Grace Leaf

Connector, Consultant, Educator/Teacher, Event planner, Foodie, Idea generator, Life mentor, Parent, Public servant, Writer/Editor

Director of Training and Development, Community Colleges of Spokane; formerly counseling faculty, acting dean of liberal arts, director of retention and student success. Community involvement: TedxSpokane emcee and speaker coach; nonprofit arts consultant and board member; Miss Spokane interview coach and Distinguished Young Women judge; scholarly book reviewer for the Current Reviews for Academic Libraries.

Working out, hiking, biking, cooking, enjoying the beautiful Pacific Northwest, binge-watching Netflix, getting lost in nature, eating my way through New York City and empowering young women.

Share a meal with someone you don't know. It's one of the most intimate ways to create a sacred space between people. Cook with people you'd like to know better. Pick a theme, do a monthly supper club and research recipes that force you out of your culinary comfort zone. If you're in a crowded restaurant and there's room at your table, invite a plus one or two to join you.

Communication - both verbal and nonverbal, Food and culture, Nonprofit Arts Administration, Organizational Development and Change, pop culture, Training, coaching and mentoring

TED and I met one stormy night when I was in the throes of insomnia and I was surfing the web. My friend, colleague and fellow speaker coach, Scott Orme, had told me about this website called ted.com so I decided to sample its wares. I was hooked from day one and now I hope I can continue to be connected to the larger movement in one form or another for years to come. It would be my dream to go to a TED Global.

Calligraphy, the lost art of letter-writing, writing silly limericks.