Jason Hreha

Behavioral Strategy was developed by Jason Hreha over 15 years of applied behavioral science work in Silicon Valley.

After training at Stanford’s Behavior Design Lab with BJ Fogg, Jason founded Dopamine, a technology-focused applied behavioral science consultancy in Silicon Valley. That practice became the testing ground for the frameworks that would become Behavioral Strategy.

He later created and led Walmart’s behavioral science team, where these methods were applied at scale across millions of daily decisions.

His definition of habit is quoted in James Clear’s Atomic Habits. He is the author of Real Change and publishes at The Behavioral Scientist.

Background

Stanford University: B.A. in Human Biology with a specialty in neuroscience.

Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab: Lead Researcher under Dr. BJ Fogg. Co-created the Behavior Wizard, a taxonomy for matching target behaviors to appropriate intervention strategies (Fogg & Hreha, 2010).

Dopamine (2011–2021): Founded a tech-focused applied behavioral science consulting firm in Silicon Valley.

Walmart (2016–2019): Global Head of Behavioral Sciences. Created and led the behavioral science team at Walmart (Fortune 100).

Edelman (2019–present): Senior Advisor. Works alongside Harvard Business School researchers to help companies apply behavioral science to business performance.

Persona (2019–present): Co-Founder and CEO.

Publications

  • Real Change: Moving Beyond Habits to Achieve Lasting Transformation (2024)
  • Hacking Human Nature for Good: A Practical Guide to Changing Human Behavior: Co-authored with Dan Ariely and Kristen Berman

Regular columns: Inc. Magazine, BigThink, Behavioral Scientist

Quoted in: James Clear’s Atomic Habits (Chapter 3): “Habits are, simply, reliable solutions to recurring problems in our environment.”

Behavioral Strategy Framework

Jason developed Behavioral Strategy as a systematic approach to integrating behavioral science into strategic planning from inception. The framework includes:

  • Behavior Market Fit: Validating that a behavior is feasible for a population before building solutions
  • Four‑Fit Hierarchy: Sequential validation gates (Problem → Behavior → Solution → Product)
  • DRIVE Framework: A five-phase implementation playbook

Intellectual Lineage

Behavioral Strategy builds on foundational work in:

  • Behavior Design (BJ Fogg, Stanford, 2009): The Fogg Behavior Model (B=MAP) is the direct foundation of the Behavior Fit Assessment. Jason worked directly with Fogg at Stanford’s Behavior Design Lab.
  • Behavioral Neuroscience (Rangel, Camerer, Montague, 2008): Three brain systems (Pavlovian, habitual, and goal-directed) govern different types of behavior. This research explains why complex behaviors remain predominantly goal-directed (even when sub-components become more automatic) and informs the distinction between simple habit-based interventions and goal-directed practices.
  • Behavioral Economics (Kahneman, Thaler, Ariely): Decision-making under uncertainty
  • Choice Architecture / Nudging (Sunstein & Thaler): Useful vocabulary for context design, but limited as a strategy for durable behavior change

Connect

See also

Jason Hreha· Updated February 2, 2026
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