Ben Nemtin, a New York Times bestselling author, cofounder of The Buried Life bucket list movement and an internationally renowned motivational speaker, will deliver a talk at Columbus State University on Tuesday, Sept. 1, as the university’s 2026 Hunter Lecturer.

The free program, open to everyone, starts at 6:30 p.m. ET in the University Hall Auditorium on Columbus State’s Main Campus. [map]. Nemtin will discuss how students can find lifelong purpose by combining their formal education with the grit and problem-solving skills needed for success.

During the lecture, Nemtin will draw from experiences as the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? and The Bucket List Journal. Global Gurus ranked him the #2 Motivational Speaker worldwide, and he appeared on MTV’s popular series “The Buried Life”. More than half of Fortune 100 companies have turned to Nemtin for inspiration in areas like purpose, change and fearless goal-setting.

His message centers on radical possibility. During college, he was unexpectedly struck by depression, leading to his departure from school. In search of a new path, he and three childhood friends created an incredible bucket list and traveled across North America in a rickety RV to chase it. They never imagined it would inspire a global movement; Nemtin’s bucket list journey has motivated millions to see that the impossible can become possible.

Their mission became simple: for each dream they realized, they helped a stranger achieve theirs—from playing basketball with President Barack Obama and surviving on a deserted island to reuniting a father and son after 17 years and surprising a young girl with a life-changing bionic arm.

Oprah described their mission as “truly inspiring,” while The Today Show put it simply: it’s about living with purpose. Nemtin believes the fastest way to grow—personally and professionally—is to connect to purpose. Having achieved 96 of his 100 dreams, he is on track to complete his ultimate goal, “#100: Go to Space.”