I didn’t set out to build a career around kindness. I simply kept finding my way back to kids.

I began my career in higher education, working with student leadership groups and helping young people develop the skills they needed beyond the classroom. When my family moved to Wyoming, there weren’t higher education opportunities available, so I moved into public education and continued doing what I loved—building programs that supported the whole student. Digital citizenship, navigating technology, character development, leadership, and the skills kids need to thrive.

Then my daughter experienced sexual harassment at school.

Everything changed.

I left my job and came home to homeschool her until she felt ready to return to school. I was shaken by what happened, but I was also deeply aware that we could do more. We need to do more.

At the time, I was finishing my master’s degree, and I decided to put what I was learning into action. I built an app called Kindness Matters EDU and launched it in schools as a way to help create stronger, kinder, more connected school communities.

Eventually, schools made the decision to keep phones out of school settings—which, honestly, was a hallelujah! moment. My app was no longer needed.

But the work wasn’t finished.

I began looking at where I could make the greatest difference next. That led me to businesses and workplaces—and to a question I still care deeply about:

What if we built systems that better support the kids who are becoming our adults?

The young people I work with are amazing. They are also complicated, challenging, resilient, and still figuring life out. And I love them. That’s why I do this work.

Because kindness isn’t just about being nice. It’s about creating the connection, culture, and systems that help people know they matter.