ABOUT KRISTI HEDGES

Kristi Hedges is a serial entrepreneur, communications expert, author, and sought after leadership coach. In her 20-year career working with leaders to help them communicate more effectively she's encountered every personality type imaginable, yet remains more than a little passionate that anyone can learn presence. Her workshops and leadership coaching programs have been utilized by CEOs and teams of all sizes in companies spanning the Fortune 500, government, non-profit and privately held small to mid-market businesses. She runs her own coaching practice, The Hedges Company, and is a founding partner in the leadership development firm, Element North.

Kristi writes about leadership for Forbes.com , and penned "The Leadership Factor" column for Entrepreneur.com for more than three years. She's been featured in publications as diverse as Washington Post, Reuters, MSNBC.com, San Jose Mercury News, TheStreet.com and numerous others. She's been honored as one of the "50 Women Who Mean Business in Washington, D.C." and as an owner of a top 25 Largest Women-Owned Businesses by the Washington Business Journal. She speaks widely on leadership presence for groups such as Vistage International, the global professional development organization for CEOs, as well as The Founder's Institute and Entrepreneur's Organization.

Prior to becoming a leadership coach, Kristi co-founded and ran one of the first technology communications firms in the Washington, D.C. area for a decade before successfully selling her interest. Her career highlights also include working for a national news outlet, and as a political consultant for dozens of electoral campaigns from U.S. President to statewide offices. Kristi holds a Phi Beta Kappa B.A. from Virginia Tech and an M.S. from Purdue University, both in communications. She is an ICF-credentialed leadership coach through Georgetown University, and is certified in emotional intelligence.

Kristi blogs actively on all issues surrounding leadership at Communicate Leadership.