Erika Garms

Erika Garms, PhD is a cross-industry consultant who helps leaders and teams work, manage, and innovate smarter. As CEO of WorkingSmarts (www.workingsmarts.com), she uses her gift for translating powerful scientific theory to everyday workplace practice.

Erika has played a number of consulting and leadership roles in her 26-year career, including serving as an internal consultant, an organization development unit manager, and an organization development/change/executive management consultant with two large, global management consulting firms. She also helped to establish start-up HR and IT consultancies. Erika has worked for and with public sector and private sector organizations across many industries – from food to finance, education to energy.

She earned a BA and an MA from the University of Colorado, a PhD from the University of Minnesota, and completed a post-graduate program with distinction from the NeuroLeadership Institute/Sussex University. Garms is the author of, “The Brain-Friendly Workplace: Five Big Ideas from Neuroscience That Address Organizational Challenges” (ASTD Press, 2014) and the upcoming "ManagementSmarts" and is a regular speaker at conferences, company meetings, and management retreats across the U.S. and abroad.

Erika lives with her family in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

When she’s not speaking, consulting, or writing, Erika is likely browsing design magazines, inventing something, petting animals, or pretending to understanding football plays.