The Power of Play: Unlock Your Story & Purpose for What’s Next

Kari is a pioneer facilitator with expertise in the longevity industry and building communities online. She is a master host with a knack of creating deep connections both live and virtually, with nearly 30 years experience as a driven social entrepreneur in creative strategy, facilitating and training, and private consulting to bring out the best in thought leaders.

Kari has worked with hundreds of experts around the world and produced two global summits on the topics of innovation in aging and caregiving. Her online programs at MEA have served thousands of adults around the world.

Kari served as a weekly contributor to the Huffington Post and has appeared on local TV, Dateline NBC, PBS “This Emotional Life,” and contributed to the Amazon #1 bestselling anthology, “Embracing Your Authentic Self.” She is curious about everything and committed to lifelong learning.

As founder of ImpactFull and host of The PlayFull Podcast, Kristine has interviewed more than 200 changemakers to explore one core question: how do you stay imaginative and resilient while working on problems that may never fully resolve? She has analyzed those conversations for patterns in how play unlocks fresh thinking and moral imagination when traditional effort hits a wall.

Building on a lifetime of activism, journalism, philanthropy and leadership coaching, Kristine uses joy and play to activate leaders, build community, and amplify the voices of others. Her work supports social impact leaders, nonprofit CEOs, board members, and creatives who feel stuck, worn out, or trapped in patterns that have stopped working, helping them find sustainable ways to keep going.

J.D. is a sought-after keynote speaker, trainer, and communication coach who has spent his career helping others communicate with greater power, from the classrooms of Stanford, Columbia, NYU, and USC to the TED stage. His 2011 TED Talk on breaking the silence for suicide attempt survivors has been viewed by millions, and his book Communicate with Mastery was published by Wiley in 2020.

After completing MEA’s transitions course and finishing his memoir at the Baja campus, J.D. launched a private practice focused on guiding leaders, founders, and mission-driven professionals through the vulnerable work of telling their stories with honesty and clarity. He understands that people often stall not because they lack skill, but because they’re in transition – shifting from who they’ve been known as into who they’re becoming. He brings structure, warmth, and deep respect to that process.