Biopsychologist; Fear/Courage Researcher & Resilience Speaker; Award-Winning Author of "Brave New You"

Los Angeles, CA, USA

Mary Poffenroth Biography

Dr. Mary Poffenroth, is a biopsychologist and fear/courage researcher known for turning complex neuroscience into practical tools that high performing organizations can apply immediately. Her work helps teams become more courageous, more adaptable, and more resilient without adding another burdensome initiative to the calendar. Dr. Poffenroth translates science into evidence based neurohacks to help modern professionals regulate their nervous systems, reduce unhelpful threat responses, and act with courage and clarity under pressure – in the moment, not years from now – in easy to learn and easy to enjoy formats.

A first-generation college student, she began her career in the astrobiology unit at NASA Ames Moffett Field, supporting payload experiments for STS-107, the 28th flight of Space Shuttle Columbia. Backed by one of the world’s largest publishers, her award-winning book, "Brave New You: Strategies, Tools, and Neurohacks to Live More Courageously Every Day," offers readers an innovative solution for moving past stifling everyday fear and into a life filled with brave choices that result in transformational outcomes.

Dr. Poffenroth holds a doctorate in psychology and three master's degrees (biology, psychology, and science communication) and has taught nearly 20,000 university students as biology faculty at San Jose State University since 2007. A Salzburg Global Fellow, she has spoken at TEDNext and TEDx London, Harvard, Stanford, SXSW, Google X Labs, San Francisco’s Exploratorium, Imperial College London, Zoom, VMware Explore, the London Science Museum, and INBOUND. At the same time, her work is consistently featured in prestigious print outlets like TIME magazine, Forbes, Science, Entrepreneur, the Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, Newsweek, SUCCESS Magazine, SELF, Men’s Health UK, and Fast Company.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 01/30/2026.

Mary Poffenroth Speaking Topics

  • Unshakable: Neurohacks for Resilience, Bravery & Breakthrough Thinking

    A Playbook for Thriving In Turbulent Times

    In today’s competitive business climate, fear isn’t just a personal challenge; it’s a performance killer. Left unchecked, it stifles innovation, erodes trust, and slows execution. Unshakable: Neurohacks for Resilience, Bravery & Breakthrough Thinking gives your people the science backed tools and proven strategies to turn fear into fuel, unlock untapped potential, and perform at their peak, even in uncertainty.

    Dr. Mary Poffenroth blends cutting edge neuroscience with unforgettable storytelling to deliver an interactive experience that doesn’t just inspire, it transforms. Your audience will walk away with practical, easy-to-implement “neurohacks” that hardwire courage, sharpen decision-making, and accelerate results across your organization.

    Why Top Organizations Book This Keynote

    • Break Performance Barriers: Learn how the brain processes fear and how to rewire it for greater execution.

    • Unlock Creativity & Innovation by dismantling fear driven barriers.

    • Gain Ready to Use Tools: Walk away with a personal toolkit of evidence based “neurohacks” for overcoming stress, fear, and anxiety in real time.

    • Drive Measurable Impact: Translate psychological breakthroughs into tangible business results, from improved collaboration to faster problem-solving.

    • Foster a Courage First Culture: Equip leaders and teams with the skills to navigate disruption with confidence and agility.

    Ideal For:

    • High performance teams in competitive or disruptive markets.
    • Organizations seeking to strengthen resilience and adaptability.
    • Leadership development and culture building initiatives.
    • C-Suite and senior leaders driving transformation.

  • Brave New Solutions

    Innovation & Ideation Workshops

    Communicate Across Silos. Connect Diverse Thinkers. Collaborate Inclusively.

    Want to increase creativity, decrease stress and generate more innovative solutions? Then you need an evidence-based framework to provide strategies and understanding so you can move from reactive fear to courageous exploration.

    These events build and empower tightly bonded, innovative, high performing teams that have complex problems to solve sooner rather than later.

    One of the traits that separates incredibly high performing leaders like Pixar’s Ed Catmull and Virgin’s Richard Branson from everyone else is their constant and blatant use of the F word: Fear. It’s one of our most basic human emotions and keeps us safe, but it can really get in the way of our goals and desires. When we’re in the throes of even a mild fear response, the intellectual part of our brain where all our brilliant thoughts and ideas come from shuts down as we go into survival mode. Learn how to short circuit this response from the everyday stressors of life to cultivate a personal and organizational culture that supports a healthy relationship with fear for success.

    This workshop combines Mary Poffenroth's best neurohacks with the LEGO Serious Play and Design Thinking methodologies for a unique and bespoke workshop based on your needs. Run time is 3 to 7 hours and is best for teams of 15 or less.

    Who’s a Great Fit?

    • Perfect for breakthrough thinking, collaboration, and ideation.​
    • For teams that are stuck or hitting communication barriers.
    • Projects that have distinct goals or specific outcomes that they can’t seem to reach.

Mary Poffenroth Videos

Mary Poffenroth Demo Reel

Mary Poffenroth Demo Reel

Mary is a Neurohacking Biopsychologist, keynote speaker, and author who helps organizations in technology, finance, and creative industries transform...

Mary Poffenroth - INBOUND Bold Talks

Mary Poffenroth - INBOUND Bold Talks

The Myth of Fearlessness

Mary Poffenroth | TEDxImperialCollege

Mary Poffenroth | TEDxImperialCollege

The Myth of Fearlessness

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Mary Poffenroth is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Unshakable: Neurohacks for Resilience, Bravery & Breakthrough Thinking and Brave New Solutions. The estimated speaking fee range to book Mary Poffenroth for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Mary Poffenroth generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Pooja Lakshmin, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, Dr. Ashley Smith, David H. Rosmarin and Savvas Trichas. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Mary Poffenroth for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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