Share
Keynote Speaker
Mo Gawdat
Former Chief Business Officer of Google [X]; host of the popular podcast, Slo Mo: A Podcast with Mo Gawdat; author of the international bestselling books Solve for Happy; Scary Smart; and That Little Voice in Your Head; founder of One Billion Happy; and Chief AI Officer of Flight Story
Popular talks
- Solve for Happy
- Solve for Happy at Work
- How to Become Unstressable
- Finding Silver Linings in the Face of Crisis
- +6
Talks
Popular talks by Mo Gawdat
-
Solve for Happy
In this seminal talk, Mo Gawdat aims to offer an Engineering approach to happiness based on his International bestselling book, Solve for Happy. The talk discusses the biggest myth we believe about happiness in the modern world and how to overcome the reasons for unhappiness. It offers a solid model…
In this seminal talk, Mo Gawdat aims to offer an Engineering approach to happiness based on his International bestselling book, Solve for Happy.
The talk discusses the biggest myth we believe about happiness in the modern world and how to overcome the reasons for unhappiness. It offers a solid model to work with, the 6-7-5 model, and takes the audience through practical actions they can take then and there to start their journey on a path to uninterrupted happiness.
At the end of the talk, attendees are left with a much clearer understanding of the steps they need to take in order to find happiness even in the harshest of circumstances; and with a clear call to action to invest in their own happiness and the happiness of those they love. -
Solve for Happy at Work
In this talk, Mo Gawdat offers solid research on how happiness affects productivity and performance at work, the difference between employee happiness vs. satisfaction, and how managers and HR managers can build an environment that promotes employee happiness based on his international bestseller – Solve for Happy – and his…
In this talk, Mo Gawdat offers solid research on how happiness affects productivity and performance at work, the difference between employee happiness vs. satisfaction, and how managers and HR managers can build an environment that promotes employee happiness based on his international bestseller – Solve for Happy – and his 11 years of experience as a Google executive.
At the end of the talk, the attendees will be left with a much clearer understanding of the value employee happiness brings to company performance and the clear steps to take in order to create a work environment that promotes happiness. -
How to Become Unstressable
Based on Mo’s upcoming book with co-author Alice Law, Unstressable, this research-backed talk teaches you and your employees the language needed to de-stress your mind and release anxiety, ease self-criticism, end sleepless nights & restore confidence. With less stress comes more focus, fortified resilience, higher productivity, and deepened relationships.
-
Finding Silver Linings in the Face of Crisis
In Mo’s most popular talk during the COVID-19 pandemic, he answers the following questions: We all want to be happy, but life can be hard. What can we do to stay positive and find hope even in the face of loss and adversity? As Chief Business Officer at Google X,…
In Mo’s most popular talk during the COVID-19 pandemic, he answers the following questions: We all want to be happy, but life can be hard. What can we do to stay positive and find hope even in the face of loss and adversity?
As Chief Business Officer at Google X, Mo developed “moonshot” ideas to help make the world a better place. Following the tragic death of his son Ali, Mo began a mission to help people become happier.
In this unique talk, Mo reflects on the challenges facing our world and shares his secrets for finding silver linings even in a crisis. Mo has discovered that happiness follows a predictable equation and has distilled this into practical actions which are relevant to all of us, no matter our circumstances. -
The Illusion of Control
Control is a pervasive modern day illusion. It leads to work related stress and often blurs our judgment, which leads to wrong decisions among professionals in today’s work environment. Worst of all, it goes home with us and causes suffering and unhappiness. Mo is a retired control freak who learned…
Control is a pervasive modern day illusion. It leads to work related stress and often blurs our judgment, which leads to wrong decisions among professionals in today’s work environment. Worst of all, it goes home with us and causes suffering and unhappiness.
Mo is a retired control freak who learned the the truth about control the hard way. In this workshop, he uses methods ranging from a scientific-mathematical approach to the wisdom of ancient philosophy to bust the myths surrounding our concept of control. He clarifies the downsides of our constant attempts to achieve this elusive target and lays forth simple rules to help the audience move ahead in life and at work through calculated prioritization, attention allocation, and committed acceptance. These concepts not only helped Mo advance his career to reach the highest levels of success as the Chief Business Officer of Google [X] but also helped him survive the loss of his son, turning his loss into a global mission to make one billion people happy.
