American Jewish University announced that Robert Richman, a globally recognized culture architect, author and speaker, has joined the university to help shape a bold new vision for the future of Jewish life through its recently established 2050 Institute.
Richman, best known for his work as a former culture strategist at Zappos and co-creator of Zappos Insights, has spent his career helping organizations rethink how people connect, collaborate and build meaningful cultures. At AJU, he will bring that expertise to one of the Jewish community’s challenges: reimagining Jewish identity, engagement and community for the next generation.
“Robert Richman joins American Jewish University at a pivotal moment,” AJU President Jay Sanderson said. “He brings a combination of creativity, strategic thinking and cultural insight that will help us challenge assumptions, ask better questions and imagine new possibilities for Jewish life. His voice and leadership will be important as we build the 2050 Institute and explore what the Jewish future can become.”
Richman is widely regarded as an authority on organizational culture. As the author of “The Culture Blueprint: The Guide to the High-Performance Workplace,” he has worked with organizations including Google, Toyota, Salesforce and Eli Lilly to build environments that prioritize purpose, engagement and innovation.
During his tenure at Zappos, Richman helped shape one of the most celebrated workplace cultures in the world and later launched Zappos Insights to share those lessons with companies. He has since advised and trained leaders at Fortune 100 companies.
His work emphasizes self-organization, creativity and what he calls “culture hacking”—principles he now aims to bring into the Jewish communal space.
“Jewish life has always been rooted in big questions, bold ideas and continuous reinvention,” Richman said. “This is a moment to rethink not just how we do things, but why we do them—and to invite more people into shaping what comes next.”
Richman joins AJU as part of the 2050 Institute, a wide-ranging initiative spearheaded by Sanderson to reimagine and reshape the next generations of Jewish life in North America. The institute is designed to move beyond traditional frameworks and bring together influential leaders, thinkers, creators and philanthropists to develop forward-thinking, action-oriented strategies for the Jewish community.
“There is a growing sense of urgency for communal change,” Sanderson said. “The 2050 Institute will bring new voices and perspectives together to collaborate on ideas that can shape our community for generations to come. Robert’s leadership will be part of that effort.”
In this role, Richman will host and produce “The Jewish Tomorrow,” a new podcast and web series focused on identity, purpose and the future of Jewish life. The podcast invites listeners into conversations that explore what Jewish life could—and should—look like in the decades ahead. Rather than offering easy answers, it aims to create a space for curiosity, dialogue and bold thinking.
“We’ve spent a lot of time asking familiar questions in familiar rooms,” Richman said. “What happens if we change both?”
In addition to his work in organizational culture, Richman is a keynote speaker who has addressed audiences worldwide. He has led workshops and consulting engagements across industries, including technology, healthcare and government.
A graduate of Northwestern University and Georgetown University’s Leadership Coaching Program, Richman is also a guest lecturer at Harvard University. He lives in San Diego, California.
