Khary Penebaker: Leader, Advocate, Builder
Keynote speaker on resilience, leadership, and the real cost of gun violence. Featured in TIME Magazine. Two-time DNC convention speaker. Nearly 30 years building companies from a $1.5M startup to a $35M operation.
TIME Contributor
Everytown Fellow
$35M+ Revenue Built
CBS News
Bloomberg
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
DNC Convention
Everytown
Three stories. One stage.
Leadership Under Pressure
What does it take to build a $35M operation from scratch? I talk about the leadership decisions that don’t make the highlight reel. Hiring when you can’t afford to get it wrong. Building culture in industries that don’t talk about culture.
Gun Violence, Resilience, and Real Talk
My mother died by suicide with a gun when I was 20 months old. That loss shaped everything. I speak about what it means to carry something like that and still show up every day. No scripts, no polish, just the truth.
Building Teams That Deliver
I have walked into broken operations and built them into something worth being part of. I talk about what it actually takes to turn a team around. Not the theory. The work.
From the Job Site to the National Stage
Construction executive, gun violence prevention advocate, and the kind of person who believes showing up is 90% of the job.
I started Penebaker Enterprises in 2002 with a truck, a phone, and a willingness to outwork everyone in the room. Built it from $1.5 million to $15 million doing commercial roofing and sheet metal fabrication, the kind of work where cutting corners isn’t a strategy, it’s a liability.
Then I joined Roofed Right America and did it again at a different scale. Took the company from $6 million to over $35 million in annual revenue, 180 employees, five states. I didn’t inherit that. We built it from nothing, and that means building the people, the culture, and the systems before you ever worry about the numbers.
Today I run the Upper Midwest region for Great Day Improvements, covering Chicago, Madison, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis. Nearly 30 years in this industry and I still believe the fundamentals are the fundamentals. Hire right, train hard, show up.
But the business has never been the whole story. My mother Joyce died by suicide when I was 20 months old. For 36 years I didn’t talk about it. When I finally did, it led to a congressional campaign, two speeches at the Democratic National Convention, a TIME Magazine feature, and years of work with Everytown for Gun Safety.
I live in Waukesha with my fiance Anne. I have three kids: Josie, Kyan, and Sydney. I collect sneakers, I’m on TikTok more than I probably should be, and I still believe showing up is 90% of the job.
Words from people
who’ve seen the work.
Khary is the kind of leader who makes everyone around him better. He built our team culture from scratch, and the results speak for themselves.
His advocacy work is deeply personal and that authenticity is what makes it so powerful. Khary doesn’t just talk about change, he shows up and does the work.
One of the most compelling speakers I’ve seen. Khary connects with any audience because he leads with honesty and doesn’t hide behind a script.
55+ appearances and counting.
TIME Magazine
Personal essay on losing his mother to gun violence and breaking 36 years of silence.
2020 DNC Convention
Spoke about gun violence prevention and his mother Joyce on the national stage.
The New York Times
Profiled as Wisconsin Electoral College voter on the day of the 2020 vote.
Business Insider
Feature on elector intimidation and his resolve to vote for Biden regardless of threats.
From Construction Sites to Capitol Hill.
A dedicated advocate for common-sense gun legislation and community safety, working with elected officials and grassroots organizations. Passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders in both business and civic engagement.
DNC Representative, Wisconsin 2017 – 2023
Everytown for Gun Safety Fellow
Board President, Planned Parenthood WI C4 2021 – 2024
Lead Plaintiff, WI Fake Electors Lawsuit
Congressional Candidate, WI-5 2016
My mother died by suicide with a gun when I was 20 months old. For 36 years I didn’t talk about it. When I finally did, everything changed.
Khary Penebaker
Bring this story to your stage.
Available for keynotes, panels, podcasts, and media interviews. Reach out and let’s make it happen.