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Mo Gawdat — keynote speaker on Mental Health & Wellbeing

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Mental Health & Wellbeing keynote speakers

Mo Gawdat

Happiness, Wellbeing and AI Keynote Speaker and Former Chief Business Officer of Google [X]

Speaking feeFee on requestConfirmed for your date on request
  • Keynote · Fireside chat · Moderation
  • English
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Signature keynotes

What your audience walks away with

  • Outcome

    Solve for Happy: Engineering Your Path to Joy

    The keynote that made him a global voice on wellbeing. Mo shares the happiness equation at the heart of Solve for Happy: happiness is what happens when your perception of life meets or beats your expectations of it, which means unhappiness is usually a thinking problem, not a circumstance problem. He gives audiences an engineer's model for a stable baseline of joy, drawn from his own story and from research across more than a hundred countries. Honest, warm, and genuinely useful on Monday morning.

  • Scary Smart: The Future of AI, Ethics, and Humanity

    A Google [X] insider's view of where artificial intelligence is heading, and what it asks of us. Mo lays out the pace of AI, the hard questions of control and ethics, and his central thesis: that the outcome depends less on the code than on the values we bring to it. He presents his forecasts as his own considered views, not as certainty, which is exactly why executive audiences trust the talk. It leaves a room clearer about the stakes and about where humans still decide.

  • Unstressable: Predict and Prevent Stress

    Built on his 2024 book with Alice Law. Mo reframes chronic stress as something predictable, and therefore preventable, rather than an unavoidable tax on modern life. He breaks stress into its inputs and effects (mind, emotions, body, and soul) and hands teams practical tools to get ahead of it. Ideal for wellbeing programs and high-pressure organizations.

  • Solve for Happy at Work

    The wellbeing keynote translated for the workplace: how happiness and psychological safety drive focus, retention, and real performance, and what leaders can actually do to build them. For culture events, leadership offsites, and people-first organizations.

  • The Illusion of Control

    A sharp talk on one of the biggest hidden drivers of workplace stress: the belief that we control far more than we do. Mo shows where the illusion costs teams, and what to hold onto instead. Practical, and quietly freeing.

  • Innovation at Scale: The Principles of Moonshot Thinking

    From his years leading business at Google [X], the method for tackling ten-times problems rather than ten-percent ones. How moonshot teams frame problems, run at hard goals, and turn far-off ideas into shipped reality. For innovation, strategy, and executive audiences.

The story

Who Mo actually is

Mo Gawdat is one of the world's leading voices on happiness, wellbeing, and the future of artificial intelligence, and the former Chief Business Officer of Google , the company's moonshot factory. Born in Egypt in 1967 and trained as an engineer, he built a nearly three-decade technology career across IBM, NCR, Microsoft, and Google, where he helped launch close to half of the company's global operations before leading business at Google , home to projects such as self-driving cars and Project Loon.

In 2014, his life changed. His 21-year-old son, Ali, died from a preventable medical error during what should have been a routine operation. In the depths of that loss, Gawdat turned the analytical mind he had used on hard technology problems toward a harder one: how a person actually stays happy. The result was Solve for Happy, published in 2017 and dedicated to Ali, which laid out his now widely taught happiness equation and launched One Billion Happy, his mission to help a billion people become happier.

In 2018 he left Google to pursue that mission full time. He has since become one of the most sought-after speakers bridging technology and human wellbeing, and the author of multiple international bestsellers, including Scary Smart (2021) on the future of AI, That Little Voice in Your Head (2022), and Unstressable (2024, with Alice Law). He hosts the podcast Slo Mo: A Podcast with Mo Gawdat, a series of conversations on purpose, happiness, and meaning.

Today Gawdat speaks to corporations, conferences, and wellbeing and technology summits around the world, carrying a rare double credential: a Google insider's understanding of where AI is going, and one of the most practical, human frameworks anywhere for staying well while it gets there. He is based in Dubai and speaks in English and Arabic.

