When audiences look for a candid assessment of the current state of the world, Gov. John Kasich stands out as an unparalleled voice of reason amongst all the noise. In the years following his service to the people of Ohio, Kasich has successfully performed a unique balancing act — broadening his mission to affect change on a societal scale, while keenly narrowing his focus on how that change comes about on the individual and local community level, pushing listeners to look within and harness their own ability to make a difference. This perspective — from years of affecting change on all levels (from local, state, and federal government) — informs how we confront the biggest issues facing our communities today: mental health crises, gun control, declining civic engagement and beyond.

A paragon of compassionate leadership, Kasich presents audiences with a motivational and inspiring take on the power that individuals can have when they work to build unity through shared ideals of responsibility, innovation, and joy in confronting life's challenges. Kasich believes that we need to reach beyond the issues that divide us to achieve solutions through unity and resilience. With a focus on civility and purpose, Kasich offers insight into a view of humanity that inspires self-reflection, invites action and motivates all of us to strive to be better citizens.

His latest book, Heaven Help Us: How Faith Communities Inspire Hope, Strengthen Neighborhoods, and Build the Future, is a hope-inducing series of stories that positions religion as the antidote to cynicism and despair in America. It is a reminder that through faith-based communities, we can turn our good intentions into even better outcomes, repairing and uniting broken communities.

Kasich has a panoramic view of both corporate and civic leadership. As Ohio’s Governor, Kasich was one of the most powerful Chief Executive Officers in the United States managing the 7th largest state in the country, employing over 40,000 people with a $64 billion budget. Through this lens, he knows well executive concerns about accountability, customer engagement, leadership, team building and managing the bottom-line. Kasich offers reflections on business, government, and the power of individuals to affect change at every level.

Drawing on his decades of experience in the Statehouse and the halls of Congress, Governor Kasich examines the key issues that will define the next decade of American public policy. From fiscal policy and healthcare to foreign affairs, Gov. Kasich explains how the inability of America’s leaders to confront these mounting problems with legitimate solutions has disillusioned voters who see no progress from either party. Through it all, Governor Kasich reminds audiences that, at the end of the day, change comes from the bottom up.

Corporations, communities, and citizens are the currency of change. Kasich believes it’s up to the American people to lead change from the bottom up. Beyond party lines, Governor John Kasich reminds us that the onus for restoring the heart and soul of America is on us. Taking a page from his New York Times best-seller, Two Paths: America Divided or United (2017), he advocates for the simplicity that comes from “living a bigger life than ourselves” as an antidote to what divides us. His latest book is entitled, It's Up To Us: Ten Little Ways We Can Bring About Big Change. Strikingly humble, Kasich's belief in the human spirit as a true driver of change is refreshing in a national environment fraught with cynicism. In his latest release, Heaven Help Us, Kasich reminds us through gripping stories that faith communities and institutions can magnify the power of an individual in ways that almost always exceed the expectations of the person who jump-started the initiative in the first place.

More About Gov. John Kasich

Two-term former Ohio Governor John R. Kasich is a politician, a New York Times best-selling author, a contributor for MSNBC and NBC News, and ultimately an American citizen who believes that unity is the answer to our most common problems.

Governor Kasich closed an $8 billion budget shortfall without a tax increase, reduced taxes by $5 billion and created an improved business climate that led to the creation of more than 500,000 new jobs in the Buckeye State. Under his tenure, Ohio budget reserves grew from 89 cents to $2.7 billion. The Governor was a leading voice in promoting bipartisan solutions to health care reform, immigration and international trade. He has been one of the few Republicans to advocate for Medicaid’s expansion.

Kasich has had a storied career in both the public and private sectors. He served as a member of Congress from central Ohio for 18 years. He was elected to the U.S. House at just 30 years old, after having become the youngest state senator in Ohio history. He went on to become the chairman of the House Budget Committee and balanced the Federal Budget four times—a feat not accomplished since. After leaving Congress in 2000, Kasich worked as a managing director in the Investment Banking Division of Lehman Brothers, where he helped companies secure the resources they needed to succeed and create jobs. He undertook a high-profile run for President in 2016, ultimately earning 154 delegates and shifting the tenor of debate from negative personal attacks to one of "light and hope." He was the final major challenger to Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. Following his second term as Governor of Ohio, he became the founder and CEO of The Kasich Company. The Kasich Company draws on high profile and high-pressure decision-making experiences in government, private sector, media and politics to provide direct, timely advice and strategy that is specifically designed with your success in mind.

He was a FOX television commentator for two shows, Heroes and Heartland with John Kasich, in addition to being a stand-in host for both Bill O’Reilly and Chris Matthews. In January of 2019, Kasich made his debut as a Senior Political Commentator for CNN, where he appeared across a variety of programs. In 2022, he and comedian Jordan Klepper launched the Kasich & Klepper podcast, featuring thoughtful, engaging, and downright hilarious conversations demonstrating the power of mutual understanding in a polarized world. In 2023, Kasich joined MSNBC/NBC News as a Political Analyst.

Kasich is the author of four New York Times best-sellers: Courage is Contagious; Stand for Something: The Battle for America’s Soul; Every Other Monday; and most recently Two Paths: America Divided or United, which reflects on 2016 run as Republican Primary Presidential candidate and his hopes for America’s future. His latest book, entitled It’s Up To Us: Ten Little Ways We Can Bring About Big Change, was released on October 15, 2019.

Kasich is a graduate of The Ohio State University, where he also served as a Presidential Fellow.