Nelson Dellis is a 6x USA Memory Champion, mountaineer, and one of the world’s leading experts on memory and mental performance. Through his books, talks, and training programs, he teaches people how to unlock the practical “genius skills” of memory, focus, and problem-solving—abilities that look extraordinary but can be learned by anyone. An Alzheimer’s disease activist and expedition leader, Nelson promotes a lifestyle that strengthens the brain through curiosity, mental training, physical challenge, and meaningful human connection.
Nelson is the Founder & CEO of Climb For Memory, a non-profit charity that aims to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's disease research through mountain climbs all around the world. Nelson has climbed numerous peaks around the world for this cause, including four times on Mt. Everest. He also runs Ax Ventures, Inc., an expedition company that leads clients up mountains around the world.
Born with an average memory, Nelson was inspired by the passing of his grandmother from Alzheimer's disease in 2009 to start training his memory so that he could keep his mind strong and healthy throughout his lifespan. In a short period of time, he transformed into one of the leading competitive memorizers in the world, claiming six U.S. titles along the way, the elite Grandmaster of Memory title, as well as a number of U.S. memory records for:
most names in 15 minutes: 235 names (current)
most words in 15 minutes: 255 words (current)
most digits in 30 minutes: 907 digits (former)
most decks of cards in 30 minutes: 9.02 decks (former)
most digits in 5 minutes: 339 digits (former)
deck of cards in the fastest time: 40.65 seconds (former)
Fastest to recall a memorized deck of cards under water: 2m22s (Guinness Record)
Most safes cracked using memorized 6 digit numbers: 19 (Guinness Record)
Featured on:
Netflix documentary “Memory Games” (2019)
FOX's Superhumans
Nat Geo’s Brain Games
NBC’s The TODAY Show
Fox and Friends
CNN.com,
ABC Nightline
SuperBrain China
… and many others.
Author of:
Everyday Genius: Hacks to Boost Your Memory, Focus, Problem-Solving, and Much More (2026)
Remember It! The Names of People You Meet, All of Your Passwords, Where You Left Your Keys, and Everything Else You Tend to Forget (2018)
Memory Superpowers! An Adventurous Guide to Remembering What You Don’t Want to Forget (2020).