Tom Davenport
President's Distinguished Professor, Babson College | Author of 23 Books on AI & Analytics | Co-Founder, International Institute for Analytics
Paul Zak
Neuroscientist & Pioneer of Neuroeconomics | Professor at Claremont Graduate University | Author of Trust Factor & The Moral Molecule | Expert on the Neuroscience of Trust
Paul Zak is a pioneering neuroscientist and one of the world's foremost experts on the neuroscience of trust. A distinguished professor at Claremont Graduate University and a founder of neuroeconomics, he was among the first to identify oxytocin as the brain's 'trust molecule.' In the top 0.3% of most-cited scientists and author of Trust Factor and The Little Book of Happiness, he shows leaders how the brain drives trust, connection, and performance.
Want to book Paul Zak as a speaker for your event? Please provide the info below and we’ll get in touch within 24h:
Paul Zak biography
Science speaker Paul Zak is a pioneering neuroscientist who has spent his career answering one of humanity’s most fundamental questions: what makes us trust one another? A founder of the field of neuroeconomics, he was among the first scientists to identify the brain chemical oxytocin as the biological basis of trust, empathy, and morality, work that reshaped how we understand human connection and earned oxytocin the nickname “the moral molecule.”
Ranked in the top 0.3% of the world’s most-cited scientists, with more than 200 papers to his name, Zak has taken his research everywhere from the Pentagon and Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rainforests of Papua New Guinea. His famous TED talk on trust and oxytocin has been viewed millions of times, and his findings have been featured across the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, TIME, and The Economist, and on programs like Good Morning America.
From the Lab to the Boardroom
A distinguished professor at Claremont Graduate University, where he directs the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, Zak translates hard science into practical strategy. In his book Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High-Performance Companies, he shows leaders how to build cultures of trust that measurably boost engagement, productivity, and profit. As a four-time tech entrepreneur, he founded Immersion Neuroscience, a platform that uses signals from ordinary smartwatches to measure, in real time, what the brain finds meaningful, insight now used by major companies to improve everything from advertising to employee experience.
As a speaker, Paul Zak is captivating, funny, and genuinely mind-expanding, turning cutting-edge neuroscience into practical, memorable tools any leader can use. He speaks on the neuroscience of trust and high-performance culture, the science of great storytelling and customer experience, and, drawing on his latest book The Little Book of Happiness, the biology of a flourishing life. Audiences leave with a rigorous, evidence-based understanding of what actually drives human behavior, and clear ways to apply it to leadership, marketing, and life.
Paul Zak Speaking Videos
Paul Zak Keynote Topics
Drawing on his book Trust Factor, Paul Zak reveals the hard science behind great workplaces. His research shows that trust is not a vague feeling but a measurable neurochemical state, and that high-trust organizations dramatically outperform low-trust ones on engagement, productivity, and profit. He shares the specific, evidence-based behaviors that leaders can use to build a culture of trust, and the brain science that explains why they work.
In his most famous body of work, Zak takes audiences inside the brain to reveal how a single molecule, oxytocin, shapes trust, empathy, generosity, and morality. Through surprising and often funny experiments, from wedding day blood draws to the rainforests of Papua New Guinea, he explains the biology of human connection and what it teaches us about cooperation, relationships, and building a more trusting society and workplace.
Why do some stories, brands, and experiences captivate us while others are instantly forgotten? Zak's lab discovered the neurologic signature of "immersion", the combination of attention and emotional resonance that predicts what people remember and act on. He shows marketers, communicators, and leaders how to design content and experiences the brain genuinely loves, and how new technology can measure engagement in real time.
Drawing on his latest book, The Little Book of Happiness, Zak brings the same scientific rigor to one of life's biggest questions: what actually makes us happier? He reveals what decades of neuroscience say about the habits, relationships, and experiences that lead to a longer, healthier, more fulfilling life, and offers practical, research-backed tools that individuals and organizations can use to boost wellbeing and human flourishing.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Paul Zak
Why Paul Zak?
Booking Paul Zak brings audiences a world-class scientist who is also a genuinely entertaining, accessible speaker, a rare combination. As a founder of neuroeconomics and one of the most-cited scientists alive, he offers unmatched authority on the biology of trust, connection, and human behavior, yet he delivers it with humor, vivid stories, and immediately useful takeaways. His work bridges the lab and the boardroom, giving leaders evidence-based tools to build trust, engage customers and employees, and drive performance. He is ideal for events on leadership, culture, marketing, customer experience, innovation, and wellbeing. To bring Paul Zak to your next event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
Who is Paul Zak?
Paul Zak, PhD, is an American neuroscientist and a founder of the field of neuroeconomics, widely known for his pioneering research on oxytocin and trust. He is a distinguished professor at Claremont Graduate University, where he directs the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, and ranks in the top 0.3% of the world's most-cited scientists. He was among the first to identify oxytocin as the brain's "moral molecule," the biological basis of trust and empathy. He is the author of The Moral Molecule, Trust Factor, Immersion, and The Little Book of Happiness, a four-time tech entrepreneur who founded Immersion Neuroscience, and the speaker behind a famous TED talk on trust and oxytocin viewed millions of times.
What is oxytocin, and why does Paul Zak call it the "moral molecule"?
Oxytocin is a brain chemical that Paul Zak's research identified as central to trust, empathy, and moral behavior in humans. Through a series of experiments, Zak and his team showed that when people are trusted, their brains release oxytocin, which in turn makes them more trustworthy, generous, and empathetic toward others. Because it appears to underpin so many of the behaviors that hold societies and relationships together, Zak nicknamed oxytocin "the moral molecule," the title of his first book. His work demonstrated that trust has a measurable biological basis, with profound implications for leadership, business, and human cooperation.
What topics does science speaker Paul Zak cover?
Paul Zak speaks on the neuroscience of trust and high-performance culture, oxytocin and human connection, the science of storytelling, marketing, and customer experience, and the neuroscience of happiness and wellbeing. His keynotes suit events on leadership, culture, marketing, customer experience, innovation, and science. To book Paul Zak as a speaker, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Paul Zak as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Paul Zak as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Paul Zak'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 Paul Zak or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Paul Zak speaking fee?
Paul Zak 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 Paul Zak 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 Paul Zak.
How can I contact Paul Zak?
We only work with Paul Zak on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Paul Zak and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Paul Zak 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 Paul Zak for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Paul Zak for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Paul Zak is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Paul Zak for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
