Katie Hood Shares the Decisions that led to Becoming CEO of the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Leading the One Love Foundation
Katie Hood knows how to follow her instincts and heart when making major life decisions. Today, Katie is CEO of the One Love Foundation, the nation’s leading educator of young people on the topic of healthy and unhealthy relationships. Katie shares the reasons why she joined One Love and her ambitious goals for reducing abusive relationships. We discuss how One Love was founded by Sharon Love to honor the memory of her daughter, Yeardley Love, who was beaten to death by her ex-boyfriend three weeks before her graduation from the University of Virginia. Sharon never imagined relationship abuse was something she needed to consider for her daughter, “I didn’t know then what I know now, that relationship abuse is a public health epidemic and that young women in Yeardley’s age group are at three times greater risk than any other demographic.”
In our conversation, Katie shares how she left the world of fianance and consulting and landed a job at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, eventually advancing to become CEO of the organization. When Katie had doubts about her ability to lead as CEO of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, her path crossed with leadership guru Andy Grove, former CEO of Intel Corporation, who gave her the push she needed to take the role. Katie shares some of the lessons and skills she learned at the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and how her upbringing, faith and desire to help others has put her on the path she was meant to live. If you want to be inspired to follow a calling, you will never forget this conversation with Katie.