Honorary Chair

Martin Seligman is the Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology and Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, where he focuses on positive psychology, learned helplessness, prospection, optimism, and positive education. He is a best-selling author of several books, including Flourish. His recent book, The Hope Circuit, is his autobiography. His newest book is Agency: A Psychological History of Human Innovation (Simon and Schuster 2026). He received the American Psychological Society’s William James Fellow Award for basic science, the Cattell Award for the application of science, and three Lifetime Distinguished Scientist awards from the American Psychological Association. In 1996, Seligman was elected President of the American Psychological Association by the largest vote in modern history. He was named the single most influential psychologist in the world by Academic Influence.

Program Chair

Prof. Llewellyn E. van Zyl, PhD, is an award-winning positive psychologist and data scientist, internationally recognised for his work in employee wellbeing, organisational diagnostics, and human-centred machine learning. His research focuses on designing scientifically rigorous, AI-enabled diagnostic models that help organisations understand, predict, and improve employee experience and wellbeing.

With over 15 years of applied consulting experience and more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, his mission is to bridge the gap between behavioural science and organisational practice by advancing data-driven, technology-enabled approaches to enhance human flourishing at work. He is currently serving as a Professor of Positive Psychology at the Optentia Research Unit (North-West University), and Chief Solutions Architect with Psynalytics AI Driven People Analytics.

Executive Director, IPPA

Andrew Soren is the Executive Director of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA), a member of the instructional team for the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program, and host of the Meaningful Work Matters podcast. He is also the Founder & CEO of Eudaimonic by Design, a global network helping organizations design environments where people thrive, act with purpose, and deliver their best.

Engagement

Jazz Rasool has been an Executive Coach for 20+ years and is Director of the Artificial Intelligence Coaching Alliance, a group of over 620 coaches and researchers advocating innovative, yet ethical use of AI in Coaching, Mentoring, Supervision as well as Learning and Development. He created an AI Coaching platform in 2008 based on his intercultural psychology model. He is Global Research Lead for the European Mentoring and Coaching Council and sits on the Skills and Diversity Council for techUK.

Partnerships

Tatiana is a doctoral student and researcher in Positive Organizational Psychology at Claremont Graduate University. Her work focuses on well-being, growth mindset, and practical pathways to flourishing in challenging contexts, with a growing emphasis on AI-delivered positive psychology interventions. She co-authors peer-reviewed research, presents internationally, and designs workshops that translate psychological science into real-world tools for resilience, connection, and PERMA+4-based thriving.

Administration

Claire brings over 20 years of experience working in various sectors of the business world, from independently owned family businesses to multi-million dollar corporations. She provides web, copy, and graphics support, as well as oversees various functions requiring intense coordination to ensure accuracy and attention to detail when providing results to IPPA. When not working, she enjoys cooking, singing, writing, and sewing new creations.

Project Management

Sydney is an expert in participant experience and program design. She has been delivering programs based in positive psychology for over a decade, including roles with IPPA and for the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP), and as a consultant and entrepreneur. She believes in the power of events and gatherings, large and small, to promote well-being. Sydney also loves to dance and go to concerts.

Marketing

Olena Lima is a marketing and member engagement consultant who believes deeply in the power of communities to create lasting impact. As the founder of MemberBoat and host of the Membership Marketing School, she brings marketing expertise to professional associations and purpose-led membership organisations around the globe seeking to grow, evolve and stay relevant. Olena has helped build and strengthen communities across sectors, geographies and scales, from global healthcare and engineering networks to regional and rural groups, and many professional communities in between. Her work is driven by a commitment to meaningful connection, clear storytelling and practical strategy, helping organisations engage their members with purpose, confidence and heart.