Julie Lythcott-Haims believes in humans and is deeply interested in what gets in our way. Her work encompasses writing, speaking, teaching, mentoring, and activism.

She is the New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult, which gave rise to a popular TED Talk. Her second book is the critically-acclaimed and award-winning prose poetry memoir Real American, which illustrates her experience as a Black and biracial person in white spaces. Her third book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, has been called a “groundbreakingly frank” guide to adulthood.

Julie holds a B.A. from Stanford, a J.D. from Harvard Law, an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts, and an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Puget Sound. She serves on the CCA Board of Trustees.

She lives in Palo Alto, California, the heart of Silicon Valley, where she serves on the City Council and advocates for housing, equity, climate, and youth mental health. She and her lifelong partner Dan are parents to two twentysomethings, and they share a home with their grown son and Julie’s amazing octogenarian mother.