Emily Esfahani Smith

Emily Esfahani Smith is an author, writer, speaker, and psychotherapist-in-training based in Washington, DC, best known for her bestselling book *The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life That Matters*, which explores finding purpose through belonging, purpose, transcendence, and storytelling.[1][3][4] She draws on psychology, philosophy, and literature to examine the human experience and has contributed to publications like *The Atlantic*, *The Wall Street Journal*, and *The New York Times*, with her TED talk viewed over 15 million times.[1][2] A Dartmouth College graduate with a master's in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, she has worked as an instructor at UPenn, editor at the Hoover Institution, and reporter for the Aspen Institute’s Weave project.[1][2][3]