Jennifer Aaker
"Her talk was incredible! Jennifer was brilliant, insightful and practical. Also, funny. We are already implementing the changes she suggested. We could not have asked for more." Education Programs
Dr. Jennifer Aaker is the General Atlantic Professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business. A renowned behavioral scientist, scholar and best-selling author, Dr. Aaker studies what creates meaning versus happiness in life (and work), how digital technologies are redefining human interaction, and how to harness purpose, story and humor as a leadership tool. Her work has been widely published in leading scientific journals, and featured in The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and Science.
At Stanford, she teaches classes including Designing AI to Cultivate Human Well-Being, Rethinking Purpose, A New Type of Leader, Power of Story, and Humor: Serious Business. She is the recipient of the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award, the Paul D. Converse Award, the Stanford Distinguished Teaching Award, Citibank Best Teacher Award, George Robbins Best Teacher Award, Robert Jaedicke Silver Apple Award, and the MBA Professor of the Year Award.
Dr. Aaker is the co-author of several books including the award-winning book, The Dragonfly Effect, which has been translated into over 10 languages. She is the national bestselling co-author of Humor, Seriously, named #1 Recommended Business Book by the Financial Times as well as one of Top Business Books that are Surprisingly Fun to Read by Adam Grant, Susan Cain, Malcolm Gladwell, and Dan Pink.
Aaker is a highly sought-after speaker who aims to empower leaders and employees alike to create more purposeful, productive, and joyful cultures. Aaker serves as a board member and advisor helping companies and leadership teams with digital transformation, incorporating human well-being into corporate strategy to drive business performance, global brand building and embracing a new leadership type for the innovation economy – one anchored on purpose, fueled by levity.
Before joining Stanford University, Aaker was a professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management where she conducted the research that resulted in her seminal paper, Dimensions of Brand Personality. She completed her PhD degree at Stanford University, and holds a BA from UC Berkeley. In terms of personal accomplishments, her abbreviated cooking skills have earned her family Doordash Platinum status.
Jennifer Aaker on Strategic Storytelling for Leaders
Jennifer Aaker on Why Having a Sense of Humor Makes Leaders More Effective
Dr. Jennifer Aaker & Naomi Bagdonas on Why Great Leaders Take Humor Seriously
Dr. Jennifer Aaker & Naomi Bagdonas on Why Great Leaders Take Humor Seriously
People at the end of their lives rarely wish they’d closed more deals — they wish they’d lived truer stories, laughed more, and made the people around them feel truly valued. Drawing on decades of behavioral science at Stanford and her deeply personal work as a trained death doula, Dr. Jennifer Aaker reveals the four forces — authenticity, presence, humor, and love — that build not just beautiful lives, but extraordinary teams and unforgettable experiences. In this talk, Aaker shares what it means to find your signature stories, recognize the “beautiful moments” hidden in ordinary ones, and harness joy as a performance multiplier. Whether you’re leading a team, designing a fan experience, or simply trying to build something that lasts, she offers a scientifically grounded framework for doing work that people carry with them long after they leave the room. Attendees leave with practical tools — and a clear answer to one question: What am I going to do differently starting tomorrow?
