The Authentic Leadership Foundation is proud to announce that Jim Keyes has been named the recipient of our 2025 Authentic Leader Award—and will also serve as keynote speaker for this year’s Bring Out the Greatness event on Monday, December 8, 2025.
Jim is known around the world as a visionary business and social innovator. A former CEO of both 7-Eleven and Blockbuster, he has spent his life proving that leadership and learning go hand in hand. His book, Education Is Freedom: The Future Is in Your Hands, captures a truth that runs deep through his own journey—from humble beginnings in Massachusetts to leading Fortune 500 companies and launching a national movement to empower students through education.
Through his foundation, Education Is Freedom, Jim has helped raise more than $450 million to open doors for young people across the country. His message is simple but profound: knowledge is the great equalizer—and education is the key to freedom.
As we prepare to honor Jim Keyes with this year’s Authentic Leader Award, we also celebrate the example he sets: leadership that serves others, learns continuously, and lifts the next generation higher.
“The absolute key to freedom is to learn as much as you can, every day of your life.” — Jim Keyes, Education Is Freedom
Join us for Bring Out the Greatness 2025 as we gather to reflect on the kind of leadership our world needs most—leadership grounded not in status or success, but in truth, humility, and service.
Editor’s Note:
At the Authentic Leadership Foundation, we believe education and leadership are inseparable—because authentic leaders never stop learning. Jim Keyes embodies this truth. His story reminds us that when we invest in knowledge, character, and community, we invest in the freedom and greatness of us all.
This article was last modified on November 12, 2025 .
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Jim Keyes’ “C-Suite of Learning” offers a roadmap for authentic leadership grounded in curiosity, critical thinking, and character. This week’s truth explores how leaders move from intelligence to wisdom — and why lifelong learning is essential to sustaining personal freedom, integrity, and democratic responsibility.
Read MoreJim Keyes’ story shows that education is far more than academic preparation—it’s the doorway to freedom, character, and opportunity. This week’s truth explores how lifelong learning shapes authentic leaders and why the path to wisdom begins with curiosity. As we honor Keyes as the 2025 Authentic Leader Award recipient, we’re reminded that the freedom to rise begins with learning.
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