Meet Laura Beavin-Yates | Chief Marketing Officer & Behavioral Neuroscientist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Laura Beavin-Yates and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Laura, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
I work in scalable neuroscience measurement—pairing 20 years of research with everyday wearables to measure real-time emotional response and connection to experiences. This applies to both businesses and individuals.

A key insight from neuroscience that many are probably unaware of is that we lack direct access to our brain’s real-time processing of our experiences. Just as we can’t feel our liver digesting lunch, we aren’t consciously aware of how our brain is emotionally impacted by an experience as it unfolds.

It’s important to distinguish between emotions and feelings. Emotions are automatic, unconscious reactions to sensory input from our eyes, ears, nose, etc. Feelings, on the other hand, are our conscious interpretations of these emotional responses, shaped by personal history, mood, and context. Because feelings are subjective and influenced by various factors, they are unreliable indicators of our true emotional state.

Relying solely on self-reported feelings to gauge emotional impact leads to biased and inconsistent results, and poor decision making for businesses. Even when assessing our own well-being, we often default to saying we’re “fine,” as survival instincts prioritize immediate threats over nuanced emotional states.

To obtain a more accurate understanding of emotional engagement and quality of life, we need objective tools that infer real-time brain reactions. By processing data streams from wearable technology through algorithms built on 20 years of neuroscience, our free emotional wellness app SIX (which is based on years of research I helped conduct during graduate school), can identify the activities and experiences that genuinely connect and contribute to our mental and emotional well-being.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career kicked off in high school during my Anatomy & Physiology class–the moment I watched a video about Phineas Gage—a 19th-century railroad worker who took an iron rod through the skull and lived… but with a whole new personality. I was equal parts horrified and obsessed. I had to know more about the brain.

So off I went to study Physiology at the University of Illinois… only to find out the program had been cut. Surprise! I got rerouted to Molecular & Cellular Bio, detoured through three years of that, then finally found my people in Cognitive Psychology—where I learned the brain isn’t a total black box anymore, but more like a dramatic narrator: it reacts instantly, makes wild guesses, and then convinces you it was all intentional.

That obsession led me to a PhD at Claremont Graduate University, where I joined Dr. Paul Zak’s lab studying what makes people feel and act. We discovered that when your brain releases oxytocin during an experience, that moment is powerful enough to drive real behavior—like donations, purchases, and sharing. (Spoiler: feelings don’t predict anything. Sorry, surveys.)

We even got a U.S. government grant to figure out how to measure oxytocin without drawing blood—cue a montage of EEGs, lasers, and breath samples. It was weird. It was wonderful. It was exactly my kind of science.

I’d planned a career in academia–but that meant possibly leaving SoCal, and as a Midwest native, I said nope. So, I jumped into the world of neuromarketing, leading neuro R&D at a big market research firm and deploying every “brain-measuring” tool under the sun—eye-tracking, biometrics, facial coding, EEG. Then one day, a client clapped at facial coding data and asked if smiling at a water ad meant people would buy more water. I knew the answer was no, and started looking for my next role.

After consulting and teaching for a bit, Paul called with big news: they’d automated our grad school magic. We could now infer oxytocin release from changes in heart rhythm using wearables—and predict real-world behavior likes sales, word of mouth, and recall with over 85% accuracy. I’d all but washed my hands of neuromarketing, until I heard those golden words. Predicting meaningful behavior. He asked if I’d join Immersion Neuroscience—I didn’t even pretend to think it over.

I became the second hire, built and led the Customer Success team for 4 years (with zero prior knowledge about this role!), and helped companies across entertainment, learning, and brand experiences measure true emotional impact (not what they say they feel).

I took a brief sabbatical to advise marketing for a B2C beverage delivery startup—but I couldn’t shake the pull of my Immersion family and the meaningful, brain-powered work we were doing.

Then came the breakthrough: we discovered that tracking immersion over time could predict a person’s future mood and energy up to two days in advance. And we discovered you need 6 peak experiences a day when your brain and body are flooded with feel-good neurochemicals like oxytocin and dopamine to truly feel like you’re thriving. Mind. Blown.

That insight sparked our emotional fitness app—SIX (aptly named for the 6 peak experiences we need daily to thrive)—finally giving individuals the same powerful neuroscience tools we’d built for businesses. I returned full-time in 2023 to lead growth and marketing, and haven’t looked back.

Now, I get to help creators, innovators, and everyday humans unlock what truly fuels their brains and bodies. And honestly? It’s the most rewarding work I’ve ever done.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would absolutely send them to the Westside of LA — specifically to enjoy time in Mar Vista and Venice.

If they were there on a Sunday, I’d encourage them to visit the Mar Vista farmer’s market and then grab a snack and a beer at Fatty Mart. Then I’d suggest they hop in a rideshare over to Penmar to enjoy a beer or cocktail outside next to the golf course. Snack on the nachos, they’re delicious, and then make their way down Washington to the Venice Beach pier! Enjoy watching the surfers in the morning or afternoon, and make sure to pop in to Hinano’s Cafe for a game of pool and a refreshing drink. They’re cash only, but totes worth it (and if you’re still hungry, they have the best beach burgers!)

I’d also encourage a walk up Venice boardwalk to people watch, and would stop at the Venice Ale House to keep hydrated! Snag the poke there, it’s totally delicious! If you’re visiting at the right time, the Mar Vista Art Walk is phenomenal as well.

The next day, I’d send them to downtown LA to check out Grand Central market. Nab some local veggies, some mole concentrate, and don’t miss the chance to grab cheese to go from DTLA Cheese! Grab a beer from Golden Road, and enjoy some oysters as well! If you’re still hungry and there on a Saturday, hop over to Smorgasburg LA and enjoy micheladas and loads of different cuisine in the sunshine! To wind down, drop by the Last Bookstore and browse the local artists studios on the second floor.

Finally, I wouldn’t miss out on Tsujita and LA Noodle Annex on Sawtelle Blvd. The ramen at both of these places HITS DIFFERENT — you can smell the hours of cooking when you walk in to LA Noodle Annex. Both provide bowls that are like a tummy hug from the best hugger in the world!

Finally, if there’s time to pop down to the South Bay (not LA…I KNOW), pay a visit to Hopsaint! They have the BEST burger I’ve ever had in my life, and the skillet-roasted wild mushrooms are to die for.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’m dedicating this shoutout to the people who shaped my heart and spirit. To my late parents, Nancy and Bernie—thank you for loving me without limits, for teaching me to live boldly and love deeply, and for always making me believe that with enough heart and hustle, anything was possible. And to my husband, Justin—my rock, my cheerleader, and my reality check. In every high and low, you’ve lifted me up. Even when impostor syndrome creeps in, you remind me I’m the baddest woman you know—and I believe it, because you do.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesixapp

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-beavin-yates/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSIXApp