Biography

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained and published neuroscientist. In 1996 she experienced a severe hemorrhage (AVM) in the left hemisphere of her brain causing her to lose the ability to walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life. Her memoir, My Stroke of Insight, documenting her experience with stroke and eight-year recovery, spent 63 weeks on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list and is still routinely the #1 book in the category Stroke in the Amazon marketplace.

Dr. Jill is a dynamic teacher and public speaker who loves educating all age groups, academic levels, as well as corporations and not-for-profit organizations about the beauty of our human brain. She focuses on how we can activate the power of our neuroplasticity to not only recover from neurological trauma, but how we can purposely choose to live a more flexible, resilient, and satisfying life.

In 2008 Dr. Jill gave the first TED talk that ever went viral on the Internet, which now has well over 27.5 million views. Also in 2008, Dr. Jill was chosen as one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” and was the premiere guest on Oprah Winfrey’s “Soul Series”webcast. Her new book, Whole Brain Living – the Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life is a #1 release on Amazon in categories ranging from Neuroscience to Nervous System Diseases and Stroke.

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Videos

Jill Bolte Taylor, PhD, What is Whole Brain Living?

Learn The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life

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A Stroke of Insight: How to Get the Brain to Do What You Want

After her stroke Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor made a decision a million times each day to recover. That decision not only led to her eventual recovery, but a remarkable opportunity to share her experiences with audiences. In a presentation that has been called nothing short of mesmerizing Taylor relives her experiences of having a stroke and gives audiences a brief guided tour of the brain. She describes the biological underpinnings of watching half her brain deteriorate and shares valuable insights on:

Why she initially studied the brain, her research and her own brain disorder

How to get the brain to do what you want it to do

How to capitalize on the brain’s two hemispheres

How the choices we make and the thoughts we think directly influence our level of joy

In addition, Dr. Jill is happy to create an original topic in order to cater her presentation to an organization’s specific needs.

Booksby Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor

Whole Brain Living

My Stroke of Insight

Blog Posts

Yellow September Lessons That Go Beyond the Applause

Yellow September reminds us that mental health conversations at events can save lives—here's how to create meaningful connections beyond applause.

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Stage Fright Doesn’t Have to End Your Speaking Career (This Mentalist Proves It)

Learn how mentalist Christophe Fox transformed paralyzing stage fright into Fortune 100 CEO presentations through preparation and mindset.

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Events Under Pressure: How One Planner Won an Emmy with Six Days Notice

Discover how Emmy-winning event planner Gabriella Robuccio conquered live events with just six days' notice using boundaries and vulnerability.

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Why Relatable Leaders Build Stronger Teams (And How You Can Become One)

Discover engagement strategies fom expert Rachel DeAlto on how leaders can become more relatable and transform their workforce for the better.

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Why Top Event Planners Are Booking Storytellers (You Should Too)

Discover why storytellers create lasting impact at events through wonder, not just applause—transform your audience experience today.

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AI Networking Strategies That Actually Work in 2025 with Marketing Legend Seth Godin

Learn AI networking secrets from marketing expert Seth Godin on building peer circles that outperform traditional expert models.

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