, the lost fleet of Guadalcanal, the U.S. aircraft carrier Yorktown, and John F. Kennedy’s PT-109. He is one of the most accomplished ocean explorers in history.
The Man Who Found the Titanic
Dr. Ballard has conducted over 150 deep-sea expeditions using advanced technologies including remotely operated vehicles and deep-sea imaging systems that he helped pioneer. His discovery of the Titanic captivated the world and launched a new era of underwater archaeology. He is the founder of the JASON Project, an educational program that has connected millions of students with real-time scientific exploration, and he has served on the faculty at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography.
Innovation Born from Impossible Goals
Ballard’s career demonstrates that the most ambitious goals demand creating tools and methods that do not yet exist. His decades of ocean exploration required developing new technologies, staying motivated through failed attempts, and refusing to abandon visions others considered impossible. His keynotes deliver compelling presentations on innovation and the pursuit of seemingly impossible goals, persistence through failure on the path to discovery, the leadership required for extraordinary expeditions, and inspiring the next generation through science and exploration.