Tina Seelig

Dr. Tina Seelig is an educator, entrepreneur, and bestselling author specializing in creativity, innovation, and leadership education. Seelig serves as executive director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars and director emerita of the Stanford Technology Ventures Program. Knight-Hennessy Scholars supports a multidisciplinary and multicultural community of graduate students from across Stanford University, preparing them to address complex global challenges.

Seelig earned a doctorate in neuroscience from Stanford University School of Medicine, where she studied neuroplasticity. Before returning to Stanford as a faculty member, Seelig worked as a management consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton, served as a multimedia producer at Compaq Computer Corporation, and founded the multimedia company BookBrowser.

Seelig has written 18 books focused on creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Notable titles include "What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20," "inGenius: A Crash Course on Creativity," and "Creativity Rules." Her book "What I Wish I Knew About Luck: A Crash Course on Turning Aspirations into Achievements" was published by HarperCollins. Seelig's TED Talk on luck has been viewed by millions, and her classes on creative problem solving were the basis for a 10-part television series in Japan produced by NHK.

Seelig teaches courses at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school) at Stanford and has led several fellowship programs in the School of Engineering focused on creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. As host of the Knight-Hennessy podcast "Leading Matters," Seelig engages with leaders to explore the Knight-Hennessy leadership model, discussing traits such as vision, courage, curiosity, and humility.

Seelig is the recipient of the Gordon Prize from the National Academy of Engineering, the Olympus Innovation Award, the Silicon Valley Visionary Award, and the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers Legacy Award. The Gordon Prize recognizes her as a national leader in engineering education. Through her teaching, writing, and public speaking, Seelig combines scientific rigor, entrepreneurial experience, and storytelling to advance the fields of creativity, innovation, and leadership development.