About Us

OUR FOUNDER

Nonprofits: GLSEN, Caring Across, Lambda Legal, Alliance for Safety and Justice
Retail: UncommonGoods
Financial Services: New York Life, J.P. Morgan
Advisor: EPK Media, FreedomDx
Board Service: HelloFuture, DefineAmerican
As Seen In: Authority Magazine, BigCommerce’s #FutureProofEcommerce, CIOLook, PRDaily, 2023 WICMAs, 2018 Movers and Shakers Award, Nonprofit “Razzle Dazzle”, 11th Annual SHORTY Awards’ Bronze Honor in TWITTER VIDEO, and Audience Honor in TWITTER , TWITTER VIDEO, Nonprofit Radio

Kristina Villarini has always believed that great leaders inspire and motivate people to achieve their full potential.

In her two decade career, she has hired and managed hundreds of people for roles from tech to manufacturing. Too often, in fields that demand high performance, there are not enough leaders who know how to deploy empathy as a strategy to bring out the best in their teams, so they keep doing the same tired, old tactics.

It is falsely presumed that if you are an empathetic and kind leader, you are weak or that you’re not creating a culture of accountability.

We reject that bullshit, false narrative.

ABOUT US

OUR COMPANY

An Empathetic Leader believes that leadership is not all about power, money, and success.

Empathetic leaders are fiercely loyal, kind, and authentic, bringing everyone with them and lifting them as they climb. We believe that there can and should be a model for how to lead with heart and courage.

The concept of empathetic leadership has been gaining traction in recent years as organizations seek to create more positive and productive work environments. It is now widely accepted that a more empathetic approach to leadership brings out the best in their teams and organizations.

But for a long time, the gold standard was (and in some industries, still is) beat the shit out of your teams and literally work yourself to death while hating your life.