Timothy Mullin never set out to start his own business. But after decades of public service and leadership, he realized something was missing in the professional world—genuine, people-first leadership. So he decided to do something about it.

Timothy is the founder and CEO of Pathfinder Leadership Academy, a consulting firm offering leadership and development training for individuals and small groups. He brings more than 20 years of military service, a career in law enforcement, and a deep passion for mentoring into everything he teaches.

“I’ve always enjoyed helping others reach their goals,” Timothy says. “That’s what leadership is—empowering people to reach their fullest potential.”

From Service to Start-Up

After earning his Master’s in Public Administration in 2016 and retiring from law enforcement in 2021, Timothy could have easily taken a step back. Instead, he chose to lean into what had always brought him the most fulfillment: developing others.

For nearly a decade, he has facilitated leadership training in the Air Force Reserve. Now, he’s bringing that same level of structure, discipline, and heart to the civilian world through his own company.

Starting Pathfinder Leadership Academy wasn’t easy. Timothy had never launched a business before and had to learn everything from building a website to navigating state registration and outreach. But he kept going. “The fear of the unknown, the possibility of failure—it was all there,” he admits. “But so was the drive to make a difference.”

A Leadership Style Built on Experience

Timothy’s leadership style doesn’t fit in one box—and that’s the point. Over the years, he’s learned to adapt. Sometimes a team needs collaboration. Sometimes it needs direction. Other times, the best thing a leader can do is step back and let people figure things out on their own.

“I use different approaches depending on the situation,” he says. “Good leaders know when to switch gears.”

That flexibility was honed through years in unpredictable environments—from military deployments to overnight law enforcement shifts. It’s a skill that he now teaches others, emphasizing real-world thinking, quick decision-making, and resilience under pressure.

“There is no rulebook in life,” he adds. “You make the best decision you can with the information you have—and sometimes it’s the wrong one. You’ve got to bounce back and keep going.”

People Over Profits

What makes Timothy’s work different is simple: he puts people first. He’s troubled by how many businesses train employees just enough to do the job—and nothing more. In his view, that approach breeds disengagement, poor customer service, and missed potential.

“There are so many companies that put profits over people,” he says. “But without the people, the profits wouldn’t be there.”

Through Pathfinder, he’s helping organizations shift that mindset—investing in their teams so that leadership becomes part of the culture, not just a title.

Teaching More Than Just Management

Timothy’s work isn’t just for executives. His target audience includes anyone who wants to become a better leader in work and in life. He believes that the lessons from leadership—self-awareness, communication, accountability—carry into every role, every industry, every family.

And while building a client base is a challenge, he’s committed to doing what it takes. “I’m networking, attending conferences, visiting businesses, asking for referrals—whatever it takes to connect with the people who need this.”

It’s not about mass marketing. It’s about real connection. And that’s exactly what his leadership model is built on.

Redefining Success

For Timothy, success isn’t flashy. It’s about purpose. It’s about showing up, doing the work, and helping others grow.

“Success is different for everyone,” he says. “We’ve got to stop comparing ourselves to others. The journey looks different for each of us.”

He speaks from experience. The road hasn’t always been smooth—between balancing military duties, family life, and now entrepreneurship, he’s had to navigate plenty of obstacles. But adversity, he says, is a gift. “It builds character. It gives you perspective. No matter how bad things seem, they can always be worse.”

A Legacy of Leadership

Looking ahead, Timothy isn’t just focused on growing his business—he’s focused on making an impact. He wants to leave behind more than a successful company. He wants to be remembered for how he made people feel, how he lifted others up, and how he helped build stronger communities one leader at a time.

“I’m a bit of a dreamer,” he says with a smile. “But if someone remembers me because I helped them become better, and they then help others in the same way—that’s the kind of legacy I want.”

Connect with Timothy Mullin
Website: https://www.pathfinderleadershipacademy.com
Email: TIMOTHY.MULLIN1127@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tim-mullin-68ab2743

Evan Sohn has spent his career building companies at the intersection of data, strategy, and innovation. As CEO and co-founder of Aura Intelligence, he’s on a mission to help organizations understand one of their most valuable yet overlooked assets: their people.

