Maya Madkour

Maya Madkour, PhD International Keynote Speaker | Well-Being & Positive Psychology Expert | Professor | Author Maya Madkour is an international keynote speaker, well-being expert, positive psychology specialist, author, and academic whose work explores the intersection of human well-being, positive psychology, peak performance, entrepreneurship, and organizational life. With a multidisciplinary academic background spanning sociology, psychology, coaching psychology, and business management, Maya brings a distinctive evidence-based perspective to the question of what enables individuals and organizations to thrive. She holds a Master’s degree in Applied Sociology from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology from the University of East London. She is currently completing a PhD in Business with Management at the University of Plymouth, where her doctoral research examines entrepreneurial well-being through a cross-cultural comparison of entrepreneurs in the United States and the United Arab Emirates. Maya has established herself as an international voice on well-being, resilience, motivation, human potential, and peak performance. She has delivered keynote presentations and professional talks internationally, including in Las Vegas, London, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai, engaging audiences across diverse cultural and professional environments. Her approach combines academic research with practical, accessible strategies that individuals and organizations can apply immediately. Rather than treating well-being as simply the absence of stress or burnout, Maya explores how people can cultivate the psychological resources, meaning, motivation, resilience, and positive functioning necessary to perform at their best while sustaining their well-being. She is the author of Find Your Fortune and Fearless Motivation, books that draw on evidence-based principles from positive psychology, well-being, motivation, and peak performance. Through her writing, speaking, and academic work, she seeks to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and everyday practice, translating complex psychological and social science concepts into ideas that inspire meaningful action. Maya's academic and professional perspective is inherently interdisciplinary. Her work draws upon sociology, psychology, positive psychology, coaching psychology, and business and management to examine how individuals, leaders, entrepreneurs, and organizations can create environments in which both people and performance can flourish. As a keynote speaker, Maya is particularly passionate about helping audiences rethink conventional approaches to flourishing and achievement. Her presentations explore themes such as the science of well-being, positive psychology, resilience, entrepreneurial well-being, motivation, human potential, peak performance, and creating sustainable success at both the leader and staff level. Whether speaking to corporate leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, or international professional audiences, Maya combines academic credibility, real-world insight, and an engaging speaking style to deliver keynotes that are both intellectually grounded and personally meaningful.