Xuan Zhao, Ph.D. 
CEO & Co-Founder, Flourish Science
Behavioral Scientist, Stanford University
Email: [email protected]
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How Do We Connect with Other People?
And with Humanlike Machines?

RESEARCH

How can we create better social interactions and conversations in person and online, where people feel seen, heard, and appreciated? And what can robots and emerging technologies teach us about being human?
​Find out more on my RESEARCH page.​
"Can’t we go five minutes without you checking your flower?"

FROM RESEARCH TO APPLICATION

There is nothing more practical than a good theory.  —Kurt Lewin
As the CEO and Co-Founder of Flourish Science, I'm on a mission to make the scientific insights of happiness and well-being truly personalized, fun, actionable, and accessible 24/7. Our app combines cutting-edge AI with behavioral science and human-centered design to enhance positive emotions, social connection, daily resilience, and life satisfaction.

My decision to found Flourish stems from 15 years of experience in making science and technology accessible and impactful for social good, including:
  • Designing and evaluating volunteer moderator training to foster respectful and inclusive conversation on social media (with Stanford SPARQ and Nextdoor);
  • Co-creating the ABOT (Anthropomorphic roBOT) Database—an image collection of real-world anthropomorphic robots (with Brown University Social Cognitive Sciences Research Center);
  • Designing science-based, improv-inspired inclusion and communication workshops such as "Inclusion in Practice: Appreciating Our Differences" (with Chicago Booth and The Second City);
  • Collaborating with Illumen Capital to foster diversity and inclusion in the investment world;
  • Designing "Leading with Empathy" to teach the science and practice of empathy for personal development and social innovation (with Brown Leadership Institute).

Media 

Discover more articles, videos, and podcasts on my MEDIA page.

MORE ABOUT ME

Before joining Stanford, I completed my postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and earned my PhD in Psychology from Brown University. I also visited the Graduate School of Business and the Department of Psychology at Stanford as an Exchange Scholar. I received my B.Sc. from Chu Kochen College, Zhejiang University and traveled around the world as part of the Semester At Sea program in my senior year in college. ​I enjoy reading, writing, public speaking, nature, food, and heartfelt conversations with friends.
Harvesting homegrown tomatoes and checking my flowers in my backyard.