Sheena S. Iyengar, Ph.D.

Sheena S. Iyengar is the S.T. Lee Professor of Business at Columbia Business School and one of the world’s leading experts on choice and innovation. 

Sheena’s research has reshaped the way we think about decision-making. If you’ve ever heard of the "too much choice effect," or what is commonly known as “FOMO” (Fear of Missing Out), then you already know her work. Sheena’s dissertation, Choice and Its Discontents, earned the Society of Experimental Social Psychology’s Best Dissertation Award in 1998. In 2002, she received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, one of the highest honors presented to early-career researchers. Today, Sheena is the 2024 recipient of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology’s Scientific Impact Award, which recognizes 25 years of influential contributions to social psychology. 

A celebrated author, Sheena has brought her research to life in her books. The Art of Choosing (2010) was hailed as a Best Business Book of the Year by the Financial Times/Goldman Sachs, and ranked in Amazon's 2010 top ten business and investing books. Her latest book, Think Bigger: How to Innovate (2023), introduces a six-step method for innovation that ranked in the Thinkers50 Top Innovation Books of 2023 and earned the Axiom Business Book Award for Innovation (Gold) in 2024. 

Sheena is a thought leader, consistently ranked among the world’s top management thinkers by Thinkers50. Her two TED Talks have collectively garnered over 8 million views, and she is a sought-after speaker at premier global forums such as the World Economic Forum and the Aspen Ideas Festival. Her insights have been featured in leading publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, CNBC, The Economist, and Bloomberg Businessweek, and she has appeared on programs like Fareed Zakaria GPS and CBS Sunday Morning. Sheena has spoken as a keynote speaker to 500+ global organizations and industry leaders in technology, manufacturing, education, retail, consulting, finance, food and beverage, healthcare, beauty, and more. 

In addition to her academic and public achievements, Sheena founded Think Bigger Innovation Inc. This generative AI startup brings her six-step innovation method to life through its flagship tool, the Choice Mapper, which empowers anyone to solve problems and create new ideas, democratizing innovation for all. 

As a blind Indian American, Sheena has always aspired to empower people to see possibilities where others see limitations —a vision she brings to life through her science, business, and leadership. Outside of her professional endeavors, she enjoys shopping, swimming, and traveling. She is the mother of a teenager, which keeps her busy outside of work.