Aura was born out of a clear and pressing problem. While financial performance is tracked with precision, workforce data has historically been messy, slow, and scattered. Leaders were forced to make major decisions—on hiring, restructuring, or investing—without a clear view of what was really happening inside their teams or across the market.

Evan and his team set out to change that.

From Blind Spots to Better Decisions

Aura’s roots trace back to Bain & Company, where the idea first emerged. Time and again, leaders lacked real-time, external insights into workforce trends and talent flows. That blind spot inspired Evan and his co-founders to build something different— something smarter.

“What if we could bring the same rigor and clarity to workforce insights that companies rely on for financial performance?” Evan recalls asking. That question became Aura’s mission.

Today, Aura provides AI-powered, outside-in workforce intelligence to top consulting firms, private equity teams, and enterprise leaders around the world. In 2024 alone, they supported over 1,800 client engagements— and they’re just getting started.

Convincing the Market Workforce Data Matters

One of the biggest early hurdles was changing how companies viewed workforce metrics. “Many saw workforce data as ‘nice-to-have,’ not mission-critical,” Evan explains. Shifting that mindset took time, persistence, and results – and it is still a work-in-process.

Then there was the technical challenge: workforce data is fragmented and inconsistent. Making it useful at scale meant building infrastructure to clean, unify, and analyze it. But once clients saw how Aura could help them spot risks, benchmark competitors, and uncover opportunities faster than traditional methods, adoption followed.

“When we paired clear ROI with great design and speed, we turn skeptics into believers,” Evan says.

The Goal: Smarter Decisions, Not Just More Data

Evan isn’t just focused on giving leaders more information— he wants to help them make better calls. Aura’s tools are designed to improve how companies hire, structure teams, plan ahead, and respond to change.

The long-term vision? For Aura to become the lens through which leaders see the labor market. “We want leaders to feel more confident, more informed, and more agile because of Aura,” Evan says. That’s the kind of legacy he and the Aura team are building toward.

Innovation Through Listening

Staying innovative in workforce intelligence means keeping your ear to the ground. Evan spends a lot of time listening— really listening— to what clients are struggling with. “The most powerful ideas often come from a casual comment or a repeated frustration,” he explains.

At Aura, innovation is constant. The team moves fast, tests quickly, and isn’t afraid to toss out what doesn’t work. Evan surrounds himself with people who think differently because diversity of thought keeps things fresh.

“In a new and fast-moving field, staying innovative means staying uncomfortable—in the best way possible,” he says.

Building a Company That People Believe In

As Aura continues to scale, Evan hasn’t lost sight of what makes the company thrive: its people. One of the biggest lessons he’s learned is that clarity and trust are everything. People do better work when they know the “why” behind it.

He also believes in giving people space. “Micromanaging kills creativity,” he says. “Hire great people, give them autonomy, and stay available for support. That’s when teams really hit their stride.”

It’s a philosophy that’s shaped Aura’s culture from the beginning— and one Evan hopes to see more of across the industry.

Making an Impact Beyond Business

Outside of Aura, Evan serves as Vice President of the Sohn Conference Foundation. The organization raises funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research by bringing together the global finance and investment community. Their flagship New York Sohn Investment Conference is a powerful example of purpose meeting profession.

“Being part of a mission that accelerates breakthroughs in childhood cancer is incredibly humbling and deeply motivating,” he says.

What’s Ahead for Evan Sohn

The future of workforce intelligence is being shaped by three major forces: AI, real-time data, and transparency. From skills mapping to org design, companies are now expected to make faster, more informed decisions with less room for error.

Aura is evolving to meet those needs. The platform is expanding its data coverage, deepening AI capabilities, and building tools that empower not just analysts— but business leaders directly.

Evan wants Aura to be the compass that guides companies through the ever-changing landscape of work. “There’s never been a greater need for clarity,” he says.

