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Dr. Jennifer Aaker is General Atlantic Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of…
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Jennifer Aaker shared thisJust finished our AI for Human Flourishing class at Stanford this quarter; it ended with 40 students and 40 guests having a conversation about one question: what does it mean to flourish in the age of AI? So grateful to Dean Sarah Soule and President Jon Levin for believing this question belongs at the center of business education, for Fei-Fei Li for starting this course with me (when we didn't even have a clue on how it would evolve a decade later), and to the students who answered it this question this year with more honesty, rigor, and heart than I could have imagined. https://lnkd.in/gqPmkJjv Stanford University Stanford University Graduate School of Business
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Jennifer Aaker shared thisIn 2017-8 Fei-Fei Li and I started teaching a class at Stanford University on AI for Human Flourishing focused on these questions: What does it mean to be human? What does flourishing actually look like? And when does technology help us toward those goals, versus harm that goal? This quarter, students ran personal experiments across five domains of human flourishing, defined as growth, resilience, connection to something larger than yourself. It's moving forward with others, often because of hardship, not despite it. And it is ongoing - dynamic over time and personal - aligned with values and capacities that are uniquely your own. So, each student picked one domain to improve on (Discovery, Pursuit, Balance, Impact, or Savoring) and over two months they were guided by a board of advisors (three humans & one AI agent) and reported back on what actually changed in their lives. Those insights we captured in a chapter about their vision for living a beautiful life; the result is a 177-page anthology called Future of Flourishing. It's a time capsule for next year's class, and I'm so proud of every page. A few things they discovered (and you may have already as you play with different technology tools): 1) Some friction is load-bearing. We love removing friction (that's what AI is for, right)? But some friction - the struggle to find the right word, the discomfort of a hard conversation, the figuring out of how to code (esp if you're not a technical person) - you remove that and the whole thing collapses. The friction defines learning, which fuels flourishing, empowerment, human agency.... 2) Clearing a path is not the same as walking it. One student built an AI sleep assistant for chronic insomnia. A perfect plan for the quarter! It worked for a few nights, then she stopped. Every external barrier was gone, but the internal one hadn't moved. It raises the question: how internally aligned are you with your goals? 3) Savoring is fragile. It vanishes the moment we turn it into another metric to manage. The students who felt they'd created a beautiful life didn't use AI as much, or when/how they used it - it was quite intentional, bounded. People say measure what matters; but sometimes it feels important to not measure what matters. Am so proud of these students, so grateful to the incredible guests who shaped the class, and in awe of Sarah Soule and Stanford University Graduate School of Business for making so much of this possible. If you want to follow along, the class materials are here: https://lnkd.in/gKKC9xpr
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Jennifer Aaker shared thisOur AI for Human Flourishing class is completely inspiring, the students gifted curious and bold, and the guests luminaries - teaching it fills you with hope admist the caution and need for guardrails, awareness and wisdom as we enter this new cycle. Thank you Tina Sharkey for joining us at Stanford University Graduate School of BusinessJennifer Aaker shared thisArianna Huffington CEO of Thrive Global and Tom Hale CEO of ŌURA brought so much heart and rigor to Jennifer Aakers rare and bespoke AI for Human Flourishing class at Stanford University Graduate School of Business this week where students are building real muscles for leading in the age of AI. I was lucky to sit in with these featured guests and old friends. Arianna reminded us that as AI becomes more intelligent our role is to double down on wisdom and to connect with that inner center of peace strength wisdom and ultimately love while we let pure intelligence be what we increasingly delegate to machines. Tom talked about giving every body a voice a kind of sixth sense about our own health and about how data only matters if it deepens our humanity rather than replacing it. I am a longtime devotee of both of their platforms from Thrives focus on microsteps for behavior change to Ouras powerful feedback loop on my sleep and stress. Loved hearing them weave their wisdom into how the next generation of leaders is metabolizing what AI really means for all of us. Now that I am a professor myself I have even deeper appreciation (not sure that is possible!) for Jennifer, whose work and mentorship inspired me to add educator to my own path and invest in the next generation of builders and leaders. Being in this class has me excited to go deeper on my Humanity is the Moat around the Machines substack series. I just wrote Choose Love and now inspired to write about wisdom. More soon. https://lnkd.in/gYv55ih6 If you want to read more about Jennifer class I linked to her AI and Human Flourishing syllabus in the comments. P.S. James Joaquin is a guest lecturer in this too! Pure gold all around. 🧠 🧠 🧠
