Chris Santillan’s Campfire

Campfire is the name of our organization and the name of our event – it is a place for reflection and stories on life and how we live it. We teach an interactive and conversational speaking style to storytellers who share their personal narrative from the stage. These are one-hour long events, free and open to the public at Work & Leisure in Midtown!

About our storyteller: Chris Santillan never thought he would be able to return to St. Louis, his childhood home. He was condemned to spend the rest of his life in prison, but change in the sentencing laws affecting minors released Chris from incarceration. The judge that put a barely 17-year-old Chris behind bars for life chastised him for wasting his considerable potential. A friend on the inside, however, reminded Chris that potential doesn’t disappear, it is alway there, waiting to be fulfilled. With this encouragement in his ear, Chris created and led various therapeutic and restorative programs to improve the lives of those around him. This drive to better his community led him to co-found the non-profit Unlocked Labs while still in prison, which employs Justice-Impacted Individuals to create the technology that provides equitable access to educational opportunities for incarcerated folks. Having returned to the free world, Chris believes our similarities far outweigh our differences and that we all have the capacity to feel, change, and contribute to the tapestry of society. With every step he takes on his life’s journey, Chris hopes to inspire others to unlock their own potential and grow into the fullness of themselves.