Laurie Santos: Yale’s Star Professor Brings the Science of Happiness & Well-Being to Work

Laurie Santos is one of the world’s leading voices on the science of happiness and well-being. She’s a psychology professor at Yale University, where her course Psychology and the Good Life became the most popular class in Yale’s 300-year history. So many students enrolled that the university had to move it to a concert hall to accommodate the crowds. Building on that success, Laurie created the online version—The Science of Well-Being—which has now been taken by millions worldwide, making her one of the most influential teachers on happiness anywhere.

But Laurie’s work reaches far beyond the classroom. She hosts The Happiness Lab podcast, downloaded tens of millions of times, where she translates the latest scientific discoveries about human flourishing into insights anyone can use. Her ability to take rigorous research—whether from psychology, behavioral science, or neuroscience—and make it deeply practical is what has made her a global thought leader.

What she’s uncovered challenges some of our most deeply held assumptions. Laurie shows that the things we chase—money, promotions, material success—aren’t nearly as powerful as we think. Instead, small intentional practices like gratitude, social connection, exercise, and sleep have profound effects on our happiness and resilience. These findings are not just personally transformative; they have enormous implications for leaders and workplaces.

At a time when stress, burnout, and disconnection are at record highs, Laurie’s research is a wake-up call. She helps leaders see the blind spots that keep employees from thriving, and she offers evidence-based strategies for creating cultures of well-being that fuel both human and organizational performance. Her insights cut through outdated engagement metrics and show what really makes people flourish at work and in life.

This is a remarkable and powerfully insightful conversation that no leader, manager, or professional should miss. Laurie brings both the science and the practical wisdom to help us understand what truly drives human happiness—and why supporting employee well-being is one of the most important investments any organization can make.