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Jennifer Aaker shared thisI am so proud of you @devontjsmith. Except for the haircut.Jennifer Aaker shared thisThis summer, before starting my Computer Science master's program, I learned a few important lessons, including why you should not give yourself a haircut and also how to build a small, homemade nuclear fusor. While this is nowhere close to as impressive as the fusion work going on at Helion Energy or Marathon Fusion, it was a passion project I'd been wanting to tackle to better understand physics, and building something from scratch. The fusor creates a vacuum that allows for ionized gases to collide which in turn produces plasma and operates on the same underlying principles studied in fusion research labs, just scaled down to something that fits on a workbench. Along the way, I learned a lot about high-voltage electronics, and (very quickly) why safety procedures exist. If you’re in the Bay Area and want to see it in person I would love to give a demo - please don’t ask for any haircuts!
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Jennifer Aaker shared thisCongratulations Tina Sharkey- this spark is so needed. ✨
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Jennifer Aaker reposted thisIt was so incredible watching Tina moderate a discussion with Yves Behar of last week for The Cultural Index for Tishman Speyer organized by Susan Boster! Tina & Yves both were amazing and Tina's moderation was like experiencing intellectual tango. I love her phrase "“Humanity is the moat around the machines," and Yves approach to design is so powerful. You can watch their conversation on youtube here-> https://lnkd.in/gVKemPjVJennifer Aaker reposted this📣 “Humanity is the moat around the machines.” There’s a renaissance happening here in San Francisco! It's a reawakening of creativity, design, & human ingenuity. That was the heartbeat of my conversation Monday morning at Mission Rock with my friend Yves Behar, one of the GOATs in modern design, entrepreneurship, & innovation. From his new company TELO Trucks, rethinking urban mobility, to SNOO, the breakthrough crib that helps babies sleep, to ElliQ & Samsung's Frame TVs, Yves’ work shows what happens when technology is designed to enhance not replace our humanity. 🤔 As Yves said, I was a bit of a stage therapist, & it’s true. As a professor, entrepreneur, investor, & board member, I carry deep empathy for creators, founders, & thinkers building new worlds. It’s what makes us divinely human. Humanity is the only thing that scales. These are the same conversations I have in my classrooms & boardrooms: how to build with empathy, design with intention, & lead in a world being reshaped by AI. My view is simple: AI won’t replace humans, but it will transform how we work, create, & connect. When empathy becomes the input, innovation becomes the output. ‼️ I believe our consciousness is a shared collective, & the future belongs to those who design with both intelligence & intention, who go punk on their own consciousness, questioning, remixing, & co-creating with machines while protecting what makes us uniquely us. 🥰 Design, like art, doesn’t exist until someone experiences it. When it’s rooted in empathy, it scales. Not because machines can learn emotion, but because humans can design for it. Every product & every experience becomes alive only when it’s felt. It was a joy to convene our community of cultural leaders, investors, artists, & innovators like Tiffany Shlain, zem joaquin, Tamara Rojo, Michael Isip, Ryan Nece, Joanna Rees, Gina Pell, Jim Marggraff, Dawn Dobras, Grace Kraaijvanger, Harry Valner, Eve Blossom, Anupam Batra, Larissa May, Ethan Beard, Rimma Boshernitsan, Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, Steven Dinkelspiel, Festus Ezeli & Jared Bruder alongside SF culture, arts & media leaders, collaborators, & investors whose energy fills me with hope for what’s next. Thank you to Alicia Parker & the whole team at Tishman Speyer, Genesys, fuseproject & my co-conspirator, the global culture & arts curator & convener extraordinaire Susan Boster for hosting such a powerful gathering. Mission Rock is the kind of place that makes these conversations so energizing, & there’s such an opportunity to make it one of the new convening spots for this new & improved SF renaissance. PS: If you’re interested in a TELO, you can sign up to get on the waitlist. Yves' co-founder Jason Marks was on hand & the price of signup ($152) matches the truck’s footprint: 152" of innovation. #design #ai #innovation #SanFrancisco #MissionRock #fuseproject #TishmanSpeyer #BosterGroup #GenAI
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Jennifer Aaker shared thisI am so immeasurably proud of Stanford University during its Centennial, the new leadership team at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and brilliant, creative, impactful students and alumni who inspire me every day. (I also love my beloved Bears so it’s not a competition - which took me nearly 40 years to learn). But everyday day, I wake up feeling so lucky to be surrounded by the energy and ideas at this institution. This is a dorky post but sometimes I pinch myself when thinking about how much I love and appreciate this world.
