The Science of Happiness Creators & Guests

Dacher Keltner is a Professor of Psychology at University of California, Berkeley, where he directs the Berkeley Social Interaction Lab. He is also the founder and faculty director of the Greater Good Science Center and host of the podcast The Science of Happiness.

Alexis Cariello is a social worker.

Dr. Paul Kelly is a Lecturer in Physical Activity for Health at the University of Edinburgh.

Justin Michael Williams is an author, inspirational entertainer, a top 20 recording artist, and a transformational speaker.

Lama Rod Owens is a writer, teacher, activist, and author of the book, Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation.

Dr. Kristin Neff is the co-founder of the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion.

Daniel Levitin is a cognitive psychologist, neuroscientist, writer, musician, and record producer.

Amber Wallin is an LA-based comedian, host, and filmmaker who's amassed over a million followers on TikTok and Instagram (burr_iam) where she annoys her family, sings to her indoor plants, and creates characters inspired by her wig collection.

Amy Schneider is an American engineering manager and game show contestant. Winning 40 consecutive games on the quiz show Jeopardy! from November 2021 to January 2022, she holds the second-longest win streak in the program's history, behind only Ken Jennings, who hosted the show as she competed.

Ike Sriskandarajah is an Emmy award-winning radio producer, and reporter. Currently, he is a Producer at This American Life. Previously, he was a senior producer for Reveal Podcast.

Drew Ackerman is the creator and host of Sleep With Me, the one-of-a-kind bedtime story podcast featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Buzzfeed, Mental Floss, and Dr. Oz. Born out of Drew's childhood insomnia, Sleep With Me was inspired by late-night comedy radio, which was the only thing that helped him fall asleep. Created in 2013, Sleep With Me combines the pain of insomnia with the relief of laughing and turns it into a unique storytelling podcast. Drew's stories on the show are inspired by his childhood as the oldest of six children and past jobs as a fuzzy dice and iron-on patch salesperson, fruit fly monitor for the State of California, and librarian for one of the largest jails in the country. Through Sleep With Me, Drew has dedicated himself to help those who feel alone in the deep dark night and just need someone to tell them a bedtime story.

Dan Harris is a correspondent for ABC News, an anchor for Nightline and co-anchor for the weekend edition of Good Morning America. He is the host of "10% Happier" podcasts are interviews with other meditators.

After joining the United States Marine Corps on October, 2003, Sal was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines as a machine gunner. A year later, he found himself in Ramadi, Iraq, where he gave back much more for his country than he anticipated.“I was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED) and was in a coma for about a week,” says Sal. “I woke up at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Months later, my left leg was amputated below the knee.”It was during his stay at Bethesda that Sal first became involved with Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP). He was invited to participate in a Project Odyssey®, where he learned to rock climb, in spite of his injuries. This experience inspired him to stay involved with WWP and to continue his focus on music, both of which were vital to his recovery.“I work on writing songs every afternoon. Playing and writing music has always been my passion, and luckily, my injury has not affected that at all. I’m always striving to improve and earn that next standing ovation – which I’ve been lucky to have had many in my career.”Sal’s talent with music has garnered him an appearance on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” and the television show “Nashville.” He also recently performed with country music star Keith Urban, which was a highlight of his career. His ultimate goal would be a record deal, but his primary motivation comes from his fellow injured warriors.“You can never forget that life has inspiration all around us. Just look at all the wounded service members in WWP who are such good role models. Those are the men and women I admire most.”

Calvin S. Cato is a comedian, freelance editor, writer, and storyteller. He also hosted and co-produced the video game podcast "The Playable Characters Podcast."Cato has appeared on the Game Show Network, Oxygen’s "My Crazy Love," and National Geographic’s "Brain Games." He has appeared in San Francisco Sketchfest, Austin’s Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, Brooklyn Pride, Gotham Storytelling Festival, FlameCon, and the Women in Comedy Festival. He has appeared on the podcasts "Keith and The Girl," "The Beige Philip Show," "RISK!," "Guys We F*cked," "Las Culturistas," and "Tinder Tales." (featured in AV Club and Splitsider).Cato received his B.A. in English from Wesleyan University, where he was a member of the Wesleyan University stand-up comedy troupe Punchline.

Dr. Temple Grandin is an American scientist, academic and animal behaviorist.

Judge Jeremy Fogel is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Currently, he is the Executive Director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute at Berkeley Law School.Prior to his appointment as a federal judge, Fogel was a judge for the municipal court and superior court of Santa Clara County CA and Director of the Federal Judicial Center.