Bio: Michele Kawamoto Perry is the Founder of The Forward Project, a consultancy that provides leadership development and training to support organizations to discover new ways to grow revenues, support diversity and inclusion, and accelerate their impact. She is a multifaceted leader and people developer with 25+ years of success in business strategy, organization effectiveness and operational excellence across multiple industries, including entertainment, wine & spirits and fintech. Michele combines astute business acumen with a pioneering vision of the future to coach business leaders on the power of transformational leadership to improve company culture and drive growth. Michele believes that exemplary leadership is key to organizational change. By providing leaders with the tools and guidance that amplify their unique strengths and talents, Michele supports them in building teams and companies that value diversity, honor individualism, promote collaboration and deliver results. Developing and honing leadership skills empowers individuals to make a positive impact and realize successful futures for themselves and their organizations. Michele serves as an adjunct professor for the M.S. in Management and Leadership program at Pepperdine’s Graziadio Business School. She is also a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), Certified Master of The Leadership Challenge®, LPI® (Leadership Practices Inventory) Trained Coach, Certified EQ-i 2.0® & EQ 360® Practitioner, and Accredited Facilitator of The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team™. Additionally, she holds Certificates in Change Management and Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University, a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Harvard University, and a Master of Business Administration from KEDGE (formerly Bordeaux Business School). Michele lives in Los Angeles, CA. She enjoys travel, hiking, and scuba diving. Fun Fact: Michele is a true oenophile and is a Certified Sommelier.