Stew Friedman
Practice Professor of Management Emeritus, The Wharton School | Creator of Total Leadership | Authority on Work/Life Integration | Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement Award
Katy Milkman
James G. Dinan Professor at The Wharton School | Behavioral Scientist & Bestselling Author of How to Change | Host of the Choiceology Podcast | Thinkers50-Ranked
Katy Milkman is one of the world's leading behavioral scientists and the authority on how people actually change. A Wharton professor, host of the Choiceology podcast, and bestselling author of How to Change, she reveals why good intentions fail and what makes new habits stick. On stage, she turns cutting-edge science into practical, evidence-based tools that help people, teams, and customers make lasting change.
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Katy Milkman biography
Katy Milkman is one of the world’s leading behavioral scientists and the definitive authority on how people actually change their behavior. The James G. Dinan Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, she has spent her career at the intersection of economics and psychology, uncovering why good intentions so often fail, and what genuinely helps individuals and organizations turn intentions into lasting action.
Psychology speaker Katy Milkman reached a global audience with her Wall Street Journal bestseller How to Change, named one of the New York Times’ best books for healthy living and featuring a foreword by Angela Duckworth. Her core insight is that lasting change comes not from generic willpower or one-size-fits-all advice, but from correctly diagnosing the specific obstacle in your way, be it procrastination, impulsivity, or forgetfulness, and tailoring the solution to it. She has given the world a vocabulary for these ideas, from “temptation bundling” to the “fresh start effect,” now used by leaders and researchers everywhere.
The Science of Behavior Change for Good
Milkman is the co-founder and co-director of the Behavior Change for Good Initiative, a research center dedicated to advancing the science of lasting change, and the host of Charles Schwab’s popular behavioral-economics podcast Choiceology. A former president of the Society for Judgment and Decision Making, she has published more than seventy papers in top journals including Nature and PNAS, and has advised dozens of organizations, among them Google, the White House, Walmart, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the American Red Cross, on how to spur positive change. Ranked among the Thinkers50 most influential management thinkers and named by Fortune as a top innovator shaping the future of health, she earned her undergraduate degree from Princeton and her PhD from Harvard.
As a speaker, Katy Milkman turns cutting-edge behavioral science into practical, immediately usable strategies. She speaks on the science of lasting change, building better habits, how leaders can design environments and incentives that move people toward better decisions, and how to overcome the psychological barriers that quietly derail goals. Audiences leave not with vague motivation but with specific, evidence-based tools they can apply to themselves, their teams, and their customers, delivered with warmth, humor, and rigor.
Katy Milkman Speaking Videos
Why we fail and how we stand up afterwards | Katherine Milkman | TEDxPenn
Katy Milkman Opening Keynote – Virtues & Vocations 2025 Conference
Katy Milkman Keynote Topics
Drawing on her bestselling book, Milkman reveals why change is so hard and how to make it stick. She shows that success comes from diagnosing the specific barrier in your way, whether procrastination, impulsivity, or forgetfulness, and tailoring the fix to it. Audiences leave with a science-based toolkit, including strategies like "temptation bundling" and the "fresh start effect," they can use right away.
Why do we so consistently act against our own long-term interests? Milkman unpacks the psychology of present bias, temptation, and the infamous "what-the-hell effect," and offers practical, research-backed techniques for building good habits and breaking bad ones, for individuals and for teams trying to sustain new ways of working.
Small changes to how choices are presented can dramatically shift behavior. Milkman shares how leaders can design environments, defaults, and incentives that guide employees and customers toward better decisions, from boosting savings and vaccination rates to encouraging exercise, based on real-world experiments she has run with major organizations.
Milkman translates the frontier of behavioral economics into concrete advantage for organizations. She explores how understanding the science of human decision-making can improve everything from employee engagement and customer behavior to diversity and performance, giving leaders an evidence-based edge in motivating people and driving change at scale.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Katy Milkman
Why Katy Milkman?
Booking Katy Milkman gives audiences direct access to one of the world's foremost behavioral scientists and the leading authority on how change really happens. A Wharton professor whose bestselling book How to Change and hit podcast Choiceology have reached millions, she pairs rigorous, original research, published in journals like Nature and PNAS, with a rare gift for making it practical, engaging, and immediately useful. She has advised organizations from Google and Walmart to the White House and the U.S. military, and is ranked among the Thinkers50 most influential management thinkers. Warm, witty, and deeply credible, she leaves audiences with specific, science-based tools rather than empty motivation, making her an ideal speaker for events on leadership, health, personal development, and organizational change. To bring Katy Milkman to your next event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
Who is Katy Milkman?
Katy Milkman is an American behavioral scientist and the James G. Dinan Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, with a secondary appointment at Penn's medical school. She co-founded and co-directs the Behavior Change for Good Initiative, hosts Charles Schwab's Choiceology podcast, and is the author of the bestselling How to Change. A former president of the Society for Judgment and Decision Making, she is ranked among the Thinkers50 most influential management thinkers and earned her PhD from Harvard.
What is Katy Milkman's book How to Change about?
How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be is Katy Milkman's Wall Street Journal bestseller on the science of behavior change. Its central argument is that lasting change requires identifying the specific obstacle standing in your way, such as impulsivity, procrastination, or forgetfulness, and then applying a tailored, evidence-based strategy to overcome it, rather than relying on generic willpower. The book, which features a foreword by Angela Duckworth, introduces practical concepts like temptation bundling and the fresh start effect.
What topics does psychology speaker Katy Milkman cover?
Katy Milkman speaks on the science of lasting behavior change, building better habits, overcoming procrastination, nudging and choice design, and applying behavioral science to business and leadership. Her keynotes suit events on leadership, health and wellness, personal development, and organizational change, as well as audiences seeking practical, research-based tools for motivating people. To book Katy Milkman as a speaker, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Katy Milkman as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Katy Milkman as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Katy Milkman'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 Katy Milkman or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Katy Milkman speaking fee?
Katy Milkman 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 Katy Milkman 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 Katy Milkman.
How can I contact Katy Milkman?
We only work with Katy Milkman on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Katy Milkman and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Katy Milkman 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 Katy Milkman for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Katy Milkman for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Katy Milkman is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Katy Milkman for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
