Mstyslav Chernov
Academy Award Winner, Best Documentary (2024) | BAFTA Winner | Pulitzer Prize Winner | Director, 20 Days in Mariupol & 2000 Meters to Andriivka | 2x Sundance | AP
Jennifer Aaker
General Atlantic Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business | Behavioral Scientist & Authority on Meaning, Purpose & Story | Bestselling Co-Author of Humor, Seriously | Thinkers50-Ranked
Dr. Jennifer Aaker is one of the world's most influential behavioral scientists and a leading authority on meaning, purpose, and story. The General Atlantic Professor at Stanford and bestselling co-author of Humor, Seriously, she studies what truly motivates people and how humor and AI shape human well-being. On stage, she blends rigorous science with warmth and levity, giving audiences practical tools to lead with purpose.
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Jennifer Aaker biography
Dr. Jennifer Aaker is one of the world’s most influential behavioral scientists and a leading authority on what genuinely gives life and work meaning. A celebrated Stanford professor and bestselling author, she has spent her career studying the difference between happiness and meaning, the power of story to move people, and how humor, purpose, and technology can be harnessed to build more human, more effective organizations.
Happiness speaker Jennifer Aaker is the General Atlantic Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she teaches acclaimed courses ranging from Rethinking Purpose and The Power of Story to Designing AI to Cultivate Human Well-Being. Her research reframes a question most people get wrong: not how to be happier in the moment, but how to build a life of lasting meaning, and how the choices we make about time, money, story, and even laughter shape it. Named MBA Professor of the Year and a recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award, she is one of the most sought-after voices at the intersection of behavioral science and leadership.
The Science of Meaning, Story, and Humor
Aaker reached a broad global audience with her national bestseller Humor, Seriously, co-authored with Naomi Bagdonas, which draws on their wildly popular Stanford course to show why humor is a secret weapon for leadership, trust, and resilience, and was named the #1 recommended business book by the Financial Times. Her earlier work includes The Dragonfly Effect, whose model she famously used to help boost the bone-marrow donor registry by 100,000, and the influential Power of Story. A behavioral scientist whose research appears in leading journals and outlets from The New York Times to The Atlantic and Science, she holds a BA from UC Berkeley and a PhD from Stanford, and increasingly focuses on how AI can be designed to enhance rather than diminish human well-being.
As a speaker, Jennifer Aaker blends rigorous science with warmth, story, and genuine humor, embodying the very ideas she teaches. She speaks on meaning and purpose as drivers of performance, the power of story in leadership and persuasion, humor as a leadership tool, and designing technology and AI for human well-being. Audiences leave with a refreshed understanding of what truly motivates people, and practical, evidence-based tools to lead with more purpose, connection, and levity.
Jennifer Aaker Speaking Videos
"How to Create a Meaningful Life in the Age of AI," Professor Jennifer Aaker
Jennifer Aaker: The Power of Story
Jennifer Aaker Keynote Topics
Drawing on her bestseller and her popular Stanford course, Aaker reveals the surprising behavioral science of humor: why it builds trust, sparks creativity, strengthens bonds, and boosts resilience, and why most of us fall off a "humor cliff" the moment we enter the workforce. She gives leaders practical, research-backed tools to bring more levity, and more humanity, to how they lead.
Aaker upends the modern obsession with happiness, showing through her research that a life and career of meaning, not momentary pleasure, is what sustains motivation and fulfillment. She helps audiences understand the science of how we spend our time and money, and how leaders can build purpose into work in ways that drive both well-being and performance.
Facts inform, but stories move people to act. Aaker shares the behavioral science behind why narrative is one of the most powerful tools a leader has, and how it shaped campaigns like the "dragonfly effect" that added 100,000 people to the bone-marrow registry. Audiences learn how to craft and tell stories that stick, persuade, and drive meaningful change.
As AI reshapes how we live and work, Aaker asks the essential question: what kind of future are we designing with it? Drawing on her Stanford research and course at the intersection of behavioral science and technology, she helps leaders think clearly about how to build and adopt AI in ways that enhance human connection, purpose, and well-being rather than erode them.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Jennifer Aaker
Why Jennifer Aaker?
Booking Dr. Jennifer Aaker gives audiences one of the world's foremost behavioral scientists, paired with the rare ability to make rigorous research genuinely delightful. The General Atlantic Professor at Stanford, a bestselling author, and a Thinkers50-ranked thinker, she has spent decades studying what actually creates meaning, motivation, and connection, and how humor, story, purpose, and technology fit in. Her talks are as substantive as they are engaging, leaving audiences with evidence-based, immediately usable insight rather than platitudes. Whether the theme is purpose, leadership, storytelling, humor, or the human side of AI, she is an ideal speaker for events on leadership, culture, well-being, and the future of work. To bring Jennifer Aaker to your next event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
Who is Jennifer Aaker?
Dr. Jennifer Aaker is an American behavioral scientist and the General Atlantic Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. A leading authority on meaning, purpose, the power of story, and humor as a leadership tool, she is the bestselling co-author of Humor, Seriously (with Naomi Bagdonas) and The Dragonfly Effect. Her research has been widely published in leading scientific journals and featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and Science. A recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award and MBA Professor of the Year, she holds a PhD from Stanford and a BA from UC Berkeley.
What is Jennifer Aaker's book Humor, Seriously about?
Humor, Seriously, co-authored by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas, is a national bestseller based on their popular class at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. It makes the evidence-based case that humor is a powerful and underused tool in business and life, one that builds trust, strengthens relationships, defuses tension, boosts resilience, and improves performance. Drawing on behavioral science and techniques from professional comedy, the book shows that anyone can learn to use humor effectively as a leader, and was named the #1 recommended business book by the Financial Times.
What topics does speaker Jennifer Aaker cover?
Jennifer Aaker speaks on meaning and purpose as drivers of motivation and performance, the power of story in leadership and persuasion, humor as a leadership tool (drawing on Humor, Seriously), and designing technology and AI for human well-being. Her keynotes suit events on leadership, culture, well-being, marketing, and the future of work. To book Jennifer Aaker as a speaker, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Jennifer Aaker as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Jennifer Aaker as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Jennifer Aaker's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Jennifer Aaker or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Jennifer Aaker speaking fee?
Jennifer Aaker speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Jennifer Aaker to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Jennifer Aaker.
How can I contact Jennifer Aaker?
We only work with Jennifer Aaker on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Jennifer Aaker and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Jennifer Aaker speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Jennifer Aaker for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Jennifer Aaker for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Jennifer Aaker is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Jennifer Aaker for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
