Naomi Bagdonas

Lecturer in Management

Academic Area:

Research Interests

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Humor in Business
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Brand Strategy

Bio

Contact: nbagdonas@stanford.edu

Naomi is a strategic conversation designer for executive off-sites, and a media and strategy consultant versed in human perceptions and the science of humor. She facilitates executive workshops and off-sites for the boards and leadership teams of startups to Fortune 100 companies. Naomi has dedicated her career to understanding and fostering the conditions necessary to spark innovation, spur alignment, and create lasting impact. Recognizing that companies are often held back not by technical challenges, but human ones, she has focused her work on helping executives and their teams mitigate or dissolve those barriers to progress through thoughtfully crafted, interactive experiences.

As a media consultant, Naomi works with executives and high profile individuals to hone personal brand perceptions and authentically infuse humor into their style. She coaches clients remotely and in-person, focused on events ranging from appearances on The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live, to company All Hands meetings, to political campaign speeches, to talks delivered at United Nations forums. 

In her spare time, Naomi enjoys teaching improv comedy to inmates of the SF County Jail, backpacking in the Sierras, and fostering a revolving door of rescue dogs whom she adores and who systematically destroy everything she owns.

 

Academic Degrees

  • MBA, Stanford GSB, 2015
  • BA, Economics & Psychology, Claremont McKenna College, 2009

Academic Appointments

  • Lecturer, Stanford GSB, 2016-present

Professional Experience

  • Experience Design and Facilitation, Leadership Center for Clients, Deloitte, 2015-present
  • Business Designer, IDEO, 2014
  • Client Experience Designer, Deloitte, 2011-2013
  • Strategy and Operations Consultant, Deloitte Consulting, 2009-2013
  • Investment Analyst, YSO Capital Management LLC, 2006

Publications

Books

Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas
Currency
February 2021

Teaching

Executive Education & Other Non-Degree Programs

Act with power, strengthen negotiating skills, learn to manage teams, and lead with impact in this unique leadership program for women on the rise.

Stanford Case Studies

Drake Pooley, Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas, Connor Diemand-Yauman
2023
Imogen Mansfield, Jennifer Aaker, Connor Diemand-Yauman, Naomi Bagdonas
2021
Oriekose Idah, Connor Diemand-Yauman, Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas
2021
Jennifer Aaker; Naomi Bagdonas, Tom Bedecarré, Blake Kavanaugh
2020
Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas, Jeffrey Conn
2019
Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas, Jeffrey Conn, Jean Oelwang, Greg Rose
2019
Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas, Jeffrey Conn, Matthew Saucedo
2019
Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas, Peter Seibert
2018
Peter Seibert, Sophia Pink, Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas
2018
Peter Seibert, Naomi Bagdonas, Jennifer Aaker
2018
Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas, Peter Seibert, Eric Gurian
2018
Debra Schifrin, Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas, Leslie Blodgett, David Hornik, Kelly Leonard, Anne Libera
2018
Paricha Duangtaweesub, Naomi Bagdonas, Jennifer Aaker
2018
Scott Katalenich, Naomi Bagdonas, Jennifer Aaker
2018
Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas, Steve Reardon
2018
Jordan Raney, Wendy Reicher, Vanessa Lide, Naomi Bagdonas, Jennifer Aaker
2018
Peter Seibert, Sophia Pink, Naomi Bagdonas, Jennifer Aaker
2018
Jennifer Aaker, Naomi Bagdonas, Peter Seibert, Sara Blakely
2018

Insights by Stanford Business

July 07, 2022
The latest books from Stanford GSB faculty and lecturers.
January 28, 2022
Wealthy people may be happier. But a new study finds that money can’t buy a sense of purpose.
December 15, 2021
Five lessons in five minutes from Stanford GSB professors and lecturers.
November 01, 2021
Five lessons in five minutes: Professor Jennifer Aaker and her team teach you how to make humor your superpower.
April 19, 2021
We’ve compiled top insights and advice from previous episodes to help you cultivate a compelling professional presence through the screen.
January 28, 2021
Humor has tremendous benefits for physical health, mental well-being, and your bottom line.
December 11, 2020
Cozy up and listen up to our top episodes from 2020.
June 22, 2020
In this podcast episode, we dissect how to use humor to build bonds in business and in life.
December 04, 2017
Readers keyed into humor’s workplace value, the secret to improving communication skills, and advice from Sheryl Sandberg and Marc Andreessen.
August 21, 2017
Stanford GSB professors suggest a reading list of articles and books related to the concept.
July 11, 2017
You are not as funny as you should be, and your company is suffering because of it.

School News

September 28, 2017
Gentry Magazine learns how Stanford Professor Jennifer Aaker and Lecturer Naomi Bagdonas, MBA ’15 are bringing humor to the classroom and business world.
November 02, 2016
This fall, the Stanford Graduate School of Business welcomed six new professors — including the 2016 winner of the prestigious John Bates Clark award, Yuliy Sannikov — and 11 lecturers.