Mo Gawdat

Mo Gawdat is the former Chief Business Officer for Google [X], international bestselling author of Solve for Happy, Scary Smart and That Little Voice in Your Head, and host of the popular podcast, Slo Mo.

In 2013, Gawdat moved to Google’s famous but secretive innovation arm, Google [X]. There, as Chief Business Officer, he led projects like Project Loon, which aims to use high-altitude balloons to provide affordable internet access and Project Makani, which aims to revolutionise wind energy generation using autonomous carbon fibre kites. Gawdat also worked on self-driving cars, Google Life Sciences and many other projects still under development. 

Gawdat has always been fascinated by the concept of happiness. He and his son Ali created an algorithm and a repeatable, well-engineered model to reach a state of uninterrupted happiness, regardless of one’s circumstances. In 2014, this model was put to the ultimate test when Gawdat lost his son Ali to a preventable medical error. Coming to terms with this tragic loss, Gawdat wrote his international bestselling book, Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy (2017). The book’s happiness equation and its dedication to Ali serve as the pillar for Gawdat’s personal mission to deliver his happiness message to one billion people around the world (#onebillionhappy).

In 2021, Mo published Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World, a guide to navigating the future of ethics in light of the rise of machines and AI. It was named as one of the The Times‘ and Sunday Times‘ top business books of the year.

His latest book is That Little Voice in Your Head: Adjust the Code That Runs Your Brain (2022), a user manual for using the human brain optimally to thrive and prevent suffering.