Connect with Evan Sohn
Website: www.auraintel.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evansohn/
Email: evan@auraintel.com

Dr. Katie Keller Wood grew up surrounded by educators, and she’s never strayed far from that world. Today, she works with Montessori teachers across the globe, teaches at multiple universities, and speaks to audiences about a topic that affects all of us: the relationship between our work and our lives.

Her first book, Alignment: A Montessori Approach to Reimagining Work-Life Balance, offers a fresh take on a familiar struggle. Katie doesn’t believe in chasing the ever-elusive idea of balance. Instead, she teaches the power of alignment—finding a way to live where all the different pieces of our lives fit together in a way that feels right for who we are and who we’re becoming.

A Shift from Balance to Alignment

Katie speaks openly about her own struggle with what people often call “work-life balance.” She remembers the moments—more than once—when her husband would gently point out that work had taken over again. Like many of us, she tried to fix it. She made plans, set boundaries, and aimed for better balance. But the cycle always repeated.

Everything changed when she stopped aiming for balance and started seeking alignment. “Alignment is where all the pieces of my unique and precious life mosaic are in the correct and appropriate relative position for who I am and what I am meant to do at this moment,” she explains. That idea became the foundation of her book, and it continues to shape her work with adults and adolescents alike.

Bringing Montessori to the Adult World

Katie didn’t attend a Montessori school as a student, but discovering the approach as an adult was life-changing. Becoming a Montessori teacher transformed how she viewed work—and life. Montessori education doesn’t separate work and play. Instead, it treats meaningful effort as joyful and purposeful. That shift in mindset had a powerful effect on Katie.

One of her favorite stories comes from her TEDx talk, where she shares the story of a three-year-old named Max. He showed her that work doesn’t have to be something we push through just to earn rest. In a Montessori environment, even young children find challenge and joy in their work. That philosophy has stayed with her ever since.

Katie believes that adults, too, can benefit from this approach. “Our workplaces can be incredible containers for adult growth and development,” she says. She’s now on a mission to bring a Montessori perspective of work to everyone—not just educators, but nurses, nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs, and mission-driven professionals who are seeking purpose and sustainability in their careers.

Purpose Work vs. Paycheck Work

A key idea in Katie’s work is the difference between what she calls paycheck work and purpose work. Paycheck work is what we do to earn a living. Purpose work is the deeper calling—the work we feel meant to do at this moment in our lives.

For Katie, those two have a lot of overlap. But she’s quick to point out that they don’t have to. Her goal is to help people stay in their professions without losing themselves to burnout. “We need great teachers for every child, great nurses for every patient, and mission-driven leaders in all areas of work,” she says. That means creating systems—and mindsets—that support thriving, not just surviving.

Teaching, Leading, and Learning

Katie’s work spans multiple roles. She runs CMStep, a global training program for middle and high school Montessori teachers, and is recognized as a leader in adolescent and adult Montessori education. She teaches undergraduates at the University of Virginia (where she earned both her bachelor’s and doctorate), as well as master’s and doctoral students at Xavier University and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

She’s also a frequent speaker at conferences and workshops, and her TEDx talk has inspired countless people to rethink their approach to work. Through all of it, her mission stays the same: to help people grow into the fullest expression of themselves and to support others in doing the same.

Life as a Mosaic

Katie doesn’t believe in perfect answers, especially when it comes to work and life. Instead of trying to strike a perfect balance, she encourages people to think of their lives as a mosaic. We each get to choose the pieces and arrange them in a way that works for us. Sometimes we need to shift things around, and that’s okay.

“There’s no bliss point like in food science—no perfect formula of salt, fat, and crunch that makes life magically work,” she says. “Your life is not a potato chip.” Instead, alignment is an ongoing process—one that allows us to make changes when something’s not working and return to what matters most

Connect with Dr. Katie Keller Wood

• Website: https://www.katiekellerwood.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-keller-wood
• TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LM1yS3TzTk
• Email: hello@katiekellerwood.com