Kate Bowler (pronounced BOH-ler), PhD is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, award-winning podcast host, and an Associate Professor of American Religious History at Duke University. She studies the cultural stories we tell ourselves about success, suffering, and whether (or not) we’re capable of change. She is the author of Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel and The Preacher’s Wife: The Precarious Power of Evangelical Women Celebrities. After being unexpectedly diagnosed with Stage IV cancer at age 35, she penned the New York Times bestselling memoir, Everything Happens for a Reason (and Other Lies I’ve Loved) and No Cure For Being Human (and Other Truths I Need to Hear). She has also co-written with Jessica Richie, spiritual reflections: Good Enough: 40ish Devotionals for a Life of Imperfection and The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days. Kate’s most recent book, Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day! Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs, and In-Betweens, is packed with bite-sized reflections and action-oriented steps to help you get through the day, be it good, bad, or totally mediocre. Coming April 7, 2026, Joyful Anyway reveals the surprising magic of joy - and how we can access it even when happiness feels out of reach. Kate hosts the award-winning Everything Happens podcast where, in warm, insightful, often funny conversations, she talks with people like Malcolm Gladwell and Beth Moore about what they’ve learned in difficult times.

As a keynote speaker, Kate combines her academic research and lived experiences and deconstructs how we think about success and happiness. By loudly challenging those beliefs and her powerful ability to foster belonging, Kate inspires us to embrace and share our vulnerabilities to create human-first leaders and teams. Armed with her sharp wit and charm for days, Kate easily cuts through the armor we place around us every day to appear as if we're "living our best lives.”

She lives in Durham, North Carolina with her family and continues to teach do-gooders at Duke Divinity School.