About Us

Today, HIP’s mission is rooted in the findings of social psychological experiments of Asch, Milgram and Zimbardo, among many other. These experiments, as well as myriad heinous acts throughout history, reveal the “banal” side of evil, as described by Hannah Arendt. No one is exempt from the possibility of being coerced by the dark side of human nature.

However, the reverse also appears true. The “banality of heroism”, an idea first explored in a 2006 article written by Dr. Zimbardo and Dr. Zeno Franco, is a guide for HIP’s work, suggesting that each and every seemingly ordinary person on this planet is capable of committing heroic acts.

From this core belief, the Heroic Imagination Project was born with a mission to use important findings in psychology to equip ordinary people of all ages with the knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary to choose wise and effective acts of heroism during challenging moments in their lives.

Board of Directors

Philip Zimbardo

FOUNDER
Internationally recognized as the “voice and face of contemporary psychology”, Zimbardo is a Stanford University Emeritus professor of psychology.
His classic research, The Stanford Prison Experiment (August 1971) has its 50th anniversary.
Matt Langdon

PRESIDENT
A teacher of heroism since 2006 to a wide range of audiences around the world. His book, The Hero Handbook was published in 2021.
His focus has been on building a community around heroism studies, resulting in the The Hero Round Table conference series.
Thomas Sartor

VICE PRESIDENT
Grew up working for his family’s paving company and segued into managing Hero Round Table conferences around the world. As an executive board member for The Heroic Imagination Project, Thomas contributes his profound focus on empathy to HIP’s event team, trainings, and international relationship building.
Ari Kohen

SECRETARY
Professor of Political Science, Schlesinger Professor of Social Justice, and Director of the Norman and Bernice Harris Center for Judaic Studies. He has published two academic books and several journal articles on the topic of heroic behavior.
Erik Smith

TREASURER
Owns and operates a portrait photography business working with individual clients and events of all sizes. Erik cultivates a strong sense of community within the Heroic Imagination Project board and among our partner organizations.
Suzanne Bernier

Award-winning Crisis Management Consultant and author of Disaster Heroes: Invisible Champions of Help, Hope, and Healing. She has helped governments, communities, and companies plan for and respond to disasters for over twenty years. Suzanne is passionate about turning bystanders into agents of positive change.
Jonathan Chen

A leader in the development and implementation of successful business strategies for both online and traditional companies in a variety of industries. Jonathan led the eBusiness Practice at C-Change and co-led the Energy Practice at Gemini Consulting before founding and leading Liknon. Jonathan helps HIP plan and manage sustainable growth.
Kristy Ellis

Co-owner of a furniture, home décor, and women's clothing boutique. She leverages her background in hospitality and business development when initiating and coordinating on-site events for HIP, cultivating relationships with her trademark sense of humor.
Allison Evans

Award-winning Psychology Professor at California State University, Bakersfield, who also facilitates online/hybrid curriculum design training. HIP's programs benefit from Allison's expertise in psychology and elearning.
Zoë Huml

Zoë is a competitive skier and a senior at Stanford Online High School, interested in neuroscience and psychology. She designed the Hero Club curriculum and helps students all over the world launch Hero Clubs at their own schools.
Scott Mixer

Founded Mixer Media as a teenager and has since produced more than 10,000 hours of video content, including projects for Google, Siemens, and the Hero Round Table. Scott’s distinctive talent for digital storytelling allows HIP to share heroic examples with a global audience.
Brian Riches

Currently an active researcher in heroism science, Brian has a background in developmental and positive psychology. Similar to the work we do at HIP Brian worked with a team of researchers to create, and evaluate an online toolkit to help young people foster purpose in life. Brian is also engaged in developing and testing the social science and evaluation protocols that HIP uses to measure the efficacy of our programs.