Biography

Theoretical neuroscientist, entrepreneur, author, and mother of two, Dr. Vivienne Ming is featured frequently for her research and inventions in The Financial Times, The Atlantic, Quartz Magazine and the New York Times. Co-founded with wife Dr. Norma Ming, Socos Labs is a mad science incubator dedicated to solving some of the world’s most pressing problems. Previously, Vivienne has pursued her research in cognitive neuroprosthetics as a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley’s Redwood Center for Theoretical Neuroscience.

In her free time, Vivienne works to design AI systems to help treat her son’s diabetes, predict manic episodes in bipolar sufferers, and reunite orphan refugees with extended family members. She sits on the boards of numerous companies and nonprofits. For relaxation, she frequents the sci-fi section of Audible and spends time with her wife and children.

Dr. Ming at a Glance:

  • Founder of 12 companies to date and inventor of multiple new technologies in the artificial intelligence, health, and education space
  • Expert problem solver leveraging big data to draw previously unknown correlations and solutions
  • Advisor and frequent speaker to Fortune 100 companies, C-Suite executives, world leaders, and government officials
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Videos

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The Opportunities and Limitations of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI is a powerful tool with seemingly unlimited potential but it must be better understood to be effective for most organizations. With exclusive research and case studies for each audience’s industry or sector, Dr. Ming shares some of her foundational stories of AI’s breakthroughs, where the technology is being applied, where it could be better utilized, and where it’s headed.

The Neuroscience of Trust and the Diversity-Innovation Paradox

Building a culture that embraces the tension between trust and diversity takes time and effort. When led correctly, diverse teams outperform non-diverse teams in terms of higher collective intelligence, innovation and creative problem solving. However, even when leaders believe in the power of diversity and the value proposition for diverse teams, many struggle to capture this value – because of the way we’re wired.

In this keynote and/or discussion, Dr. Ming shares: the complexity of The Neuroscience of Trust and how our brains process information about other people, why creating a culture of trust in diverse teams is harder than it looks, and what we need to do about it. Vivienne shares research and experience in real organizations and has explored ways leaders and teams can “hack” their brains and overcome instincts that impede their ability to hire and nurture winning diverse teams.

These same ideas can be applied to how sales teams connect, build and maintain relationships with customers, how marketers better understand target audiences, and leaders can leverage special, ultra-diverse teams for special projects and key initiatives.

The Tax on Being Different: Data on Diversity

There is an unspoken tax that we all pay. It is a tax that impedes growth and stagnates economies, a tax that causes massive amounts of money and productivity to be lost every year. This tax is collected around the world and often targets those least able to pay it. It is the tax on being queer, POC, or female. It is the tax on being different.

Dr. Vivienne Ming provocatively addresses this tax by making it tangible. Leveraging massive amounts of HR data, she rewrites issues of bias and discrimination in order to understand and quantify what your differences are costing you. Simultaneously didactic and richly autobiographical, The Tax on Being Different combines vibrant life stories with profound insights about people and, more importantly, how we can change them for the better.

Booksby Dr. Vivienne Ming

How to Robot-Proof Your Kids

The Tax on Being Different

Blog Posts

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Everywhere you turn, someone is talking about health and self‑care rituals. Keynote speaker Johnny Crowder shares why true self‑care is not one‑size‑fits‑all.

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Elevate Your Event With These Skills: Insights from Gabriella Robuccio

Think event planning is all about checklists and timetables? Think again. Emmy‑winning strategist Gabriella Robuccio shares more on The Keynote Curators Podcast.

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Celebrating Juneteenth with These Transformative Keynotes

Learn how intentional Juneteenth programming paired with transformative keynote speakers can turn commemoration into sustained equity and inclusion.

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Rethinking Events: Bite-Sized Surprises and Live Interaction with Seth Godin

Seth Godin shares his strategies and suggestions for unforgettable events—from riff-based teaching to co-creation through communication and creativity.

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Aligning Prosperity with Purpose: Money Lessons from Doug Lynam

Marine. Monk. Manager. Behavioral finance expert Doug Lynam helps you heal your relationship with finances, aligning prosperity with a deeper, personal purpose.

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