Shabnam Mogharabi

Shabnam Mogharabi has more than 15 years of experience in media and entertainment building startups and organizations with an emphasis on digital content, social platforms, production, and news media. She served as CEO of SoulPancake, an inspiring entertainment company she co-founded with actor Rainn Wilson that creates daily positive, socially conscious videos about human connection. As CEO, she was responsible for steering the company’s vision, safeguarding its mission, and supercharging its growth past its current community of 10M fans online and nearly 1B video views. She also advises SoulPancake’s parent company, Participant Media, and its board on strategic issues, acquisition opportunities, and the company’s social impact goals.

Prior to SoulPancake, Shabnam was an award-winning journalist and editor, having served as the youngest Editor-in-Chief at Hanley Wood Business Media, where she oversaw a group of 4 print publications, 8 websites and e-newsletters, and 3 annual live events in the real estate space. Under her leadership, the group weathered downsizing and consolidation during the financial and housing crisis of 2008, yet surpassed annual revenue growth and profitability targets by 20%. One of the youngest winners of the Jesse H. Neal Award (the Pulitzer Prize of B2B journalism), Shabnam has worked as a contributing writer, editor, and stringer for a number of publications, including People, Pool & Spa News, Sunset, and HuffPost. She is a New York Times bestselling author with SoulPancake: Chew on Life’s Big Questions.

Shabnam is honored to be a member of the 2016 class of Henry Crown Fellows and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. She is a frequent speaker on the importance of joy, how to connect with Millennials, and meaningful online engagement. She resides in Los Angeles, where she is active with a number of interfaith organizations and volunteers with the Crisis Text Line. She is on the advisory board of Wayfarer Entertainment and also consults for several feature films in development. Shabnam received her B.A. in journalism and business administration from the University of Southern California and her Master’s in media management from Northwestern University.

Don’t Just Be Happy. Be an Ambassador of Joy.

Joy is not a bad word. You are not a Pollyanna if you are an optimist. As a society, we have to

unlearn what we have been taught about “joy” because when put into action, joy is a propelling and powerful force for good. It has the power to feed our sense of purpose and also create an innovative company culture. In this insightful, interactive session, former SoulPancake CEO, Shabnam Mogharabi, will share practical tips and easy-to-implement learnings from her work creating uplifting and inspiring video content about what it takes to truly bring more joy into your life both personally and professionally. The session will dig into the lessons learned from the field of positive psychology, share videos about the importance of gratitude and finding your voice, and also get audiences participating in exercises that will shift their perspective on the infectious power of joy.

Powered by Purpose: Why Doing Good is Good Business

In his 2018 letter to CEOs, BlackRock Chairman Larry Fink stated that in order for a company to survive, it must not only deliver financially but also show how it “makes a positive contribution to society.” The writing is on the wall – a company without purpose is a company without a plan… and without a future employee base, as more and more Millennials opt to work for companies who stand for something. SoulPancake has had purpose in its DNA since the beginning. In this leadership session, former SoulPancake CEO, Shabnam Mogharabi, will discuss her company’s mission and origin story and show case studies that illustrate why being powered by purpose not only creates impact but drives revenue. If you believe storytelling has the power to shape the world and give us meaning, then this session will motivate you to think differently about what you stand for as a company.

Get Awkward: The Power of Authenticity

Positive psychology tells us that finding your authentic voice and having a clear sense of self and identity are critical to feeling fulfilled as a human being. But how do you find your way to authenticity? How do you know what your true voice is? In this keynote, SoulPancake co-founder Shabnam Mogharabi will share insights around how to force yourself to feel awkward and uncomfortable in an effort to tab into your vulnerability, and ultimately the authentic personal voice and interpersonal connections that make us who we are.

SoulPancake’s Secrets To Success

Founded by actor Rainn Wilson, SoulPancake is a place to explore life’s big questions and figure out what it means to be human. It’s a mission-driven company that has figured out a way to cut through the noise and clutter of content creation, to rise up as the leaders of meaningful entertainment. Named as one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Companies in Video” the team at SoulPancake has cracked the code to delivering inspiring stories, connecting with the hearts and minds of millennials, and activating an audience of over 7 Million fans and followers. Join former SoulPancake’s CEO, as she shares the secrets to the community engagement, fan retention, and creative secret sauce of SoulPancake.