Catherine stands onstage with a presentation titled, "The Science of Success"

Science-based Keynote Speaker

Sharing insights from psychology on a range of topics, including happiness, emotional intelligence, and moral courage

Dr. Catherine Sanderson delivers engaging, science-based keynote talks and workshops for corporate, healthcare, education, and nonprofit audiences worldwide. Speaking virtually and in person to groups from 10 to over 10,000, she customizes each session to meet each audience’s needs. Catherine helps leaders, educators, and lifelong learners boost happiness, improve health, succeed at work, and cultivate moral courage—fostering thriving, ethical communities through practical, research-backed strategies.

Catherine smiles in a brown sweater, sitting on a gray armchair

Seasoned and expert speaking + custom presentations

Catherine speaks several times a month for organizations of all sizes — from small leadership teams to conferences with audiences of 5,000 or more. She offers in-person and virtual keynote presentations, as well as workshops and client events.

All talks are customized to the needs of your organization and your audience, so your community can get exactly the information that will benefit your event or company the most.

Reach out to book

Past Speaking Engagements Include:

  • YPO
  • Wells Fargo
  • Tiger 21
  • San Diego Zoo
  • AQR
  • NHS
  • Moody's
  • Marriott
  • Merrill: A Bank of America Company
  • Kaiser Permanente
  • Lazard
  • Evercore
  • J.P. Morgan
  • BlackRock
  • AllianceBernstein

Catherine’s most popular speaking topics:

The Science of Happiness: Data-Driven Strategies to Boost Well-being

Discover the research-backed strategies that truly boost happiness and well-being. In this engaging keynote, Dr. Catherine Sanderson shows audiences how to apply data-driven insights from psychology to feel better, reduce stress, improve health, and thrive in work and life.

The Science of Success: Emotional Intelligence, Growth Mindset, and Leadership

Success depends on more than IQ. This talk shows how emotional intelligence, growth mindset, and psychological safety improve leadership, teamwork, and workplace culture, with evidence-based tools for personal and organizational growth.

The Psychology of Courage and Inaction: Fostering Moral Courage in Communities

Why do people stay silent in the face of bad behavior? This talk examines the psychology of bystander inaction and provides practical strategies for speaking up, building moral courage, and creating more ethical communities and workplaces.

The Power of Mindset: How Thought Patterns Shape Health, Happiness, and Aging

Our beliefs shape how we age, how healthy we are, and how long we live. Dr. Sanderson explains the science behind mindset and the placebo effect and shows how small changes in thinking and behavior can improve physical health and emotional well-being.

Other speaking topics include:

The Science
of Flow

→

The Power
of Nature

→

The Psychology
of Kindness

→

Understanding the Human-Dog Bond

→

The Power of Connections

→

Understanding and Reducing Bias

→

Book Catherine

Speaker Reel + Speaking Assets

View Catherine’s Speaking Reel and her Speaking Media Kit to get more information about working with her.

Catherine Sanderson's Speaker Reel
View Speaker Reel
Download Media Kit

  • “When describing how great Catherine Sanderson’s presentations are, it’s hard to even know where to start. She’s that good. Her ability to connect with, educate, entertain, and captivate absolutely any audience is remarkable. I have worked with many hundreds of top tier speakers, and never seen anyone better."

    Steven Schragis, Director, One Day University, Learning Annex, Thoughtful Productions

  • “Catherine was a fantastic, engaging speaker with a refreshing, relatable take on happiness. The session was uplifting and informative, with practical, achievable tips I could immediately apply. A great way to start the year!”

    – Amy George Blair, Senior Manager of Professional Development and Training, AmLaw 10 Firm

  • “Catherine Sanderson has been a standout speaker for our organization and someone we return to time and again. Across keynotes on The Science of Success, Happiness, Resilience, and Understanding Flow, she brings empirical scientific research to life in a way that is intellectually rigorous, engaging, and highly practical."

    Brooke Fullam, Talent Development, AQR Capital Management

  • “Catherine delivered a timely and engaging presentation to our Board of Directors. Her insights helped our Board better understand why well-intentioned individuals often fail to speak up — and how that silence enables misconduct to persist."

    Dolores Green, CEO, Inland Empire Foundation for Medical Care

  • “Catherine’s sessions are always a highlight. With intense energy and enthusiasm, she artfully combines scientific research, personal anecdotes and practical tools to engage audiences at all levels. Her passion for psychology is truly contagious!”

    Kim H. Karetsky, Founder and CEO of KHK Leadership & Learning

  • “Catherine has mastered the complexity of delivering content online, creating an experience where the audience feels both involved and engaged. She creates a welcoming environment for learning and demonstrates a genuine respect for her audience’s lived experiences. Balancing technology while also exhibiting warmth and understanding is not easy to do, but Catherine does it so effortlessly."

    Alison Evans, Senior Director, Road Scholar

  • “Catherine’s session was very much appreciated by a diverse audience seeking her wisdom around the subject of longevity. Her unique perspective was well supported by great research and was presented calmly but with passion – again – well received by our group.”

    Paul Schaut, Tiger 21 Chair, Boston

Sanderson Speaking: How to Feel Better

Subscribe: How to Feel Better

If you’d like to read practical, science-based strategies for living a happier, healthier life, please subscribe to my Substack, How to Feel Better. You’ll receive a new newsletter every Thursday morning (and have full access to prior newsletters you might have missed) - and it’s entirely free!

Ready to book Catherine for your next speaking event?

Reach Out