ANNA AKBARI

In a world of millions of virtual connections and increasingly fewer real-world interactions, we will go to great lengths to form connections, find happiness, establish trust, bond deeply, and make a buck. Often, that demands presenting different aspects of our identities. Anna examines this and answers the question of when it crosses a line.

Anna Akbari, PhD is a sociologist, writer, coach, innovation consultant, and entrepreneur. A former instructor at New York University and Parsons School of Design, she is a frequent public speaker and media personality and has written for and been featured by Forbes, The Atlantic, TIME, The Economist, Financial Times, TED, Bulletproof Executive, Psychology Today, Google Talks, and dozens more. She is a regular contributor and guest on CNN and SiriusXM. Her book, Startup Your Life: Hustle and Hack Your Way To Happiness, teaches people to boost happiness and success by living their lives like a Silicon Valley startup. Her latest book is There Is No Ethan: How Three Women Caught America's Biggest Catfish.  Anna Akbari is exclusively represented by BrightSight Speakers bureau.

Speech topics

(Re)Creating "You": Ethics, Power, and Self-Expression in Modern Identity

As a professor at NYU and in her academic research, Anna's work focused on identity. Specifically, the relativity of it: Changing the way we show up in the world transforms our claim to power in social contexts. This is possible in both the "real" world and (increasingly) in virtual spaces. 

In other words, changing your “appearance” can change your reality.

We are no longer locked into the circumstances and biographies into which we are born. Instead, we are given a chance to dream beyond those limiting realities — toward an "aspirational identity." Perception, particularly in the age of technology, is the marker of reality. A prospect that is as liberating as it is terrifying.

But what are the ethical boundaries of those “aspirational” dreams, particularly on digital platforms?

In a world of millions of virtual connections and increasingly fewer real-world interactions, we will go to great lengths to form connections, find happiness, establish trust, bond deeply, and make a buck. Often, that demands presenting different aspects of our identities. When does it cross a line?

This talk explores the possibilities and pitfalls of changing what it means to be "You," while also looking at the ethical and professional considerations.

The Sociological Aftershocks of the Pandemic

Digital Happiness: How To Be the Boss of Technology

Pings, news alerts, social media likes, EMAIL. We all struggle to manage our 24/7 connection to technology in a way that feels healthy and balanced, often at the peril of our personal relationships, the work we produce, and even our own sanity. How do we reclaim some “sacred space” and allow ourselves to find flow in an overly mediated world, without compromising our work and professionalism?

In this presentation, sociologist Anna Akbari, PhD, applies her decade of research on human/technology relationships to offer rules to guide you toward digital happiness, personal well-being, and enhanced productivity in a hyper-connected world. Through audience engagement before and during the presentation, this presentation offers a customized understanding of the effects of digital engagement and helps you to optimize your relationship with technology by creating a framework for setting and following your own technology rules, in both your personal and professional life. Leaders and managers can apply this framework for setting the tone within their companies and industries.

Books

There Is No Ethan: How Three Women Caught America's Biggest Catfish

Part memoir, part explosive window into the mind of a catfish, a thrilling personal account of three women coming face-to-face with an internet predator and teaming up to expose them.

Startup Your Life: Hustle and Hack Your Way to Happiness

As an entrepreneur, Anna Akbari learned that one of the best things about startups is their ability to "pivot" quickly

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