Endorsements
The perfect combination of passion, knowledge, poise, authenticity, warmth, and humor, Michelle Kinder holds her audiences in the palm of her hand. Each time I hear her speak, I feel moved, challenged, and spellbound. She’s masterful, relatable, and relevant. I always look forward to hearing her!
Tina Payne Bryson, PhD, co-author of The Whole- Brain Child, No Drama Discipline, & The Yes Brain
As a speaker and a person, Michelle is a rare combination of head and heart, practical know-how and soulfulness, quiet dignity and charming pizzazz. She is an expert in child development and business development, and managing large complicated organizations. She can connect with any audience, and she is funny, inspiring, and relentlessly useful. I could listen to her all day long.
Rick Hanson, Ph.D., author of Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness
Michelle’s commitment to conscious leadership is personal and significant and she has parlayed it into impressive results that have impacted thousands. Her ability to support leaders and organizations in the journey toward socially conscious leadership cannot be underestimated.
Dr. Shafali Tsabary, Clinical Psychologist, International Speaker and author of The Awakened Family and The Conscious Parent
There is no shortage of intriguing speakers addressing leadership. As a CEO I can share that my leadership circle benefits from hearing frequently from many esteemed thought leaders yet Michelle Kinder is the one and only speaker invited for a repeat event. Michelle’s messages move audiences to become change makers.
G. Andrews Smith, Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer, L&B Realty
Michelle Kinder is an inspirational leader and powerful speaker with a unique ability to simplify and convey complex concepts to a diverse group of audiences and skill levels. Her conviction and passion for people and service is contagious. She is intellectual yet relatable, and delivers with grace, wit and compassion, compelling and challenging messages that provoke change.
Shavonne Lewis, Senior Outreach & Brand Manager, Peckham Inc., Lansing, Michigan
Michelle Kinder is a one-in-more-than-a-million kind of leader. She is the real deal – smart, humble & strategic. Her positive, can-do spirit is refreshing, and helps build connected relationships within and across diverse communities. Michelle is fully committed to helping the people and the organizations she touches work on, and live, their missions to the fullest.
Cathi Coridan, author of The Can Do Workplace: A Strengths- Based Model for Nonprofits Alexandria, VA
I’ve worked with few people more knowledgeable, engaged, and engaging as Michelle Kinder. Her understanding of the needs of children, families, and communities is peerless. She uses her knowledge and expertise to move people and organizations to do good. She has an impeccable track record as an inspirational speaker, a provocateur for social change, and a highly skilled organizational leader!
David J. Chard, Ph.D., Dean ad interim and Professor, BU Wheelock College of Education and Human Development
Michelle Kinder is a visionary, compassionate and knowledgeable leader. She knows how to build strong organizations and is focused on how our children can maximize their God given talents.
Tom Luce, Founder of Texas 2036, National Math and Science Initiative, and Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.
I worked with Michelle Kinder when I gave a keynote for the Momentous Institute, a huge conference with a thousand different moving parts. The conference was one of the best I've ever attended; Michelle was calm, organized and collected, and her employees were obviously dedicated to her. Most importantly, she was hardworking for all the right reasons: she loves working with teachers, cares about the welfare of children, and truly enjoys learning from the experts she hires to speak. I'd work with Michelle again any time, any place. All she has to do is ask.
Jessica Lahey, teacher, mom, NY Times columnist and author of NY Times bestseller, The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed
Michelle Kinder is one of the leading minds on social change and tapping the hidden power in our own back yards. For years she led the world renown Momentous Institute and its pioneering lab school. This school serves at risk communities and works at the intersection of early childhood trauma, integrating brain health with learning and fostering family and community health. She is an articulate expert and powerful change leader. She has had a profound influence on our work and my community of leaders.
