Shankar Vedantam

Shankar Vedantam has been reporting on human behavior and social science research for more than 25 years. In 2010, he published a book further exploring these topics and introducing the idea of “the hidden brain.” He is also well-known for his keynote and motivational speaking. Shankar Vedantam is available to be hired for corporate and private events. Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group today to inquire about Shankar Vedantam’s fees.

Want to book Shankar Vedantam for an event?

Contact the Mollie Plotkin Group at 215-995-0905 to book Shankar Vedantam for a keynote speech, corporate event, leadership program, workshop, fireside chat, virtual appearance, or other private or professional event.

Our team will help confirm Shankar Vedantam’s availability, speaking fee, travel requirements, and fit for your audience. To start the booking process, please share your event date, location, audience size, event format, and the type of presentation you are looking for.

The Mollie Plotkin Group is a full-service keynote speaker agency and entertainment bureau that helps organizations secure keynote speakers, entertainers, athletes, celebrities, and thought leaders for corporate meetings, conferences, fundraisers, and special events.

Before becoming well-known with NPR, Shankar Vedantam spent 10 years as a national correspondent at The Washington Post. From 2007 to 2009, Shankar Vedantam also served as a columnist, writing the Department of Human Behavior column for “The Post.” Then in 2009-2010, Vedantam served as a fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. Finally, between 2011 and 2020, Shankar was NPR’s social science correspondent. In addition to his other work, Shankar is the author of the book The Hidden Brain. He is also co-author of the book Useful Delusions, with Bill Mesler.

The Hidden Brain

Shankar and NPR launched the Hidden Brain podcast in 2015. The podcast receives more than three million downloads per week and its radio show counterpart is featured on nearly 400 public radio stations around the United States. Vedantam and Hidden Brain have been recognized by:

• The Edward R Murrow Award
• The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• The Society for Personality and Social Psychology
• The International Society of Political Psychology
• The Society of Professional Journalists
• The National Association of Black Journalists
• The Austen Riggs Center, the American Psychoanalytic Association
• The Webby Awards
• The Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors
• The South Asian Journalists Association
• The Asian American Journalists Association
• The Pennsylvania Newspaper Association
• The American Public Health Association
• The Templeton-Cambridge Fellowship on Science and Religion, and the Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowship.

In 2019, Shankar launched Hidden Brain Media to connect more deeply with his audience and to experiment with new platforms and media.

What is the “Hidden Brain?”

“Hidden brain” is a term Shankar created to describe a range of influences that manipulate us without our awareness. Some aspects of the hidden brain have to do with mental shortcuts or heuristics, others are related to errors in the way memory and attention work, and some deal with social dynamics and relationships.

By drawing a simple line between mental activities we are aware of and mental activities we are not aware of, the “hidden brain” subsumes many concepts in wide circulation: the unconscious, the subconscious, and the implicit.

To hire Shankar Vedantam for an event, contact the Mollie Plotkin Group with the proposed event date, location, audience size, event format and program goals. Shankar Vedantam is available for corporate events, conferences, leadership meetings, private events, workshops, fireside chats and virtual programs.

After receiving your request, a Mollie Plotkin Group booking agent will review Shankar Vedantam’s availability, discuss the event details and get back to you within 48 hours with next steps for securing Shankar Vedantam for your program.

The cost to book Shankar Vedantam depends on the event date, location, format, audience size and scope of the appearance. Shankar Vedantam’s speaking fee ranges from $75,000 to $85,000. Speaking fees may vary for keynote speeches, workshops, fireside chats, private events, corporate meetings and virtual programs.

For the most accurate Shankar Vedantam booking fee, contact the Mollie Plotkin Group with your event details. Our team will help confirm availability, pricing and the best format for your event.