Jennifer Shahade

Jennifer Shahade is a three-time US National Chess Champion, PokerStars' MindSports Ambassador, and author who bridges competitive gaming with real-world decision-making strategies. Jennifer became the first woman to win the US Junior Open. She's also earned two US Women's Championship titles and an Olympic silver medal. Jennifer has authored several books, including Chess Queens and Thinking Sideways: How To Think Like a Chess Player and Win at Life. Her writing has been published in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and Financial Times. A two-time Global Poker Award winner, Jennifer hosts the award-winning podcast The GRID and serves on the board of the World Chess Hall of Fame. In 2023, she became an important voice in exposing gender inequity in chess, co-founding 9 Queens and serving on the advisory board of the Women in Chess Foundation. Jennifer translates complex strategic concepts from chess and poker into practical frameworks for better decision-making in business and life. Her experience competing at the highest levels in multiple mind sports gives her unique insights into risk assessment, pattern recognition, and adaptive thinking under pressure. She has delivered talks at MIT, Yale, Harvard, and NYU, and consulted with organizations including Boston Consulting Group and Merrill Lynch. Audiences learn concrete techniques for improving decision quality, negotiation tactics drawn from poker strategy, and methods for building more inclusive competitive environments. Book Jennifer to help your organization think more strategically and compete more effectively in high-stakes situations.