In a world where AI is increasingly “solving” for cognitive intelligence—eliminating many sources of friction, but also creating new challenges—what will it mean for individual humans to live a meaningful life? Drawing on “AI for Human Flourishing,” a Stanford GSB course co-created by Jennifer Aaker and Fei-Fei Li, this class is designed for students as they explore that profound question. Students begin by formulating their own definition of human flourishing—each anchored in a shared understanding that flourishing is not simply the absence of hardship, but lies in turning adversity into fuel for personal growth, professional success, and broader impact. Each student then creates their own AI tools to support flourishing in a specific area of their lives, testing emerging technologies’ ability not just to eliminate friction, but to help people live with agency, creativity, and purpose—and to extend those benefits outward to their organizations, communities, and society. Working alongside experts including Astro Teller, Arianna Huffington, and Demis Hassabis, and drawing on Dr. Aaker’s own research on the way people construct meaning at the end of their lives, students explored AI’s potential as a mirror that reveals who we are and who we might become. What emerges surprised even the instructors. AI proves most powerful not when it gave answers, but when it helped students to ask better questions; AI cleared away obstacles, but to find meaning, each student had to walk their own individual path. The class delves into what happens when students stopped asking “How do I use AI?” and started asking “What kind of life do I want to build?” For more, see: An Ambitious Course on the Future of AI Ends with a Flourish
As AI rapidly reshapes our world, the question isn’t whether it will change how we work — it already is. The real question is: What kind of future are we designing with it? Drawing from her research at the intersection of behavioral science and emerging technology, Dr. Jennifer Aaker explores how AI can either erode or elevate the human experience. Rather than viewing AI as a threat, she reframes it as a tool — one that can amplify our uniquely human qualities when implemented with intention. Through the lens of three essential human capacities — authenticity, boldness, and love — Dr. Aaker outlines a framework for integrating AI into our lives and work in ways that create deeper connection, more empathetic collaboration, and meaningful innovation. Audiences will leave with a renewed sense of agency, along with practical strategies for working with AI to build more purposeful organizations and more human-centered futures.
There exists a mistaken belief in today’s corporate world: that we need to be serious all the time to be taken seriously. But the research tells a different story. Building on their nationally bestselling book, Humor, Seriously, the authors delve into the behavioral science of humor, and why it fuels creativity, fosters resilience, and strengthens bonds on your team and with customers. They share techniques from professional comedians to unlock a sense of levity at work and concrete tools for having more joy in your life.
It used to be that leaders needed to be revered; now they need to be understood. In A New Type of Leader, Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas explore why traditional models of leadership have shifted and how we can embody a new type of leadership: one defined by humanity and humor. They share stories from inspiring leaders and tactics that can be deployed to bridge the trust gap, cultivate cultures of levity, and unlock agility in the face of change.
Although the average human may spend a third of their life at work, many still look to their non-working hours as their main source of happiness and humanity. Using insights gleaned from the regrets of the dying, combined with cutting-edge behavioral research, Dr. Aaker examines how we make the mistake of chasing happiness instead of meaning. By honing in on four key pillars — authenticity, presence, humor, and love — Dr. Aaker shares a recipe for a meaningful life and how it can be integrated into the workplace. You will leave with tangible lessons on how to build more innovative, collaborative, and joyful workforces, forge stronger relationships, and create more meaningful lives.
Work has changed. Remote and hybrid work models, along with social isolation and unprecedented levels of stress and uncertainty, have made it harder than ever to foster connection, joy, and well-being within teams. In today’s evolving workplace, it is abundantly clear that we must build organizations and lives that cultivate genuine happiness and an enduring culture of joy, productivity, and well-being.
In this program, Dr. Aaker challenges audiences to rethink their approach to well-being and empowers leaders to build purpose-filled, innovative, and collaborative workplaces where people are valued members of a winning team on an inspired mission. Learn the behavioral science behind aligning what is personally meaningful with the higher purpose of our business. And how, when we bring humanity to our work, we connect authentically to our values and better navigate change and uncertainty. Audiences will leave inspired, encouraged, and armed with concrete tools to infuse their teams with purpose.
Studies show that we recall stories much more than data, facts, and figures. We don’t remember numbers on a spreadsheet; we remember stories. Stories galvanize — they are the “why” and create shared understanding, engagement, and excitement for employees, teams, and businesses. Storytelling is vital for leaders whose signature stories impact the company’s recruiting, retention, and growth.
In this interactive session, Dr. Aaker will guide audiences on discovering and building their signature stories, creating a bank of signature stories, and harnessing stories as assets. Audiences will leave with the ability to curate, craft, and tell stories effectively — and harness stories to lead and drive growth.
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