The receipts

Books & publications

  • Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy

    2017

    (2017): his signature book, dedicated to his son Ali, laying out the happiness equation and the model behind One Billion Happy.

  • Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World

    2021

    (2021): a Google [X] insider's case that the future of AI depends on the humanity we bring to it.

  • That Little Voice in Your Head: Adjust the Code That Runs Your Brain

    2022

    (2022): a practical guide to working with your own thoughts.

  • Unstressable: A Practical Guide to Stress-Free Living

    2024

    (2024, with Alice Law): reframing stress as predictable, and therefore preventable.

Gravity

Career highlights & recognition

  • Credential

    Former Chief Business Officer of Google [X]

    Google's moonshot factory (self-driving cars, Project Loon)

  • Milestone

    ~27-year technology career

    across IBM, NCR, Microsoft, and Google; helped launch close to half of Google's global operations

  • Credential2017

    Author of Solve for Happy (2017)

    one of the world's best-known engineering-led happiness frameworks, and founder of the One Billion Happy mission

  • Credential2021

    Author of Scary Smart (2021)

    on the future of AI, named among The Times' best business books of its year

  • Credential2024

    Co-author of Unstressable (2024)

    with Alice Law, a Sunday Times bestseller on predicting and preventing stress

  • Credential

    Host of *Slo Mo: A Podcast with Mo Gawdat

    *, a widely followed mental-health and purpose podcast

  • Recognition

    Multiple international bestselling books

    translated across dozens of markets

  • Milestone

    Speaks English and Arabic

    delivers to leadership, wellbeing, innovation, and future-of-work audiences worldwide

Booking with confidence

What to expect when you book Mo

  • 01

    Compiled from public sources

    This profile is built from public, verifiable material and stamped with the date it was last reviewed. Nothing here is a claim we cannot trace to a source.

  • 02

    Availability and fees, confirmed

    Tell us your date and brief, and we confirm Mo's availability and current fee on request. We never publish a fabricated figure or imply an exclusivity we do not hold.

  • 03

    Managed end to end

    From first inquiry to the day itself, Headliner handles briefing, contracting, and logistics, so your team can focus on the event.

Answers

Booking questions, answered

What is Mo Gawdat's speaking fee?

Mo's fee is provided on request. It varies by date, location, format, and whether the engagement is in person or virtual. Share your brief and we'll come back with current pricing and availability.

Is Mo Gawdat available for my event date?

Availability changes with Mo's schedule and the season. Tell us your date and we'll confirm whether Mo is open, and hold the slot while you decide.

How do I book Mo Gawdat for my event?

Mo Gawdat is booked through Headliner. Tell us your event date, audience, and goals, and we'll confirm availability and the next steps — typically within four business hours.

How much does Mo Gawdat charge to speak?

Mo's fee depends on date, location, format, and whether the session is in person or virtual. It is provided on request, so share your brief and we'll confirm a precise figure and availability.

Can I hire Mo Gawdat for a corporate event?

Yes. Mo is represented for speaking engagements through Headliner on a non-exclusive basis and regularly takes corporate keynotes, conferences, and leadership events. Share your brief to check availability.

Can I book Mo Gawdat for a virtual keynote?

Yes. Mo presents virtual keynotes as well as in-person sessions. Virtual fees are typically quoted below a live keynote, so tell us your format for a precise quote.

What formats does Mo offer?

Mo is available for Keynote, Fireside chat, Moderation and Virtual engagements. We'll match the format to your audience and run-of-show.

What does Mo speak about?

Mo's keynote themes include Mental Health, Positive Psychology, Artificial Intelligence and Future of Work. Each talk is tailored to your audience and outcomes.

What languages does Mo present in?

Mo presents in English.

Where does Mo travel from?

Mo is based in London, United Kingdom and travels internationally for engagements; virtual sessions are also available.

Profile updated . Compiled from public sources — confirm current fees and availability with Headliner.

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