Neuroscientist. Author. Decision Expert.
Empowering the science of smarter decisions for leaders, teachers, students.
About
Dr. Stuart Zola
Dr. Stuart Zola is a neuroscientist whose work has shaped how we understand memory, decision-making, and cognitive health. From pioneering research on the brain’s memory systems to co-founding innovative neurotechnology companies, his career bridges science and real-world impact.
Today, he brings that expertise into classrooms and organizations through engaging talks and Visual Thinking workshops, rooted in the teachings of his mentor Tony Buzan, the grandfather of Visual Thinking, designed to make better decision-making accessible to all.
Leading with a Full Deck
Leading with a Full Deck uses a deck of ordinary playing cards to support rich metaphors and structural devices for leadership, coaching, startup design, healthcare, and scientific research. Each suit, rank, color , and Joker provide credible scaffolds for ideas, e.g., the leader as the ”dealer” and strategist of the deck, card values as ranks or levels and roles, colors and jokers as uncertainty and adaptability, and the idea that a leadership team plays with a full deck. The metaphor also reinforces the understanding of risk and role of luck in outcomes, and the importance of thinking inside the box.
Keynotes and 1.5-3.0 Hour Interactive Workshops Available with Dr. Stuart Zola
Visual Thinking / Decision Making Workshops
The Visual Thinking / Decision Making Workshop brings decision-making to life by combining proven frameworks with powerful visual tools like mind mapping. Designed for K-12 educators, students, corporate and industry leaders, the workshop transforms abstract thinking into something visible, structured, and actionable.
Upcoming Events
-
Decide Already! The science and practice of better decision-making.
9:00AM - 10:30AM
September 11, 2026
The Detour, at the Hatchery Center for Innovation at Emory UniversityFree and open to the public
-
Decisions - How to make Better Ones!
September 18-20, 2026
Neurology World Conference, 2026
Hilton Garden Inn, Miami Dolphin Mall,
Miami, Florida -
What? We Have Two Different Memory Systems in the Brain?
September 28, 2026
Canterbury Court, Buckhead
-
Decide Already! The Science and Practice of Better Decision-Making tem
Canterbury Court, Buckhead
October - TBA Date and Time
-
Decisions: Brain Mechanisms for Deciding - Workshop
4th International Conference on Neurology & Neurological Disorders
Paris, France
Oct 15, 2026, 3:00 AM - Oct 16, 2026, 12:00 PM (EST)
-
Really Strange Things People Do In Their Sleep: The Science of Sleep and Dreams
Canterbury Court, Buckhead
November, 2026 TBA Date and Time -
Decisions, Decisions - How To Make Better Ones - Workshop
4th International Congress on Psychology & Behavioral Sciences
Barcelona, Spain
Mar 18, 2027, 4:00 AM - Mar 19, 2027, 1:00 PM (EST)
Four Points by Sheraton Barcelona
Companies and Credentials
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Fellow
ThinkBuzan
Official Licensed Instructor
Mikki Williams Speakers School
Graduate
Member, Georgia Creative Economy Collective (CEC)
Member
Northeastern University
PhD, Neuroscience
Neurotrack, Inc.
Co-Founder
MapHabit, Inc.
Co-Founder
Quiet Developments, LLC
Founder & CEO