SYOSSET, N.Y. — June 11, 2026 — CEO Life, a national chapter-based peer membership organization for CEOs, entrepreneurs, and executives, today announced that Grammy Award–winning Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith will headline the organization's national event. The evening takes place Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at the Community Arts Playhouse in Syosset, New York, with all proceeds benefiting the Chad Smith Foundation.
The event unites the CEO Life community around the organization's founding philosophy — gather, grow, and give — channeling the experience, resources, and expertise of its members toward a cause centered on access, opportunity, and human connection for young people.
The Chad Smith Foundation works to place musical instruments in the hands of young people and create safe spaces where they can learn, play, and connect — filling a gap left as arts and music programs are cut from public schools. The Foundation's model in Milwaukee, Wisconsin pairs instruments and teachers with places to play, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs, and supports music scholarship programs at the University of Michigan and the University of Minnesota.
"I'm really excited to have these smart, successful people to collaborate with and figure out how we can get music out to kids," said Chad Smith of his foundation’s partnership with CEO Life for this event. "We want to give them the opportunity to have instruments, teachers, and a place to play. To have that human connection with other people is so important."
Smith, who began playing at age seven and has spent nearly four decades with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, framed the Foundation's work as deeply personal. "I hope that it can inspire people to find their passion. If you have music in your life, it's really a great thing."
For CEO Life, the partnership reflects a broader mission. "We talk about using your success and fun to help build more for other people — and for kids especially, we're building legacies when we do that," said Jennifer Sheets. Host of Master The Workforce and National Director of Chapters in CEO Life. "We are humbled, honored, and excited to be a part of it, and we will continue to champion this cause."
The conversation was conducted for Master The Workforce, Sheets' weekly radio show and podcast, which airs in Nashville on Cumulus SuperTalk 99.7 WTN (Saturdays at 8 PM CST) and is distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and other platforms. The show explores the issues that shape our working lives — for CEOs, entrepreneurs, and the talent who power their organizations — and regularly spotlights leaders building something bigger than themselves.
Smith's reach extends well beyond his own band. He has collaborated with artists including Paul McCartney, Dua Lipa, Ozzy Osbourne, Eddie Vedder, and Elton John, and recently joined McCartney as his drummer for a Saturday Night Live performance. He is also widely recognized for his good-humored celebrity resemblance to actor Will Ferrell — a running gag that began on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and continues to this day.
Event Details
- What: An intimate evening with Chad Smith, benefiting the Chad Smith Foundation
- When: Wednesday, July 29, 2026
- Where: Community Arts Playhouse, Syosset, NY
- Host: CEO Life
- Tickets / Info: bit.ly/CSFCEOLifeJuly2026
Media Q&A
The following questions and answers are drawn from a recent conversation between CEO Life's Jennifer Sheets and Chad Smith and may be quoted in coverage of the event.
Q: What is the mission of the Chad Smith Foundation? A: To get instruments into young people's hands. As music and arts programs are cut from public schools, the Foundation gives kids the chance to be exposed to playing music, making friends, and learning an instrument in a safe place. As Smith puts it, "I think everyone should have some kind of musical experience in their life."
Q: Why does this cause matter now? A: Smith points to the distractions of modern life — particularly phones — and the resulting loss of real human connection. He sees music as a creative outlet that brings young people together and gives them "something to do that's fun," noting, "we need more fun in the world."
Q: What is the long-term vision for the Foundation? A: To take the Milwaukee model nationwide. With more than 600 Boys & Girls Clubs across America, Smith hopes that proving out the model — places to play, teachers, and instruments — can scale the program nationally, alongside expanded music scholarship opportunities.
Q: How can people get involved or donate? A: All information, including ways to donate and program details, is available at ChadSmithFoundation.org.
Q: After everything he's accomplished, what still excites Chad Smith? A: Collaboration. Smith has played with heroes and peers ranging from Paul McCartney to Dua Lipa, Ozzy Osbourne, Eddie Vedder, and Elton John, and describes being part of the creative process of making new music as "really rewarding."
Q: What's the story behind the Paul McCartney SNL performance? A: When McCartney's drummer was unavailable, Smith got the call to step in. He spent a day learning roughly 15 Beatles and Wings songs and described the 83-year-old McCartney as sharp, inspiring, and "just like the coolest guy." In a full-circle twist, the episode's host turned out to be Will Ferrell.
Q: And the famous Will Ferrell resemblance? A: The two first appeared together in a drum-off on Jimmy Fallon's show, and the resemblance took off "like wildfire." More than a decade later, the gag is still going strong — good-naturedly, Smith says, "It's a good gag. It's funny."
About CEO Life CEO Life is an exclusive, invitation-only membership club designed for founders, CEOs, and business leaders, built around the philosophy of gather, grow, and give. Through local chapters across U.S. markets, CEO Life brings leaders together to build meaningful relationships, grow personally and professionally, and give back to causes that strengthen their communities. Learn more at CEO.life.
About the Chad Smith Foundation The Chad Smith Foundation is dedicated to providing young people with access to musical instruments, instruction, and safe spaces to learn and play. Through partnerships including the Boys & Girls Clubs and music scholarship programs at the University of Michigan and University of Minnesota, the Foundation works to ensure that every young person has the opportunity to experience the lifelong benefits of music. Learn more at ChadSmithFoundation.org.
About Master The Workforce Master The Workforce is a weekly podcast and radio show hosted by Jennifer Sheets — CEO of MasterStaff, Inc. and MasterStaff Logistics, and President of the CEO Life Nashville Chapter. With more than 23 years in workforce strategy, Sheets tackles the "hot" issues affecting how we live and work, from leadership and hiring to the future of work. The show airs on Cumulus SuperTalk 99.7 WTN in Nashville (Sundays, 11 a.m.–noon CST) and is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and other major platforms.
Media Contact
Michelle Stack
Director of Events & Programming, CEO Life
mstack@ceo.life