Jackson Kerchis

Jackson Kerchis Speaking Topics

• The Serious Business of Happiness: Habits for Success in Work & Life

  Creating a culture of happiness & high performance in your workplace starts with you.

  We'll dive into applied happiness research from positive psychology, neuroscience, and organizational psychology to fuel success in your work – and your life. We'll cover the financial case and ROI of happiness at work. Then we'll craft a personal operating system to help you put the 'life' back in work-life balance. And we'll cover a culture change case study that led to a $3M operating improvement for a midsize company.

  What would it be like to have a culture of engagement, retention, and resilience in which people in your organization are consistently at their best?

  You'll leave with a checklist of habits for personal flourishing and professional success to make it happen...

  Outcomes

  • Learn the evidence-based business case for happiness that translates into dollars and cents.
  • Learn best practices for engaging your passion and feeling better at work.
  • Learn simple actions to create a culture that will attract, retain, and engage the right people.

• "Magnetic Workplace" -- Use Happiness Research to Attract, Retain, & Engage Talent

  How do we find and keep the right people?

  The labor market is more competitive than ever—and compensation alone isn’t enough to win. Today’s employees want more from their working lives. In this session, Jackson Kerchis draws on research in happiness, positive psychology, and job satisfaction to explore what people really want—and how leaders can meet their core psychological needs.

  You’ll uncover the true drivers of recruiting, retention, and engagement in a post-pandemic workforce. These are often overlooked yet measurable factors like caring, belonging, autonomy, feeling valued, and opportunities for growth. You'll leave with a leadership checklist to help your organization become a destination workplace.

  Outcomes

  • Learn the psychological models that promote job and career satisfaction
  • Learn how to measure and improve your employee experience
  • Learn best practices for leadership that attracts, retains, and engages

Jackson’s Declassified Gen Z Survival Guide: Leading the Next Generation (From a Gen Zer)

Want to understand Gen Z – why not ask one of them?

As a former supervisor, certified executive coach, and happiness researcher who was born in the first year of Gen Z, Jackson Kerchis offers a unique perspective on working with this generation.

Gen Z is the most diverse, connected, and values-driven generation in the workforce—and they’re redefining the rules of work. They expect more than compensation: they want purpose, autonomy, and opportunity. You’ll learn how to create a climate that motivates, engages, and retains talent in the years to come. This isn’t about managing “kids these days”—it’s about understanding and leveraging research on happiness and engagement to bridge generational gaps and future-proof your workplace

From Monk to Manager: Zen Lessons for More Mindfulness, Less Stress, & Loving Your Work

By most accounts, Jackson Kerchis has had an unusual career path: launched a (failed) fintech startup, majored in happiness, lived 4 months as a Zen monk, spent 2 years in management, and founded a consulting firm researching happiness at work. This session combines the art of Zen practice with insights from the social sciences to help you craft new ways of working. Even if you don't have your "dream job," you'll learn the ingredients for what makes for an engaging and satisfying work experience.

Outcomes

• Learn how to establish stress management and mindfulness practices at work
• Identify core drivers of job satisfaction: connection, competence, autonomy
• Apply job crafting to reshape your current role into a better fit

The Serious Business of Happiness in Education

Happiness doesn’t just come from success—it’s a driver of it. And the implications for educators and students may surprise you. Backed by research from Harvard, UNESCO, and more, this session explores why happiness and well-being should be core priorities in education—for both students and staff.

Jackson Kerchis created the world’s first major in Happiness, taught the first university course on the topic, and has worked with students and educators of all ages. In this session, he shares science-based strategies to boost morale, improve emotional climate, and drive academic performance. With insights from school and university partnerships, as well as global research, this session reframes happiness as a measurable, actionable pathway to improving education.

Outcomes

• Learn the research-backed case for making happiness a strategic priority in education.
• Discover practices that boost morale, resilience, and well-being for staff and students.
• Gain actionable tools to improve emotional climate and academic performance.