Rex Miller, Consultant and Author of The Healthy Workplace Nudge, Humanizing the Education Machine, and Change Your Space, Change Your Culture
As chair of the selection committee that recommended Michelle to be Executive Director of the Momentous Institute, I had very high expectations of her. She has exceeded my expectations. She is a real servant leader with motivated followers. She has broad and deep knowledge of social emotional health, toxic stress, family therapy, and primary education. She is an inspiring public speaker, an accomplished author, and very helpful in fundraising. She understands the financial dynamics of an organization and can make difficult financial decisions if needed. Michelle has positively impacted the lives of thousands of kids and their families as Executive Director of the Momentous Institute and I am very confident she will continue to do so in the next phase of her professional journey.
Jack Lowe, Jr., Former board chair of Momentous Institute, former president of the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, former president of the Board of Trustees of the Dallas ISD, and former CEO and board chair of TDIndustries
Looking for some ‘expert testimony’ on leadership, innovation, collaboration and pursuing excellence? Then dive into the amazing work of my good friend and colleague, Michelle Kinder. Time spent with Michelle, whether face-to-face, in a crowd listening to one of her lectures, or reading her website, will be time well spent. Any leader looking for renewal, personal growth and a practical, effective experience of driving toward best practices, must experience Michelle’s work. If you are committed to growth as a leader, check out the revolutionary work of Michelle Kinder!
Larry James, CEO, CitySquare, Dallas, TX, Author of House Rules: Insights for Innovative Leaders
Michelle Kinder is not only a thought leader but an extraordinary convener of people and ideas. I have had the pleasure of working with Michelle and the Momentous Institute and it was always a pleasure and privilege. She held herself and Momentous to the highest of professional standards and always created programs deeply respectful and knowledgeable of what educators need. I will always look for opportunities to work with Michelle again because I am fully confident in her experience, expertise, and dedication to bringing best practices forward.
Rosalind Wiseman, educator, founder of Cultures of Dignity and author of NYT Bestseller Queen Bees & Wannabes
Michelle’s leadership of the Momentous Institute was nothing short of visionary. Building on an institutional legacy of almost 100 years of work in mental health, she led the Momentous Institute and it’s school, which is certainly one of the top five elementary schools I’ve ever visited.
Michael Morath, Texas Commissioner of Education
I have known outstanding business, educational, civic and political leaders for over 40 years and I would put Michelle Kinder at the very top. Michelle listens, is a true servant leader, always is prepared and is an inspirational speaker and leader. Furthermore, she is creative and talented, and is a tireless worker who is not hesitant to confront a troubling issue but never is confrontational. Michelle will truly make an immediate and positive difference in any organization.
Tom Dunning, Dallas Business and Civic Leader
Michelle is an inspirational leader and master communicator. We were honored to have her as a keynote speaker at our biennial distributor convention, which is typically attended by over 2000 valued stakeholders. Her message was spot on- clear, thought provoking and inspirational.
Scott Miller, President and CEO, Interstate Batteries
With a sharp intellect and mighty heart, Michelle Kinder is a force of nature. Over the past decade, Michelle has improved the lives of underserved children and families in Dallas through her work with the Momentous Institute. Discerning and full of energy, Michelle embodies a leadership style that’s effective, upbeat, and a pleasure to be around. I look forward to cheering her on from the sidelines as she moves into this next phase of her career.
Susan Kaiser Greenland, Mindfulness and Meditation teacher and author of The Mindful Child and Mindful Games
Michelle has been diligently working on her Sweet Spot as a leader for years. She uses ease and strength in ways that serve her and the teams she leads and knows how to help other leaders do the same.
Christine Carter, Ph.D., Sociologist, Happiness Expert, Senior Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and author of The Sweet Spot and Raising Happiness.
Here are five things we love about Michelle:
(1) She doesn't just embody but radiates empathy and respect.
(2) She is the kind of leader that other leaders want to have in their rooms. She brings her full self to the table, keeps an eye on who might be being left behind, and finds an authentic way to bring them back in. Without being asked.
