Cory Williams

As an author and lifelong storyteller, Cory used imagination to navigate a difficult childhood marked by severe ADHD, abuse, and tragedy. Unable to afford college, he found his own path to success by taking jobs that taught him the skills he needed to reach his career goals. Then, in 2005, he achieved his goal after becoming YouTube's first sponsored creator and paid YouTube partner.

20 years later, Cory has accumulated millions of subscribers and billions of views across his YouTube channels, where his stories share lived experiences of overcoming adversity in fun and engaging ways for all ages. He is also the solo creator behind "Silly Crocodile," a successful real-time animated children's show about a 2D crocodile in a 3D world who's learning to understand where he belongs.

Outside of YouTube, Cory travels the world, speaking at major conferences on how to find happiness and success in storytelling in a world that sometimes feels hard.