BJ Fogg

BJ Fogg is best known for promoting the concept of “captology,” a word he coined to describe the overlap between persuasion and computers. The founder of the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab, he is one of the most sought-after thinkers in Silicon Valley today. As a psychologist, he brings a new perspective on working with technology innovations. He holds at least seven patents, and has additional patents pending. He is the author of the New York Times Bestseller Tiny Habits.

BJ Fogg has held full-time positions at Interval Research, HP Labs, Sun Microsystems, and Casio Research. In 2003, shortly after publishing his book, he began investigating how computers can help people develop close personal relationships. This work led to a startup and the internet service YackPack. Stanford University awarded BJ the Maccoby Prize in 1998 for four years of experimental research into how computers can change people’s attitudes and behaviors.

He is the founder and director of Stanford’s annual Mobile Health conference. Fogg has created a new model of human behavior change. In 2011, the World Economic Forum selected the Fogg Behavior Model as their framework for health behavior change.

BJ Fogg applies his findings to companies like eBay (where he’s working to improve customer service) and Nike (where he has helped simplify its sports-technology line), and shares his insights with his worldwide audiences. His research goes deep into investigating the psychology of Facebook and how website or cellphone design can impact consumers, and he has started research into Peace Innovation (the vision is to innovate persuasive technologies that can bring about world peace in thirty years).

BJ’s lifework is to shape technology innovation in ways that benefit the world and make people happier, and his powerful and passionate presentations draw us all that little bit closer.