(3) She understands but doesn't support hierarchy.
(4) She's funny! Which allows her to disarm opponents and find common ground in tough conversations.
(5) She celebrates others.
Katie Orenstein & Chelsea Carmona, for The OpEd Project
Cultivating spaces of belonging, mattering and affirmation is Michelle Kinder’s superpower. She brings joy to social emotional learning in a time when some many of us are keenly aware of the daily stressors that cause us to isolate, disconnect and behave in ways that perpetuate systemic oppression. Through utilizing her unique skills set of self-awareness, community advocacy and education Michelle encourages us all to lead organizations in ways that center collective healing, happiness and health. Or as Lilla Watson so eloquently stated, “If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” Likewise, Michelle teaches us that it is through the work of mindfulness and healthy human connection that we are able to reach our highest potential and impact the world.
Bianca Anderson, Director of DFW Center for Racial Justice
I am so fortunate to have connected with Michelle. Her thoughtful leadership and calm presence has been instrumental in helping my team build a more collaborative spirit. And her work on ways to unhook from stress have helped me personally and professionally. I have learned so much from her and am proud to endorse her as an executive coach and thought leader on both a corporate and personal level.
Mark Haynie, EVP General Counsel, Independent Financial
Michelle is a perfect strategic thought partner for me as an executive director of a growing nonprofit. Because of her unique combination of personality, experience, and training, she helps me to move toward clarity so that I can choose the best path forward for myself and my organization. She challenges me toward growth, while providing encouragement along the way. I always leave our sessions feeling restored and ready for the next step on the journey.
Coaching Client, 2021
I was connected with Michelle as an Executive Coach through my employer as I was approaching a critical milestone in my career. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the coaching process, but Michelle surpassed all of my hopes for how the experience would mold and shape me into the leader that everyone knew I could be. Michelle approached our sessions with a kind heart and a listening ear. She has a simple way of re-grounding you in what is important, encouraging you to flip the script, providing clear direction with honest feedback, and holding you accountable in a way that emphasizes her shared commitment to you reaching your goals. Her compassion is entirely genuine and she always makes you feel like she is your biggest fan.
Coaching Client, 2021
I sought out Michelle as a coach during a particularly difficult transition into a new leadership role. She was a buoy in the storm. Michelle provided such supportive framing and insight, and also pushed me to think more deeply and clearly - not only about what was right for the role and the team, but for me and my family. I felt deeply seen and heard as a human being. This gave me grounding as I navigated a number of decisions and forks in my own road; I have carried that centeredness with me well beyond the end of our sessions.
Coaching Client, 2021
The moment that I received word about my promotion to an executive level position, I reached out to Michelle Kinder for executive coaching. This has proved to be one of the best professional decisions I have ever made. Michelle’s person-centered, holistic coaching style has helped me uncover my strengths as a leader and operate in my leadership identity with confidence. With a balanced focus on mental health and effective leadership practices, Michelle has helped me see beneath the surface of day-to-day challenges and address the core of those challenges intentionally and strategically. I walk away from every coaching session feeling empowered, confident, and clear-minded, ready to face whatever comes my way. Michelle is easy to talk to, she holds an enormous amount of expertise, and has a keen sense of knowing exactly what to say and how to guide at the right moment. Michelle is a highly skilled executive coach and I recommend her to other executive leaders wholeheartedly.
Coaching Client, 2021
It is not an overstatement to say working with Michelle changed my life. Michelle has helped me find immense peace and joy in my career path, as a leader, and, more importantly, in my life. She has unmatched empathy and the unique ability to make you feel seen in such a meaningful way that you can’t help but start to see yourself in the same loving way throughout the process. I call her my business therapist because she has continuously held a safe space for ALL of me to show up and has provided highly intuitive, loving encouragement every step of the way. I truly feel like our work together has propelled my career, leadership ability and emotional intelligence to a place that would have taken me decades on my own.