From Soup Kitchen to Wall Street to the Big Screen, Christopher Gardner to Keynote Austin's MLK Celebration

Christopher Gardner, formerly homeless and now president and CEO of the Chicago-based brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co., will keynote the 14th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Jan. 20 at the Riverbend Centre in Austin. Organized by the Austin Area Heritage Council in collaboration with Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) as main partner, the celebration honors Dr. King’s legacy and seeks to unite business and religious leaders in a commitment to diversity and multiculturalism. Gardner, who turned from being homeless and the sole guardian of his toddler son to a multi-millionaire, penned his autobiography, The Pursuit of Happyness, a book that has been made into a movie starring Will Smith as Gardner. The movie is scheduled to be released nationwide on Dec. 15. "We are absolutely thrilled that Chris Gardner is participating in this year’s MLK keynote,” said Thurmond Woodard, Dell vice president of global diversity. "His success in the business world serves as reminder to all of us that diversity is a value that must be practiced, not just appreciated.” "Chris Gardner’s story of perseverance crosses all color lines, genders and belief systems, and encourages each of us to never give up on pursuing our goals,” said Carol Wright, chairperson of the Austin Area Heritage Council. "We are honored that he has chosen to join us as we celebrate the legacy of Dr. King.” Gardner will join the ranks of such former celebration speakers as the Rev. Bernice King, Dr. Maya Angelou, James Earl Jones, Marian Wright Edelman, Vernon Jordan Jr. and Ambassador Andrew Young. The keynote event will also include a performance by the Grammy award-winning Sounds of Blackness. The MLK Community Celebration includes the Youth Legacy Awards – recognizing the accomplishments of Austin area high school students, a March and Cultural Festival. For more information and to order tickets for the Celebration Address, visit http://www.mlkcelebration.com/. Dell, a longtime partner with the Austin Area Heritage Council, has been repeatedly named among the "Top 50 Companies for Diversity” by DiversityInc magazine. Dell’s commitment to the African-American community includes the recent launch of Avoice – www.avoiceonline.org – the first virtual library on the political history and legislative legacy of African-Americans. About Dell Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services they trust and value. Uniquely enabled by its direct business model, Dell sells more systems globally than any other computer company, placing it No. 25 on the Fortune 500. For more information, visit www.dell.com. To get Dell news direct, visit www.dell.com/RSS. About Austin Area Heritage Council The Austin Area Heritage Council is a 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to plan a family-oriented and culturally diverse MLK celebration. Dell is a trademark of Dell Inc. Dell disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others.