Michael Thornhill

About Michael Thornhill

Charismatic | Trauma-Informed | Researcher | Ruthlessly Unhurried | Ferociously KindCORE EXPERTISE:I build learning experiences that don’t just inform — they transform. My work sits at the intersection of systems change, story, and strategy.I specialize in:Learning & Development | Organizational Storytelling | Trauma-Informed Leadership | DEI Strategy | Curriculum Design | Strategic Facilitation | Public Speaking | Grant Writing | Team Culture Cultivation | Community Engagement | Inclusive Communications | Racial Trauma CoachingABOUT ME:I’m a writer, facilitator, and consultant who helps organizations turn good intentions into deep human impact. With over a decade of experience across academic, nonprofit, and faith-based sectors, I design environments where equity is not a buzzword, but a felt reality. Whether I’m building custom leadership pipelines, writing grants, designing trauma-informed curricula, or helping a team navigate hard conversations with grace, I bring ancestral clarity, radical presence, and a strategist’s brain.As a neurodivergent Learning & Development leader, I champion workplace ecosystems that honor difference — not just accommodate it. My approach blends data with dignity, structure with soul, and clarity with care. I’ve helped leaders and learners alike reimagine what belonging looks like in rooms they were once told they didn’t belong in.TRACK RECORD OF IMPACT:With 16+ years in management and organizational development, I’ve guided dozens of teams through equity-centered change, helping them embed inclusion into culture, not just compliance. My learning experiences, toolkits, and trainings have increased employee engagement, supported retention and morale, and reshaped how people relate to power, purpose, and each other at work.I’m known for designing powerful learning journeys — from one-day summits to multi-year strategies — that call people in without letting systems off the hook. It’s not about checking boxes. It’s about changing lives.WHAT DRIVES ME:I believe learning is a liberation tool.That stories can be systems interventions.That brave spaces can be forged—not just hoped for.And that a well-crafted question can be more powerful than a well-delivered answer. As Charles Kettering said, “A problem well-named is a problem half-solved.”Lucky for us, naming is my specialty.Personality Insights:Predictive Index: Promoter | Strategist | PersuaderStrengthsfinder: Context | Ideation | WOOMBTI: ENFJDISC: High I & High CEnneagram: 2 (with boundaries)

Experience

1. Consultant

   Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation

   Nov 2024 — Present · Pittsburgh, PA, US

   I help mission-driven organizations turn vision into funding. If you’re looking for a thoughtful collaborator who blends clarity with persuasion, systems thinking with storytelling… let’s connect.Services Offered:• Grant Management, prospecting + strategy• LOIs, full proposals, and government grants• Program design + logic models• Grant calendar development• Evaluation planning + funder reporting• DEI-informed capacity building

Education

• Slippery Rock University

  Bachelor of Arts, Communications -Public Relations

• Point Park University

  Master of Arts - MA, Organizational Leadership

Skills

• Marketing
• Sponsorship
• Conflict Management
• Public Relations
• Student Development
• Leadership
• Salsa Instruction
• Powerpoint
• Non-Profits
• Microsoft Office
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Group Dynamics
• Editing
• Teaching
• Investor Relations
• Facebook
• Cultural Diversity
• Event Planning
• Fundraising
• Writing
• Social Networking
• Social Media
• Adaptive Leadership
• Public Speaking
• Public Relations Skills