At the end of the session, the attendees will find comfort in understanding the truth about the nature of control. A weight will be lifted, leaving them with the tools they need to achieve happiness and success without the stress resulting from constant attempts to stay in control. -
The Illusion of Fear
In this talk/workshop, Mo discusses the realities behind the illusion of fear. Although we kicked the tigers out of our towns and villages long ago, humanity has never experienced such a widespread, growing sense of fear as it does in today’s modern world, both on the individual and collective level.…
In this talk/workshop, Mo discusses the realities behind the illusion of fear. Although we kicked the tigers out of our towns and villages long ago, humanity has never experienced such a widespread, growing sense of fear as it does in today’s modern world, both on the individual and collective level. This fear has led to suffering, holding us back and keeping us locked in seemingly endless state of unhappiness.
But fear is nothing more than a conditioned, exaggerated illusion. By sharing the truth behind our most common fears, Mo will empower attendees to realize the true power they have to conquer their biggest fears. He will then share a practical, step-by-step method – an interrogation – that each individual can use to systematically grow stronger and braver as they address their fears one by one. Once the fear subsides, attendees will find a new path to realize their full potential for success and happiness both personally and at work. -
The Illusion of Thought
It may sound controversial, but no suffering in the history of human kind has ever been the result of anything besides the thoughts produced by our brains. The events of life themselves have no power to make us unhappy unless we grant them that power by turning them into thoughts…
It may sound controversial, but no suffering in the history of human kind has ever been the result of anything besides the thoughts produced by our brains. The events of life themselves have no power to make us unhappy unless we grant them that power by turning them into thoughts that make us suffer.
In this talk/workshop, Mo dives deep into what makes up our thoughts and our brain’s tendency to regularly think thoughts that make us unhappy. He will discuss the philosophical and spiritual significance of the mind and the brain and then will dive deep into the neuroscience of unhappiness – the hormonal interactions that trap us in depression, anxiety, and addiction – and then offer a practical model to begin thinking happy thoughts instead.
The longer version of the workshop also addresses the 7 blind spots of the brain that distort our perception of the truth, leading us to solve the happiness equation incorrectly and causing us needless suffering. (happiness = reality – expectation)
By the end of the session, attendees will feel a sense of relief and empowerment to take charge of their incessant negative thoughts, arming them with the practical tools to end those cycles of needless suffering gradually but surely. -
The Illusion of Time
This talk/workshop addresses the incredible level of stress that dealing with time causes us in the modern world.Mo uncovers the truth behind the illusion through a concrete scientific understanding of what time really is (and isn’t). It then discusses the varying cultural and spiritual perceptions of time and offers hands-on…
This talk/workshop addresses the incredible level of stress that dealing with time causes us in the modern world.Mo uncovers the truth behind the illusion through a concrete scientific understanding of what time really is (and isn’t). It then discusses the varying cultural and spiritual perceptions of time and offers hands-on exercises to help attendees get a practical experience that will redefine their relationship with time.
The session will also explore the biggest shortcut in our brains that enables us to stop the suffering caused by the way we were wrongly trained from childhood to handle time. Further, it offers a solid scientific explanation of why the growing trend of mindfulness actually works.
Between science, practice, spirituality and emotional introspection, this session is frequently called a “life changer” that is not only thought-provoking but thoroughly entertaining at the same time. -
Scary Smart: The Future of AI and How You Can Save Our World
AI is no longer just theory, as popular technologies like ChatGPT are proving concretely. In this popular talk, Mo Gawdat openly discusses – through the lens of a former executive at Google [X] – the current rate of advancement of technology and the expected technological innovation that will follow in…
AI is no longer just theory, as popular technologies like ChatGPT are proving concretely. In this popular talk, Mo Gawdat openly discusses – through the lens of a former executive at Google [X] – the current rate of advancement of technology and the expected technological innovation that will follow in the next 10 to 20 years. Providing a 30-year tech insider’s overview of the state of technology present and future, Mo goes on to address the pressing ethical question this impending science fiction-like reality will bring. If Artificial Intelligence learns from humans, how do we prevent it from imitating our worst intentions? How do we raise this potentially destructive child in a way that ensures the continued success (and survival) of humanity in this brand-new world?
At the end of this talk, the audience will be given a unique, accurate insider’s view of the incredible – and in many ways, worrying – wave approaching so they may clearly understand the role each of us has to play to ensure our success as it materializes.
The very essence of what makes us human – happiness, compassion and love – is what will save humanity in the age of the machines.” -
Innovation at Scale: The Principles of Moonshot Thinking
In this talk aimed at decision makers, innovators and policy makers, Mo openly shares the secrets of Google’s innovation factory, [X], through a look at what worked and changed the world and what needed improvement. With a critical insider’s eye, heshares a systematic approach to building an innovation factory that…
In this talk aimed at decision makers, innovators and policy makers, Mo openly shares the secrets of Google’s innovation factory, [X], through a look at what worked and changed the world and what needed improvement. With a critical insider’s eye, heshares a systematic approach to building an innovation factory that can transcend the restrictive guidelines of any organization.
