The Persuasion Engine

Our team brings decades of experience in marketing, storytelling, online media, and technology, including AI and complex web development.

We pioneered the science of persuasive communication, refining our approach through dozens of large-scale trials. From marketing campaigns and workforce training to social advocacy, education, and political outreach, our full-service approach does more than connect — it moves people. 

By blending human expertise with AI automation, we build tools that listen, adapt, and speak in the language of people’s values, enabling authentic, human-like conversation that saves time, reduces costs, and maximizes persuasive impact.

Most importantly, we provide entire solutions, not isolated bots. Our frontend chatbots and agents can be plugged into our AI-smart system to conduct surveys, do pre- and post-exposure questionnaires to test content, capture data, collect and preserve transcripts and recordings of every conversation, analyze all data, deliver custom reports and more. 

Meet Kirk & Adam,the
(very human) co-founders

The Persuasion Engine was co-founded by Adam Penenberg and Kirk Cheyfitz, two writers and media creators whose combined experience includes leading roles in tech journalism (FORBES, WIRED, FAST COMPANY), advanced education (NEW YORK UNIVERSITY), content marketing and audience research (MCANN WORLDGROUP), narrative strategy (STORY WORLDWIDE), AI, and more. Based in New York City, The Persuasion Engine is a project of Sage Cohort LLC.

Kirk Cheyfitz, Co-Founder

Kirk develops strategy and AI-powered tools for audience research and persuasive content. A Pulitzer-finalist journalist, author, and founder of the groundbreaking agency Story Worldwide, he has shaped brand and storytelling for global brands and progressive causes. His recent work includes narrative change initiatives with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Open Society Foundations. Clients have included Unilever, General Motors and many more. He co-authored The Storytellers’ Guide, The Science of Winning with Stories, Why Our Brains Need Stories, and many other articles.

Adam Penenberg, Co-Founder

Adam translates expert thinking into AI-powered tools for storytelling, problem-solving, education, media, and communication. A leading tech journalist and founding director of NYU’s Online Master’s in Journalism Program, he has written for The New York Times, Wired, and The Economist, and authored eight books. His work now focuses on training machines to reason like experts—transforming how we create, persuade, and innovate.