Lead is dedicated to empowering the next generation of leaders through innovative career-readiness programs while equipping adults who support youth with the essential tools, confidence, and leadership skills to excel.
Lead isn’t just a name; it’s a reflection of what we stand for – Leadership, Empowerment, Awareness, and Development.
Lead is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps youth and families build the everyday skills they need to build confidence, strengthen communication, support wellbeing and plan for their future..
We empower people with practical tools to become their most confident self.
Inspiring people with mindset, skills and support to believe in themselves so they can positively contribute to their communities.
At Lead, our values define who we are and how we create impact. We model the same principles we teach others:
• Leadership: We lead by example taking ownership of our actions while building confidence, courage, and compassion in ourselves and others.
• Empowerment: We create opportunities for every individual to discover their voice and realize their potential.
• Awareness: We lead with self-awareness, understanding ourselves and how our actions influence those around us.
• Development: We commit to growth, continually learning, improving, and helping others do the same.
Lead began in 2012 when founder Lisa Tarkington started sharing tools for confidence through a community blog. What started as a small project quickly grew, with more than 100 contributing writers joining within two years. The increasing demand for resources that supported emotional wellness and confidence across all ages led to the establishment of Lead as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2018.
Lisa’s background in social impact, positive psychology, mindfulness, communication, and coaching helped shape the early curriculum that would become the foundation of Lead’s programs. Over time, these tools evolved into practical, research-informed lessons that support youth and families in building confidence, communicating clearly, managing stress, and planning for their future.
Today, Lead partners with schools, DHHS teams, courts, and community organizations to make these tools accessible in everyday settings. More than 13,000 people across Michigan have engaged with our programs, with participants consistently reporting meaningful gains in confidence, self-esteem, and emotional wellbeing, often after just one session.
Lead continues to grow with a focus on meeting people where they are, offering simple, evidence-based tools that support steady, realistic growth for youth and families.
Kelsey Snyder serves as Lead’s Executive Director, overseeing the organization’s growth and statewide expansion. After 12 years in the tech industry leading global operations teams, Kelsey felt drawn toward work that created a more direct impact in her own community. That calling brought her to Lead, where she guided the launch of the Lead Within online platform and built the systems that now make it possible to serve youth and families across Michigan.
For Kelsey, technology has always been about connection, meeting people where they are and making practical tools accessible to those who need them. Her operational leadership strengthens Lead’s mission to offer evidence-based resources that are simple, flexible, and ready for everyday use.
Outside of work, Kelsey enjoys walking, reading, and life at home with her husband, George, their two children, and their chocolate lab, Weatherby.
Melissa “Missy” Reed brings 15 years of experience in human services to her role as Lead’s Director of Programs & Engagement, including extensive work across eight Michigan counties as a state protective services investigator. Her firsthand experience supporting youth and families through some of their most difficult moments is what fuels her commitment to ensuring they have steady, practical tools that meet them where they are.
At Lead, Missy builds and strengthens partnerships with schools, DHHS teams, courts, and community organizations across the state. Her understanding of system gaps and community needs has helped shape Lead’s programs. Ensuring they are trauma-informed, accessible, and responsive to the people they serve.
Outside of work, Missy enjoys golfing, cooking, and traveling to northern Michigan with her fiancé.
Lisa Tarkington is the Founder and Curriculum Creator of Lead, originally established in 2012 as Self Love Beauty. What began as a small passion project to help people feel seen, confident, and empowered has grown into a statewide organization impacting thousands of individuals each year. Lead was founded on Lisa’s simple but powerful belief: that confidence is a critical life skill and a catalyst for personal and professional growth.
An Associate Certified Coach (ICF), The Confident Podcast host and graduate of Michigan State University, Lisa also brings advanced training from the University of Pennsylvania’s Executive Program in Social Impact Strategy, the Co-Active Training Institute, Applied Positive Psychology, and Mindfulness.
Her leadership has been recognized through honors such as Coach of the Year, the Inspiring Female Entrepreneur Award and the Young Professional Athena Award.
Sarah Maday, Chair
Nexteer Automotive
Stacey Gannon, Vice Chair
Huntington Bank
Kelsey Schultz, Treasurer
Yeo & Yeo
Laura Shepard, Secretary
The Dow Chemical Company
Jeff Wood
Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
Jeff Hoekstra
Greenleaf Trust
Julia Kepler
Serendipty Road & Joyful Tantrum Recess
Tyler Kirby
Tri-Star Trust
Missie Freier
First State Bank
Josh Faulk
Superior Insurance Group
We are grateful the outstanding leaders who have been board of directors for us.