Dr. Anna Akbari is a sociologist, writer, speaker, and thought leadership advisor to high-profile individuals. She is the author of There Is No Ethan: How Three Women Uncovered America’s Biggest Catfish (June 2024), Startup Your Life: Hustle and Hack Your Way To Happiness, and the co-author of The Enneagram at Work: Unlocking the Power of Type to Lead and Succeed. She sits on the jury for the Gotham Book Prize.

Anna is a former professor in the department of Media, Culture, and Communication and the Visual Culture MA program at New York University, as well as Parsons School of Design. Her research focuses on visual and virtual self-presentation, identity construction, technology and human intersects, and happiness and well-being.

She is a frequent public speaker and media personality and has written for and been featured by The New York Times, CNN, Forbes, The Atlantic, TIME, The Economist, Financial Times, TED, Bulletproof Executive, Psychology Today, Vogue, Refinery29, Google Talks, and dozens more. She is a regular guest on SiriusXM's All Out Show.

Corporate consulting clients include Cisco, T3 Agency, Material (LRW), AT Kearney, Samsung, DIRECTV, Converse, Avon, Coca-Cola, Clorox, Lenovo, Tata Communications, SABMiller, Toyota, CableLabs, LG, YMCA Australia, Sprint, Vitamin Water, Pepsi, Beverage Marketing Corp., Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy, KBS+, Northstar, Sense Worldwide, and many more.

Though always a Californian at heart, Anna is a free-range global citizen who plays outside and sings karaoke as much as humanly possible. She donates her time speaking to and mentoring incarcerated and formerly incarcerated populations and is passionate about criminal justice reform.

Curious to learn more? Reach out to discuss a speaking engagement or media appearance, to work with Anna directly on a book project, or to develop your thought leadership platform. Follow on Instagram or Threads.