By the end of this talk, Mo leaves the audience with an understanding that the difference between the most and the least innovative organizations is a matter of commitment, mindset, and process. He clarifies, at a top level, the details of these differences and leaves the audience with the confidence that they too can foster an environment of innovation, along with a call to action to make it happen.
Mo accepts only a handful of requests for this talk each year, which he gives exclusively behind closed doors for select groups of executives. His insights have been instrumental in affecting directional change for several major organizations and visionary governments since 2017.
Biography
About Mo Gawdat
Mo Gawdat is the former Chief Business Officer at Google [X], 4x interna onal bestselling author, founder of One Billion Happy, Chief AI Officer at Flight Story, and founder of Emma.Love.
With a career spanning over three decades at IBM, NCR, Microso , and Google, Mo helped launch close to half of Google’s global opera ons and later led business at Google [X], home of projects like self driving cars, Project Loon, and Makani. Driven by a passion for solving humanity’s biggest challenges, Mo has co-founded more than 30 companies and mentored countless startups globally.
Through board, advisory, and AI and innova on consul ng roles, Mo has operated across a wide range of industries—including energy, infrastructure, retail, telecom, tech, finance, avia on, travel, tourism, and automo ve—developing a keen understanding of these businesses and how they intersect with the technology and AI landscape.
A er the loss of his son Ali in 2014, he developed the happiness model at the heart of his bestselling book Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy (2017), sparking his global mission to make one billion people happy. He went on to launch Slo Mo: A Podcast with Mo Gawdat (2020), a #1 mental health podcast globally during its run across 319 ad-free episodes.
His second book Scary Smart: The Future of AI and How You Can Save Our World (2021) predicted the rise and implica ons of AI that we are living in today, establishing him as one of the world’s most respected experts on ar ficial intelligence. It was named one of the Best Business Books of 2021 by The Times.
Returning to his focus on wellness, Mo published his third and fourth books That Li le Voice in Your Head: Adjust the Code That Runs Your Brain (2022) and Unstressable: A Prac cal Guide to Stress-Free Living (2024), both of which went on to become interna onal bestsellers and carried forward his mission to increase human resilience against unhappiness and stress.
His upcoming book Alive: A Human’s Guide to Living in the World of AI (2027) unpicks how we got to where we are today with ar ficial intelligence, what’s in store for an uncertain future, and, crucially, what we can do to best weather the coming storm. Mo’s latest tech ini a ve is Emma.love, a revolu onary pla orm combining a deep understanding of humanity with therapist-backed coaching to cul vate meaningful roman c, professional, and platonic rela onships.
He is also the subject of the 2026 documentary film Chasing Utopia, which asks: will AI be humanity’s greatest achievement or its greatest downfall?
How to book Mo Gawdat
Answers on fees, availability and booking process.
How do I book Mo Gawdat for a keynote speech?
You can book Mo Gawdat through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Mo's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
What are Mo Gawdat's speaking fees?
Mo Gawdat's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Mo tailored to your event.
What topics does Mo Gawdat speak about?
Mo Gawdat speaks on Artificial Intelligence, Behaviour, Conflict Resolution, Entrepreneurs, Future. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Mo to align the content with your delegates and goals.
Is Mo Gawdat available for international events?
London Speaker Bureau can book Mo Gawdat for events worldwide, subject to Mo's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Does Mo Gawdat deliver virtual or online keynotes?
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Mo Gawdat is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
How long is a typical keynote by Mo Gawdat?
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Mo can accommodate.
Can Mo Gawdat tailor the keynote to our industry and audience?
London Speaker Bureau will brief Mo Gawdat on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Mo can offer.
What languages does Mo Gawdat present in?
Mo Gawdat delivers keynotes in English. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
What makes Mo Gawdat a strong fit as a keynote speaker?
Mo Gawdat's areas of expertise include Artificial Intelligence, Behaviour, Conflict Resolution, Entrepreneurs, Future. To get a clear sense of Mo's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
What kind of events can Mo Gawdat speak at?
Mo Gawdat can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in Artificial Intelligence, Behaviour, Conflict Resolution, Entrepreneurs, Future is relevant. Details of Mo's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Does Mo Gawdat offer workshops, panels or fireside chats in addition to keynotes?
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Mo Gawdat is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
How far in advance should we book Mo Gawdat?
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Mo Gawdat, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Mo's current availability for your dates.