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Jennifer Aaker shared thisA few months ago, I was asked a question: What do you hope the future will look like? It’s the same question we ask our students in “Designing AI to Cultivate Human Well-Being.” But this time, the context was different. The Shift—a new publication honoring 90 women shaping the future—was launching its inaugural issue, inspired by the legacy of Gloria Steinem’s 91 years of activism. I’m honored to be part of it—not because of what I’ve done, but because of what this collective stands for. To everyone working to shape a future that’s more human, more just, and more whole: your voice matters. Thank you to the team at The Shift for this moving invitation, and to everyone doing the hard and human work of building what comes next. https://lnkd.in/gqhT8sHY #TheShiftIsOnCan Technology Make Us More Human? Jennifer Aaker Thinks It Should - The ShiftCan Technology Make Us More Human? Jennifer Aaker Thinks It Should - The Shift
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Jennifer Aaker reposted thisJennifer Aaker reposted thisHumor: Serious Business is back in session at Stanford University Graduate School of Business — our favorite time of the year! Over eight weeks, we dive in with CEOs, Navy SEALs, Emmy-winning writers, and one very tall NBA Commissioner. What we’re learning? Humor isn’t just fun—it’s a force for presence, trust, and transformation. Here are a few insights shared with the students: Start in the body. “You’re not performing in your brain; you’re performing in your body. Self-monitoring and self-expression can’t exist at the same volume.” – Anthony Veneziale, Co-founder, Freestyle Love Supreme Name the miss.”When a joke bombs, name it.” – Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner Say the hard thing—lightly.“Levity helps say the hard things.” – Bob Sternfels, Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company Trust = Credibility × Reliability × Vulnerability ÷ Self-interest. - Wyman Howard, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.) Humor isn’t a device—it’s a posture. “Levity isn’t a tool. It’s a way to be.” – David Solomon, Chairman & CEO, Goldman Sachs Emotion is the compass.“Pick the story that punches you in the gut.” – Michael Lewis, Author Humor isn’t performance—it’s presence.”Humor isn’t about being funny—it’s about being real.” – Patti Poppe, CEO, PG&E Levity unlocks risk-taking. “Make the uncomfortable comfortable—that’s how we take bigger risks.” – Deb Cupp, President, Microsoft Americas Lastly In the spirit of scaling both insight and irreverence, we built a custom ChatGPT to be our students’ 24/7 storytelling coach. It’s loaded with our full Humor: Serious Business curriculum - the syllabus, handbooks, assignments, and yes, even the existential dread of week 3. It helps students refine their narratives, find the funny, stick the landing, and sidestep the dreaded “meh.” It even has a personality - because humor coaching from a robot should feel less Skynet, more SNL. The result? Students are telling richer, funnier, more human stories. And now we’re spending less time answering admin questions from 2015 and more time connecting with students. We meet with all 80 one-on-one in the first half of the course, and spend the second half helping them elevate their stories. Bonus: Students not in our course have started using it to spice up their emails. (We see you, Finance Club.) Try the Humor: Serious Business GPT for yourself: https://lnkd.in/gYkP46m6 (Warning: side effects may include better storytelling, spontaneous laughter, and fewer bullet points.) Jennifer Aaker Naomi Bagdonas
Jennifer Aaker commented on a post
1d
A brilliant interview and a plan— a real life bona fide plan!! What could possibly go right...
