Stephen Koch draws the audience into his experiences on the world’s highest mountains through stunning imagery and riveting tales of adventure and courage. His triumphs and horrific avalanche survival are not only captivating, but offer the motivation for individuals to strive for their highest potential. He translates the skills he used to fuel himself on the Seven Summits into leadership, business and life skills. He encourages people to be more accountable for their own actions, to embrace effective teamwork by valuing the contribution of others and to push beyond their self-imposed limitations.

Key Speaking Themes

Attain Big Goals–

• Accomplish “the Impossible”
• Trust your instincts and build on experience
• Turn dreams into reality;
• How  to plan, organize and execute
• Keep yourself and your team motivated and positive

Deal with Fear–

What’s Your Avalanche?

• Turn fear into appropriate action
• Thrive outside your comfort zone
• What’s inside your head; maintain perspective

Adversity–

Friend or Foe?

• Overcome obstacles, even against the odds
• Stay focused; persistence and perseverance
• Remaining patient under pressure

Ethics–

Maintain Your Standards

• Discover what is important to you personally, and why
• Stay true to your values and have it work for your team/company

Stephen Koch teaches, entertains and inspires as he shows his audience the parallel between his mountaineering world and theirs.

One Step Further is a multimedia presentation offering a unique perspective on reaching your highest potential from one of the world’s great adventurers–featuring unforgettable stories and images from spectacular and remote locations. Stephen has spoken to corporations, students of all ages, and a variety of clubs and organizations all over the world. His speaking themes reach diverse audiences, and Stephen Koch’s presentations are tailored to meet client’s requirements. Your satisfaction is his number one priority.

Career Highlights

• First ascents on Denali/McKinley, Cerro Torre and Kilimanjaro
• The “Last Great Problem”– First Winter Grand Traverse of the Tetons
• Over 45 first snowboard descents worldwide
• First and only person to snowboard on all Seven Summits, the highest mountain on each continent
• Expeditions to Antarctica, Everest, Mt. Kenya, Lhotse, Nuptse, Patagonia and Shishapangma
• Founded Avalanche Awareness Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to youth avalanche education
• Mountain Guide and Instructor – 18 years

Most climbers climb up and down the mountain. Not Stephen Koch. Stephen ventures One Step Further. At the top, he straps on his snowboard and stares down near vertical slopes of 60 degrees or more–and pushes off. Failure cannot enter his mind. This takes incredible physical strength and intense psychological commitment.

Stephen Koch is a professional speaker, mountain guide, snowboard instructor, personal fitness expert and coach and is a pioneer in the field of Snowboard Mountaineering, a term he coined. His list of alpine ascents and descents include some of the most notable firsts anywhere in the world, most of which have never been repeated. He is the first person to snowboard all the major Teton Peaks in Wyoming, and the first and only person to snowboard on all Seven Summits, the highest peak on each continent.

Testimonials -

“At Pepsi-QTG Canada we asked Stephen to come in and get our employees ready to ‘climb’ our mountain of being the top Consumer Packaged Goods company in Canada. Stephen did an incredible job sharing his experiences and translating that into what it takes to ready yourself for any challenge. Our employees just loved hearing Stephen talk.”

–Pepsi-QTG Canada

Stephen was able to connect his personal experiences in managing the obvious risks associated with his passion with those of the Shell workforce in the Pinedale Anticline. Stephen was effective in getting the complex topic of risk management to a very basic yet powerful level, one of individual choices and self awareness.

- James L. Duran
Shell Exploration and Production Company

Stephen Koch was the right speaker with the right message for our sales meeting. We wanted a speaker with mountaineering or winter sport background to compliment our meeting location in Utah, but we wanted more than a cliché message that is common with this speaker type. We chose Stephen because his theme, One Step Further, simultaneously illustrates two key points: how the everyday person can make decisions that result in accomplishing extraordinary things; and the accomplishment can be remarkable for the way it is achieved, even if the objective is not grandiose or uncharted. His presentation takes you on a journey with breathtaking photos, suspense, humor, and self reflection. Leave plenty of time for questions, and then double it!

-Ronda Robinson, ZymoGenetics, Inc.

As a producer of corporate events for over 15 years, I have worked with many inspirational speakers. I found Stephen Koch’s message to be one of the more unique and compelling. Stephen’s story is a perfect metaphor for the challenges facing modern corporate America, especially in today’s current economy. His presentation is equally entertaining and his willingness to share professional and life skills “on the mountain” with clients sets him apart from most speakers.

- Chris Carleson, President, Carleson Production Group

Stephen Koch was our special guest for a client appreciation event held on November 11, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. His presentation combined spectacular film and photography with stories and anecdotes that brought to life storied mountain locales from around the world. Stephen captivated the audience with his humility and humor for one so renowned as a world class mountaineer. We’ve never hosted a client appreciation event with so many unsolicited compliments received the day after.

- John D. Richards, Managing Director-Investments, Wells Fargo Advisors

“Not only is Stephen an amazing mountaineer, he challenges traditional thought and provides a new paradigm of accomplishing the impossible.”

–Jack Tackle, World Class Mountaineer

“Stephen Koch’s presentation was clear, concise, insightful, and peppered with good humor and surprising humility for one so accomplished. His intelligent decision making and amazing ability to focus on an objective come through loud and clear. His respect for the natural world and the diversity of people living in it is refreshing. Stunning photographs from Everest color and clarify his story and leave the viewer wanting more. Be prepared for question and answer sessions that go on and on!”

–Suzanne Hanlon, UO Outdoor Program, University of Oregon

To book an event or for more information:
stephen (at) stephenkoch (dot) com
307-699-0202
Box 201, Jackson WY 83001
www.stephenkoch.com