Alexandra, a Law graduate from the University of Bristol, has a diverse, decade-long career spanning humanitarian operations in Africa and the Middle East. Shea has worked in internal audit for a major donor and programme management for international charities, the UN, and the UK Government. Whilst living in Senegal, Alex co-founded a small business producing and distributing environmentally sustainable coconut products. At HLI, she spearheads operational tasks, optimising organisational policies and addressing bottlenecks. Outside of work, she enjoys outdoor activities like walking her Senegalese rescue dog, riding motorbikes and surfing (badly).

Ben assists the team in the pursuit of identifying the most cost-effective ways to deliver subjective wellbeing. He holds a First-Class Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Durham University, and a Masters in Behavioural Science from the LSE. His academic interests include the quantification of subjective wellbeing, the psychology of giving and new quantitative research methodologies. In his spare time he can be found travelling, playing the lesser-known sport of Roundnet or curled up with his cat and a book.

Dom has broad experience, ranging from digital marketing, to creative writing, to UX content design. In his career, he has worked for Google, Meta and NHS. He has a degree in Consumer Behaviour and Marketing. His interests include Buddhist philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, AI, and brain-computer interfaces.

Caspar is an assistant professor in behavioural science at Warwick Business School and a research fellow at Oxford University’s Wellbeing Research Centre. He holds a DPhil in Social Policy. His research focuses on the measurement and determinants of wellbeing.

Sam is a Research Scientist at BetterUp. She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University. Before joining BetterUp, she was a Clinical Research Scientist at Happify Health and a management consultant at Boston Consulting Group.

Prof Lord Layard joined the HLI board in 2024. He is one of the first economists to work on happiness, and his main current interest is how evidence on subjective wellbeing can lead to better public polices. He is a also a labour economist who has worked for much of his life on how to reduce unemployment and inequality. He was founder-director of LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance, and is now director of the Centre’s programme on Wellbeing. 

Karolina is the co-founder and Director of Programs at Charity Entrepreneurship, where she oversees key initiatives and mentors participants in starting high-impact charities. She also advises several nonprofits.

Victoria’s research explores how health, psychological factors, and norms interact with poverty and economic development. She is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Melbourne and Chief Investigator of the Gender Lab. Her work is published in leading journals such as the American Economic Review.

Sara is a Visiting Research Fellow at the London School of Economics, working in the Centre for Economic Performance on the Wellbeing Value for Money of Government policies. Previously, she authored the UK’s Wellbeing Guidance for Appraisal and was Head of Evidence at the What Works Centre for Wellbeing.

Mark is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the University of Warwick, focusing on well-being theory and measurement. His research uses a trans-disciplinary approach, integrating philosophy, politics, and economics.

Crick, PhD, is a Professor of Global Mental Health at King’s College London and an Honorary Professor at the University of Cape Town. His research focuses on mental health policy and social determinants of mental health in low- and middle-income countries.

Frances is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia. Her research investigates how our social lives are connected to mental and physical health. She is developing scalable, low-cost interventions to promote social connection, with the goal of positively impacting people’s health and wellbeing.