Jennifer Aaker commented on a post
1mo
I love you. And your talent and insight are beyond measure. The students felt so elevated and informed by you - so did all of us. 💫
Jennifer Aaker commented on a post
1mo
This is utterly beautiful, soulful, extraordinary Sanyin Siang
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Jennifer Aaker reacted on thisJennifer Aaker reacted on this"If we get the AI transition wrong, we will have automated our decline." That's from Gina Raimondo, the former U.S. Commerce Secretary, two-term Governor of Rhode Island, and the person who personally negotiated with the Chinese during the worst of the chip war while shepherding the CHIPS Act through Congress. So when she says we're about to break the American dream if we don’t shift course on AI, we should probably listen. She also has a plan— a real life bona fide plan!! The kind of plan almost nobody at her level is willing to say out loud. Which I find so refreshing in a world of endless AI doom scrolling. New episode of Is This Working?! that, I cannot stress enough, is both essential viewing in this moment AND starts with a lengthy discussion of Gina's incredible, smoke-show of a husband, Andy Moffit: https://lnkd.in/ejWZ7WYN cc: Merit America
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Jennifer Aaker liked thisJennifer Aaker liked thisIf you look at the story structure most movies use, you'll notice that roughly 10% of the time is for the beginning, 10% is for the ending, and 80% is the “messy middle”... which is the part leaders prefer to edit out. Why? Because most of us prefer telling a polished version of our stories: - Here was the challenge. - Here was the solution. - Here was the success. But when we do that, we miss the opportunity to give our audience something to deeply connect with. The messy middle is where the roadblocks show up, where we fall to our knees and question whether we're on the right path after all. It's usually the part that is the least fun for us to talk about... But the most meaningful for the audience to hear. When you share the messy middle, you become relatable. You become human. There’s neuroscience behind this. When someone tells a story, the listener’s brain fires in the same sequence as the speaker’s. You’re not just transferring information, you’re creating a shared experience. And shared experience builds empathy. That doesn’t mean oversharing. It just means acknowledging that the path wasn’t linear and that the struggle was real. Hat tip to Syd Field’s work, who writes about this in his book Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting. #BusinessStorytelling #CorporateStorytelling #LeadershipCommunication
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Jennifer Aaker reacted on thisJennifer Aaker reacted on thisI attended something on March 3rd that I struggled to put into words. Hosted by my friend Jennifer Aaker at Stanford, it was NOT a typical “AI event.” It was something far more human. She set up tables where crazy-impressive experts sat alongside a handful of students. The experts weren’t there to lecture, but to listen. Each student shared how the past eight weeks had changed them. And you could feel it. You’d expect a Stanford course about AI to teach students how we can produce more. This was about using AI to live better. It was not about productivity gains. She was talking about a beautiful life. A life of discovery, pursuit, health, impact, and savoring. Students each built and published simple tools to support who they were becoming. At the end, Jennifer gave a beautiful talk. She shared student reflections and then brought us to the edge of life itself. Because when people reflect on their lives, they don’t ask: Did I optimize enough? No. They ask themselves: -Did I live authentically? -Did I live boldly? -Did I stay connected to the people I love? That’s the frame for this entire course. It’s not “How can AI make us faster?” but “How can AI help us live lives we won’t regret?” While sitting at the table, listening to these students… I realized that if we teach this generation to use AI only to optimize work, we’ve failed them. But if we teach them to use it to expand their imagination and pursue a meaningful life… We might change everything. Jennifer, what you’ve built is rare. These students will never be the same. And honestly… neither will I. #GenerativeAI #HumanCenteredAI #FutureOfWork
