Biography

Book Maya Shankar through The Keynote Curators.

Maya Shankar is a cognitive scientist and the creator, executive producer, and host of the podcast, A Slight Change of Plans, which Apple awarded as the Best Show of the Year 2021 and which received an Ambie award from the Podcast Academy in 2022. Maya was a Senior Advisor in the Obama White House, where she founded and served as Chair of the White House Behavioral Science Team. She also served as the first Behavioral Science Advisor to the United Nations under Ban Ki-moon, and as a core member of Pete Buttigieg’s debate preparation team during his 2020 presidential run.

Maya has a postdoctoral fellowship in cognitive neuroscience from Stanford, a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship, and a B.A. from Yale. She’s been profiled by The New Yorker and been the featured guest on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” “Freakonomics,” and “Hidden Brain.” She’s a graduate of the Juilliard School of Music’s pre-college program, where she was a private violin student of Itzhak Perlman.

Contact The Keynote Curators for Maya Shankar’s fees and availability.

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Videos

Why Change Is So Scary — and How to Unlock Its Potential | Maya Shankar | TED

How to Shape Your Identity & Goals | Dr. Maya Shankar

Malala, On Losing Herself | A Slight Change of Plans podcast

What If Finding Community Wasn't So Hard? ft. Dr. Vivek Murthy | A Slight Change of Plans podcast

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Blog Posts

Creating Impactful Leadership with Gratitude: Lessons from Chris Schembra

Learn from keynote speaker Chris Schembra how gratitude transforms leaders and help them build a workplace culture that people want to be part of.

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7 Ways Gratitude Transforms Your Events (From Burnout to Breakthrough)

Gratitude isn't about being nice; it's a performance tool. Learn how to design events that help attendees feel seen, process hard years, and leave inspired.

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Best Artificial Intelligence Speakers for Retail & eCommerce Conferences (2026)

Discover the Best Artificial Intelligence Speakers for Retail & eCommerce Conferences and design AI agendas that grow revenue, CX, and loyalty.

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Best Artificial Intelligence Speakers for Insurance Conferences (2026)

Your guide to the best artificial intelligence speakers for insurance, with experts who turn AI trends into real carrier results.

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Why Thought Leadership Fails and What Employees Actually Want From Their Managers

Research reveals employees want respect and trust before advanced leadership techniques. Learn what really matters to your team.

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Why Top Event Planners Build a Strong Community First (And You Should Too)

Transform attendees into collaborators with proven community-building strategies that make your events memorable, meaningful, and worth returning to.

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