Anjali Kumar + Dr. Anthony Rao

How can I live my life on my own terms? What mental and spiritual tools do I need to tap into my own power?

If you have ever asked yourself these questions, or wondered about the scientific underpinnings of how to realize an intention, then Dr. Anthony Rao might hold some answers. He believes that we can access our personal agency with seven principles: to control stimuli, associate selectively, move, position yourself as a learner, manage your emotions and beliefs, check your intuition, deliberate, and then act.

In this conversation, he compares notes with Anjali Kumar. Her successful career in the business world as an “idea acupuncturist” is founded on the introduction of a spiritual dimension to the work environments she is charged with animating. So what role does spirituality play in self-motivation and self-empowerment?

A book signing with the speakers follows the program, featuring Dr. Rao’s The Power of Agency and Ms. Kumar’s Stalking God.

About the Speakers

Anjali Kumar is a Brooklyn-born, first-generation Indian American author, attorney, advisor, speaker, and “idea acupuncturist.” She was most recently the Founding Chief People Officer and Founding General Counsel at Cheddar, a news network startup based in Manhattan.

Anjali was formerly the Founding Head of Social Innovation and Founding General Counsel at Warby Parker. Prior to joining Warby Parker, Anjali was Founding General Counsel at Acumen and Senior Counsel at Google where she was a commercial and product attorney on areas ranging from Google X to YouTube. While at Google, Anjali curated and hosted the @Google Speaker Series on campus in New York City featuring thought leaders including Anthony Bourdain, Marcus Samuelsson, Garance Doré, Questlove, and Jacques Pépin. From this speaker series, Anjali hosted a YouTube interview series “Lunchtime at Google.” Anjali recently co-founded The Justice Dept., a women led firm focusing on legal counsel and business strategy for female entrepreneurs, executives, talent, and brands in technology, consumer product, entertainment, and fashion. Anjali recently joined the board of Happy Money, the only financial company to combine psychology and money to help people live happy lives. Anjali’s lectures often deal with questions around innovation and diversity. As an “idea acupuncturist,” Anjali brings a spiritual approach to the business world. She doesn’t give black or white answers to businesses or problems, she looks at a set of issues and works on pressure points using unique interventions to help keep the energy flowing into an idea or business. Her “beautiful, inspiring, and funny” talk at TEDWomen based on her book Stalking God: My Unorthodox Search for Something to Believe In, has been watched by over 2.7 million people around the world and translated into 19 languages.

Dr. Anthony Rao (pronounced Ray-Oh) holds a PhD in psychology from Vanderbilt University. For 20 years, Dr. Rao worked in the Department of Psychiatry at Boston Children’s Hospital and served as instructor at Harvard Medical School, where he supervised psychologists and physicians in their training. With humor and sensitivity, Dr. Rao empowers others with practical tools to address the challenges they face. His most recent book is The Power of Agency: The 7 Principles to Conquer Obstacles, Make Effective Decisions & Create a Life On Your Own Terms. It links the rise of stress and fear in America to the erosion of our better selves. It outlines 7 principles that people of all ages can use to stay mindful, think more clearly, and make sound decisions. It guides people to uncover the inner skills and strengths they already possess to get themselves onto successful and more meaningful paths.

Dr. Rao has been a featured expert on documentaries for MTV and the A&E Channel. He has been interviewed for articles in the New Yorker, The Boston Globe, The Washington Times, and The Chicago Tribune, among others. His editorial letters and opinions have appeared in a wide range of publications including Newsweek, Scientific American, and the New York Times.