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Jennifer Aaker reacted on thisJennifer Aaker reacted on thisThe book "Winning with AI: The 90-Day Blueprint for Success” is out. My co-author Katia Walsh, Ph.D. and I could not be happier. And I have some things I need to say. 🙏 Two years ago, I ran an experiment with ChatGPT that gave me serious imposter syndrome. The AI scored higher than me on some questions. I felt like my time was running out. That feeling is what led to Winning with AI—not confidence. A question I couldn't shake. In this week's #LeadingDisruption, I'm not sharing frameworks or research. I'm just being honest about: 💙 What it actually felt like to start this journey in 2023 🤝 What it means to write a book with someone who is both your intellectual partner and your friend ✂️ What ended up on the cutting room floor (and why) 🙏 How much your engagement—every comment, every share, every question on the livestream—has shaped this work This community is the reason this work feels purposeful. I don't say that enough. The book is here. You can purchase the eBook for just $.99 this week! Link is below in the comments. And tomorrow, March 24th at 9am PT, Katia and I are going live to celebrate. Come join us. https://lnkd.in/gwRHK4fJ Link to the full newsletter in comments 👇 #LeadingDisruption #WinningWithAI #BookLaunch #Leadership #GratitudeThe Book Is Here. And I Have Some People to Thank.The Book Is Here. And I Have Some People to Thank.
Experience & Education
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Stanford Graduate School of Business
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Publications
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Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life
Crown Currency
See publicationWork has changed. Seriously.
With the shift to remote work, we rarely see our colleagues in person (or from the pajama bottoms down). This isolation, coupled with unprecedented levels of stress and uncertainty, means it's harder than ever to foster connection, joy, and well-being within our teams and organizations.
But research shows there’s hope in humor — and that your sense of humor just might be one of your most underleveraged assets as a leader. Studies reveal that humor…Work has changed. Seriously.
With the shift to remote work, we rarely see our colleagues in person (or from the pajama bottoms down). This isolation, coupled with unprecedented levels of stress and uncertainty, means it's harder than ever to foster connection, joy, and well-being within our teams and organizations.
But research shows there’s hope in humor — and that your sense of humor just might be one of your most underleveraged assets as a leader. Studies reveal that humor strengthens relationships, fosters trust, unlocks creativity, makes us appear more competent and confident, and boosts our resilience during difficult times. Like now. And now. But especially now.
That’s why Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas teach the popular course Humor: Serious Business at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where they help some of the world’s most hard-driving, blazer-wearing business minds harness the power of humor to lead. They've also written a book on the topic: Humor, Seriously: Why Humor is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life.
Naomi and Jennifer share findings from behavioral scientists, advice from world-class comedians, and stories from inspiring business leaders to reveal how humor works and — more importantly — how you can use it to be more effective at work and more joyful in life. -
The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective, and Powerful Ways To Use Social Media to Drive Social Change
Jossey-Bass
See publicationHow do you connect meaning to social media to create impact? Many books teach the mechanisms of using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube to compete in Business. But no book dives into the psychological insights how allow an individual to harness social media, combined with traditional media, to make a difference. The Dragonfly Effect, named for the only insect that can fly in any direction when its four wings are beating in concert, shows you how to tap social media and psychological…
How do you connect meaning to social media to create impact? Many books teach the mechanisms of using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube to compete in Business. But no book dives into the psychological insights how allow an individual to harness social media, combined with traditional media, to make a difference. The Dragonfly Effect, named for the only insect that can fly in any direction when its four wings are beating in concert, shows you how to tap social media and psychological insights to achieve a single, concrete goal. The book reveals the four ‘wings’ of the dragonfly, and how they work together to product significant results; it illuminates:
(a) How the impact of a goal – when connected to happiness and meaning – can serve to create a resource that is often untapped.
(b) How the power of human-centered design and rapid prototyping can be used to fuel branded initiatives and experiences.
(c) How any individual can achieve unprecedented results – whether finding an almost impossible bone marrow match for a friend, building a brand inside-out, or electing the current President of the United States.
The book provides a roadmap for infectious action.
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