Kasley Killam - About Kasley

Meet Kasley,
your
social health and connection expert.

Social scientist by training, innovative leader in practice,
human connector at heart.

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Kasley Killam, MPH, is a leading expert in social health and the award-winning author of The Art and Science of Connection: Why Social Health is the Missing Key to Living Longer, Healthier, and Happier. As a graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health, sought-after advisor and keynote speaker, and founder of Social Health Labs, Killam has been improving global well-being through connection for over a decade. Her collaborations with organizations like Google, the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the World Economic Forum contribute to building more socially healthy products, workplaces, and communities. Killam’s insights are featured in outlets such as The New York Times, Forbes, NPR, Scientific American, Psychology Today, and The Washington Post. Connect at www.kasleykillam.com.

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CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

  • 10+ years studying, sharing, and applying the science of human connection and passionate about translating the research so that people can live more socially healthy lives.

  • Completed a master’s at Harvard University focused on solutions for loneliness, a bachelor’s in psychology at Queen’s University in Canada, and professional certificates at Stanford and Columbia Universities.

  • Serves as an Advisor to the Aspen Institute’s Weave: The Social Fabric Project, on the Board of Directors for the Community Living Campaign, and on the Scientific Advisory Board for Only7Seconds.

  • Led a national community engagement strategy for Verily (Google Life Sciences), conducted research on positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, and launched a campaign and app to promote empathy and kindness that won an award at Stanford University.

  • Featured in The New York Times, NPR, The Guardian, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, Vox, The Boston Globe, Scientific American, Health Affairs, Psychology Today, The Globe & Mail, and more.

Join the Social Health Newsletter Community

If you are new to the idea of social health or looking for practical tips and inspiration, you’re in the right place! Sign up for regular updates to learn more and discover how to strengthen your social muscles.

Partner with Kasley to Amplify Your Team

As a strategic advisor and member of boards, taskforces, and committees, Kasley collaborates with teams across healthcare, technology, education, government, and other sectors in the US, Canada, and internationally.

Invite Kasley to
Inspire Your Audience

From corporate events at Fortune 100 companies to intimate gatherings at local nonprofits, Kasley engages diverse audiences with actionable keynotes, panels, and workshops personalized for your needs.

A Note from Kasley

Hi there, I’m excited to explore social health with you.

I’ve experienced firsthand the soaring joy of connection and community—and also the deep sorrow of relationship challenges.

You probably have too. We all go through highs and lows in our social lives. 

I’ve come to understand that cultivating meaningful relationships is as vital as exercise, nutrition, and sleep—and that social health is as important as physical and mental health.

That’s why I’ve spent over a decade developing and refining ways for us all to be more socially healthy.

My professional journey.

When I first came across the term “social health” buried in an academic journal, a lightbulb went off. Naturally building on the language of physical and mental health made perfect sense—helping me understand that social experiences influence not only my mood, but also the inner workings of my body.

But when I went to learn more, the search came up almost blank.

I realized that whereas the physical and mental pillars of health have been developed over decades, social health has been overlooked and underappreciated.

Until now.

My mission is to elevate the idea of social health and share practical ways that individuals, communities, organizations, and our society as a whole can be more socially healthy

Together, alongside a growing number of researchers, nonprofit founders, government leaders, corporate executives, and everyday people around the world, we are elevating the conversation on social health.

Now it’s your turn.
Are you ready to join the
social health movement?

Join us today.

Fun facts

I was born in Vancouver, Canada, have lived in 12 cities and 3 countries, and am now based in Southern California with my husband and our two bunnies, Sherbert and Sorbet.

When I was 15 years old, my mom and I spent a year living in a small fishing village on the Mediterranean Sea. I’ve loved traveling and experiencing different cultures ever since.

I took a gap year halfway through college to study method acting in Paris, meditation at a Buddhist monastery in Kathmandu, and positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Donald O. Hebb, the renowned psychologist who coined “neurons that fire together, wire together,” was my grandma’s cousin. Although I didn’t inherit his genius, I’m proud to call him a relative!

My hobbies have included guitar, fencing, hip-hop, pottery, sailing, painting, taekwondo, sewing, camping, softball, and poetry. I love trying new things.

I have given hugs to hundreds of strangers (and written about it here).

One time, the Dalai Lama sneezed on me.