Michelle Simmonds
Lifting up Women in our Community
From 2019 to present, Ms. Simmonds has been a founding member of the WeWil Collaborative whose mission is to empower women with professional development, growth, and connections through supportive workshops and community (www.wewil.org). She currently holds the position of Chair of Philanthropy.
Ms. Simmonds recently launched the Bee BRAVE movement as a community service platform to inspire, encourage and empower allies to action and people who want to do something about racism to be intentional in their efforts by way of practical tools, tips and resources provided at www.beebravemovement.com.
Ms. Simmonds also provides service to the community by working with individuals to help identify and remove some of the common self-imposed barriers to employment. In 2014 she established a service called, Ready, Set, Work! and coaches active job seekers in utilizing practical job readiness tools and tips, such as the “dos and don’ts” of interviewing as well as resume construction and evaluation, from an HR perspective. Her goal is to empower and encourage motivated individuals to become more confident as they engage in their job search by helping them prepare for opportunities to present their personalities, skills, knowledge, and abilities to potential employers. To that end, she has volunteered her services for CSUN and West LA college, LA Youth Network (LAYN), Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), Verbum Dei High School and the Bresee Foundation. She also formerly served as Secretary on the Board of Directors for Greatest Difference Youth Services that matched foster care and disenfranchised youth that “aged out of the system” with life, educational and mentoring support.
Ms. Simmonds enjoys family time, live music, meditation, and a solid Netflix binge. She also thrives by actively participating in continued education and personal development opportunities, including growing with a Lean In Circle within her community. She’s not interested in just taking up space, but in being a beneficial presence as a way of life.
