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The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureau

A speakers bureau that represents the best original thinkers,
writers, and doers for speaking engagements.

Todd Kashdan

We all want to find purpose in life. There's a research-backed blueprint for that.

Bestselling Author of The Art of Insubordination and The Upside of Your Dark Side | Award-Winning Expert in Psychology and Well-Being | George Mason University Psychology Professor

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Becoming a Mad Scientist with Your Life

Lavin Exclusive Speaker

We all want to find purpose in life: for ourselves, our kids, and our organizations. But there’s never been a accessible, research-backed path towards it—until now. George Mason psychology professor Todd Kashdan has been teaching the science of wellbeing since 1999, long before it entered the mainstream, and today he’s drawing on his vast experience and body of work to show you the practical steps towards finding a purpose that drives you towards greater things. An award-winning researcher and bestselling author whose research has been featured in The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and The Atlantic, Todd helps you cultivate a virtuous cycle of curiosity and creativity, build relationships with people who help you leverage and improve your purpose, strengthen your organization by tapping into purpose as a team, and much more. In a time when we need wellbeing most of all, he shows you what you need to do to fuel yourself for the greatest work of your life.

George Mason University professor Todd Kashdan is a leading expert on the psychology of wellbeing, psychological strengths, mental agility, and social relationships. A recipient of the APA’s Distinguished Early Career Researcher Award, he is one of the top 1% most cited scientists in the world.

Todd is the founder and leader of the Well-Being Lab at George Mason University. His research has been featured in hundreds of media outlets, including articles in Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, Fast Company, Forbes, TIME, and an interview on the #1 science podcast Hidden Brain. He has also been featured in the award-winning documentary The Hidden Power of Purpose, and has been described as the founder of the most widely accepted definition and conceptual model of purpose in life.

In addition to his acclaimed academic research, Todd is the author of five books that translate cutting-edge science on wellbeing to practical applications that anyone can use to improve their everyday lives.

His most recent award-winning book, The Art of Insubordination, is a practical guide for the kind of smart disagreement that makes the world (and your school, campus, or company) a better place. He offers actionable frameworks for people who want to be heard and change others’ minds. And he shows leaders what they need to do to cultivate teams with psychological safety, where disagreement actually makes the team stronger and more effective. Bestselling author Seth Godin (This Is Marketing) says, “In this engaging, well-researched book, you’ll discover practical ways to speak up, show up and make a difference.”

Alongside co-author Robert Biswas-Diener, he wrote the bestseller The Upside of Your Darkside: Why Being Your Whole Self—Not Just Your “Good” Self—Drives Success and Fulfillment. In it, he argues that the true key to fulfillment and meaning is not focusing on your positive emotions exclusively, but rather using your whole range of emotions to live an engaged life. Adam Grant (Think Again) says it’s a “provocative, evidence-based case,” while Gretchen Rubin (The Happiness Project) calls it “essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the hidden elements of a happy, fulfilling, engaged life.”

In his first book, Curious?, Todd shows how curiosity is a vital ingredient for living a life that matters. He reveals how being curious can help us uncover our passions, adapt quickly to a changing landscape, focus on our strengths, and tap into joy, fulfillment, and meaning. He draws on his original research, including his five-dimensional curiosity framework, which is the most widely used framework in the field. Ariana Huffington calls Curious? “one of those rare books that can make you rethink how you see the world.”

Todd has received countless awards and accolades, including the Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contributions from the American Psychological Association, and his articles on well-being have been cited over 50,000 times. He was profiled in The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, and TIME for his groundbreaking research and what it teaches us about our lives.

Testimonials

Todd’s talk was incredibly engaging and focused on curiosity as a skill that supports professional exploration and success. The feedback was terrific as people walked away thinking about the ways in which curiosity is essential to a growth mindset, and this is an integral part of our culture.

Microsoft

Testimonials

Dr. Todd is one of the best presenters I have ever come across in my professional career. The confidence and delivery of the information that he shares is extremely thought-provoking and, dare I say, life-changing. I left the presentation feeling like I understood myself better and wanted to give myself a lot more grace and patience in dealing with adult life. I wish him the ultimate best and positive energy, as he shared with us.

Novavax

Testimonials

Todd Kashdan was perfect; what he said was inspirational and useful, and entertaining.

BBDO Worldwide

Testimonials

Each year our participants walk away raving about the experience of working with Dr. Kashdan, his energy and expertise.

Charter Bank Group

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Speech Topics

Happiness & Wellness

The Purpose BlueprintThe Science-Backed Route to a Life That Matters

Everyone wants to live a life that has meaning. But few of us know how to harness the science of wellbeing to get there. Todd Kashdan can help.

One of the top 1% most cited scientists in the world, Todd translates cutting-edge science into practical applications for anybody looking to find and leverage their purpose. In talks, he draws on his original research and bestselling books to show you how to find the people who will drive you to greater things, how to develop a sense of curiosity that drives creativity (and vice versa), how leaders can improve their teams’ effectiveness by honing purpose at the group level (not just the individual level), what parents need to do to instill purpose in their kids, and much more.

A dynamic and engaging speaker, he offers a unique, research-based action plan for anyone who wants to live a life that is not only happy, but fulfilled.

Psychology

The Art of InsubordinationRecipes for Defying the Rules and Becoming a Principled Rebel

If society is going to improve, if companies are going to grow, if life is going to get better, we need different opinions. We need people to speak up and offer a new way of doing things. Todd Kashdan, psychology professor and author of The Art of Insubordination, says that rebels are often afraid of what will happen to them if they speak up and offer a different point of view. If insubordination is going to work, it needs to be delivered in the right way: through principled dissent, guided by courage, sincerity, and a passionate need to make a real contribution.

Todd will teach you how to design a culture that permits and embraces principled dissent, leading to greater productivity, creativity, and innovation. He’ll show you the steps you need to take to help people offer their best, most unique contributions—even when they are completely different—and for improving any group’s collective intelligence, health, and longevity. He has scientific recipes for making it all work, from how to build trust and openness to how to be insubordinate in a way that is careful, responsible, and imaginative.

Todd wants us to know that if we open the door for rebels to educate us—and if we learn how to rebel with a principled mindset—we’ll get everything that makes life great: “curiosity, inspiration, awe, admiration, elevation, and elation.”

Corporate Culture

Curiosity and CourageAchieving Success By Stepping Outside Our Comfort Zones

If an organization wants to be fearless and innovative, its leaders and team members need to be brave and curious. These aren’t concepts that we’re just born with: curiosity and courage can be learned. We can all gain the ability to speak up and stand out. Todd Kashdan, psychology expert and head of George Mason University’s Well-Being Lab, shows companies how to pull down unintentional barriers to doing things in a new way and how to encourage people to be inquisitive, creative, and productively disruptive. He demonstrates the benefits of creating a culture where everyone questions, explores new terrain, and breaks free from popular ideas and conventions.

Todd discusses the relationship between bravery and vulnerability (and why it’s critical to innovation), how courage is related to our personal boundaries, and how both curiosity and courage can manifest in different ways for different people. He lays out the latest research for understanding and leveraging the unique capacities for curiosity and courage that we all have, while helping you avoid needless pitfalls and common mistakes.