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Born in a tiny, isolated village on the island of Haiti, Rene Godefroy was an impoverished child perpetually tormented by cholera, rickets and malnutrition. Abandoned by his father and left behind while his mother sought work in the city, Rene subsisted on meager charity and the rare fish he caught with a string and hook. Some people of his village called him "Souyan", the name of a sick and disabled old man. Few expected he would survive to adulthood.

Rene surprised them. In 1983, he came to Montreal with a Haitian theater company and escaped into the United States wedged between the rear tires of a tractor-trailer. He arrived in New York with five dollars in his pocket, and two shirts and a pair of pants in his battered suitcase. In the years that followed, Rene supported himself doing hard labor for low pay. Sure in his heart that he was capable of much more, Rene taught himself English, read voraciously and dedicated himself to his grandest ambitions. Today, he is a proud American citizen, and a successful businessman, speaker and author. When the man they once called "Souyan" returned to visit Haiti, a man told him, "You are our Village Hero".

Rene recently appeared on CBS's 60 Minutes, in a segment that featured Anthony Robbins, Zig Ziglar, Colin Powell, Peter Lowe and other top motivational speakers. CNN, Media One and Day Break Atlanta have also shared Rene's story with their viewers. In what was perhaps his most significant achievement to date, Rene recently delivered his famous keynote address, "No Condition is Permanent", to more than 2,000 members of the National Speakers Association in Washington, D.C. Following the keynote, internationally renowned speaker W. Mitchell wrote that Rene had stolen the show and prompted the audience "to rethink their priorities, their goals and, most of all, their ability to fulfill their dream".

An hour with Rene will change you for a lifetime. His robust, witty, anecdotal speaking style will take you on a journey of space and spirit: From sickness to strength, from poverty to prosperity, from a deadly nightmare to an abundant dream. Rene's unquenchable passion and heroic life story stir triumphant laughter and world-wise tears. He inspires audiences to approach all obstacles with a bold soul and an ardent heart, using change as our good fortune and the diverse gifts of colleagues and friends as our most bountiful wealth. We all, Rene shows us, have the power to be a Village Hero.

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