Dr. Brené Brown is a renowned research professor at the University of Houston, where she holds the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work. She also holds a visiting professorship in management at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business. Brown has dedicated the past two decades to studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She is a best-selling author, with six of her books reaching the number one spot on the New York Times Best Seller list. Her titles include "Atlas of the Heart," "Dare to Lead," "Braving the Wilderness," "Rising Strong," "Daring Greatly," and "The Gifts of Imperfection." In addition to her books, Brown co-edited the best-selling anthology "You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience" with Tarana Burke.
Brown's work has gained international recognition, with her TED talk on the Power of Vulnerability being one of the top five most-viewed TED talks in the world, with over 50 million views. She is also the first researcher to have a filmed lecture on Netflix, and in March 2022, she launched a new show on HBO Max that focuses on her latest book, "Atlas of the Heart." Brown is committed to helping develop braver leaders and more-courageous cultures in organizations around the world. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, Steve, and their two children, Ellen and Charlie, and a Bichon named Lucy.
Brown was born in San Antonio, Texas, and spent much of her early years in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was baptized in the Episcopal Church and then raised Catholic, but left the church and then came back almost two decades later together with her husband and children. Brown received her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin in 1995 and completed her Master of Social Work in 1996. She then went on to study at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, where she earned her Ph.D. in 2002. Brown is currently the chair of the Brene Brown Endowed Huffington Foundation at the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston.