Kevin Tuerff

Inspiration for Come From Away: Tuerff's personal story of being a "plane person" in Gander is one of the true accounts that inspired the musical. A character in the show, "Kevin T," is based on him and his then-partner.

Founder of Pay It Forward 9/11: Struck by the overwhelming generosity of the Gander residents who housed and fed nearly 7,000 stranded passengers, Tuerff launched this annual tradition in 2002 to promote compassion and good deeds.

Author and Speaker: He wrote a memoir titled Channel of Peace: Stranded in Gander on 9/11, which provides a first-hand account of his life-changing experience and its impact on his outlook on the world. He is also a TEDx speaker.

Environmental and Public Health Advocate: Tuerff is a communications professional with decades of experience in the health and environmental sectors. He co-founded EnviroMedia, one of the first integrated marketing firms focused on these areas, and helped establish America Recycles Day (November 15) in 1997.

Advocacy Work: He is a passionate advocate for social justice, supporting refugees and immigrants, and promoting environmental sustainability, often connecting these issues to the compassion he experienced in Gander. He is a current Managing Director at the American Thoracic Society.

Kevin Tuerff uses his unique story to inspire others to cultivate compassion and engage in acts of kindness, emphasizing the ripple effect such actions can have.

International author and TEDx speaker, Kevin Tuerff’s experience as a 9/11 stranded airline passenger in Canada is one of the true stories inspiring the Tony-Award winning Broadway musical COME FROM AWAY (on COVID-19 hiatus in US, Canada, UK and Australia). The onstage character "Kevin T" is comically referred to as the gay lumberjack. Tuerff is also subject of in three related documentaries (HBO Canada, CBC and Fox). In 2018, House of Anansi Press published his memoir and audiobook, "Channel of Peace: Stranded in Gander on 9/11."

Kevin is founder and president of Pay it Forward 9/11, Inc. He inspires and moves audiences around the world with his talk, “The Ripple Effect of Compassion,” which focuses on kindness to strangers, immigrants and refugees. He explains how compassionate actions stimulate the brain, producing a "helper's high.” With regular practice of kindness and compassion, science says a person can more likely be healthy and happy. Kevin serves as a global ambassador for the Charter for Compassion.

Tuerff offers his expertise as a social entrepreneur and ethical business leader, co-founding and managing two successful companies. He has delivered keynote speeches to trade associations, corporations, charity conventions, theater patrons, college and high school students and houses of worship across the US, Canada and Australia.

Tuerff is a regular guest on news and broadcast programs, appearing on ABC News, Fox News, National Public Radio, CBC, CTV, Washington Post, Ad Week, CNN International, BBC, The Age (Melbourne), Toronto Star, National Geographic Travel, Texas Standard, and Church Times UK.

Working for Environmental Defense Fund on Global Clean Air, Tuerff brings his 25-years of experience in behavior change communications specializing in public health and the environment. As an entrepreneur, he launched several legacy endeavors, including a University of Texas Student-Run Radio, America Recycles Day, EnviroMedia, Green Canary Sustainability Consulting, The Greenwashing Index, and Pay it Forward 9/11.

As Co-founder and President of Austin-based EnviroMedia (a certified B Corporation) for 19 years, Tuerff managed 40 professionals with average revenue of $20 million annually. He inspired employees by motivating them to follow the company's core values, "FATCAT" an acronym for Fun, Accuracy, Teamwork, Creativity, Advocacy and Trust. Tuerff is also a certified instructor in Model-Netics management systems.

Tuerff is an advisory board member to the Brand Responsibility Master's Program at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications in Eugene, Oregon, and is an active volunteer advocating for immigrants, refugees and the LGBT+ communities.

Video conference speaking is available. All speaking engagements requiring travel require purchase of carbon offsets. For each paid speaking engagement in a city, Tuerff will pay it forward with an unpaid talk at a local school.