Kimberlee D. Mitchell

Clarity, Trust & Stories That Help People Understand What Matters​​

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Clear communication builds trust. The right story helps people see what matters.

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Throughout her career, Kimberlee Mitchell has helped organizations clarify complex ideas, shape how they are understood in the marketplace, and craft narratives that attract attention, build trust, and inspire action. Much of that work involves collaborating closely with leadership to ensure that communication strategy reflects both organizational vision and audience insights.

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Again and again, her work centers on moments when organizations introduce something new, and audiences need a clear way to understand it.

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Her work spans strategic marketing and communications leadership across K-12 and higher education, technology, nonprofit leadership organizations, and consumer brands.

 

Where the Story Began

Kimberlee’s instinct for storytelling was shaped early in television newsrooms, where deadlines were tight, and clarity mattered. Journalism trained her to translate complicated information quickly and accurately, and it revealed how powerful visual storytelling can be in helping audiences understand what truly matters.

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That discipline still shapes her work today.

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Over time, Kimberlee expanded that foundation into public relations, integrated marketing communications, brand strategy, and executive messaging. She remains a lifelong learner and digital media practitioner, continually adapting how organizations communicate as new platforms and audience behaviors evolve.

 

A Lesson in Trust

But the philosophy that guides her work began somewhere unexpected.

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Shortly after the birth of her first child, Kimberlee attended a parenting class where a professional childproofing company described devastating household accidents in graphic detail in order to sell its services. The moment was jarring, but it also revealed something important.

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Fear may capture attention, but it rarely builds trust.

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One statistic was impossible to ignore. Unintentional injury was, and still is, the leading cause of death for children ages one to four. Most of those tragedies occur in the home.

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Kimberlee left that class determined to approach the issue differently.

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She founded a child safety company built on a simple idea: prevention works best when families are given clear information, practical guidance, and solutions they can trust. The company combined education with the professional installation of proven child safety devices, helping families identify risks and make their homes safer.

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The approach resonated.

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Through in-home consultations that helped thousands of families make their homes safer, along with national media appearances and public education campaigns, Kimberlee became a trusted child safety expert and a frequent source for national and local news organizations covering injury-related stories. In conversations with assignment editors and producers, she encouraged newsrooms to pair tragedy coverage with practical prevention tips, helping shift coverage toward a more prevention-focused approach to injury reporting.

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The credibility she built with families and the media soon attracted the attention of multinational brands. Organizations including Safety 1st, Verizon, Dorel Juvenile Group, and the American Cleaning Institute invited Kimberlee to contribute to product development conversations, national campaigns, and public safety communications.

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Kimberlee led the company for ten years before selling the business when her family relocated from Southern California to the Midwest. The company continues to operate successfully today using the same education-centered model she developed.

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Over those years, childproofing moved from a niche service to a widely recognized best practice. While unintentional injury remains the leading cause of death for children ages one to four, increased awareness and prevention efforts have helped drive meaningful reductions nationwide.

Those early experiences shaped the philosophy that still guides her work today: when people trust the message and the messenger, they are far more willing to listen, learn, and act.​

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Helping New Ideas Take Hold

Kimberlee’s work often centers on helping organizations clearly explain new ideas during moments of change. Clear narrative and leadership messaging build understanding, align teams, and reinforce the culture that allows new ideas to take hold.

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SOAR by Cornerstone University

At Cornerstone University, Kimberlee led marketing communications strategy for the launch and growth of SOAR, the nation’s first smartphone-based accredited degree program. The initiative introduced a new model of higher education and quickly grew to become the university’s largest program.

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PlayBooked – NIL Communications

During the early days of NIL opportunities in collegiate athletics, Kimberlee helped shape communications for PlayBooked. Her work generated national media coverage as the company’s spokesperson became the first collegiate athlete to publicly monetize her Name, Image, and Likeness rights.

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DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative (RDV Corporation)

Within the RDV Corporation family office, Kimberlee directed communications for the DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative. She reorganized the marketing communications function, led a comprehensive rebrand, and elevated alumni impact stories across a nationwide network of urban leaders. Cohorts were filled to capacity each year, and alumni engagement flourished.

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West Michigan Christian Schools Collaborative

For the West Michigan Christian Schools Collaborative, Kimberlee aligned marketing communications across five campuses, contributing to the system’s most successful enrollment campaign.

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Across these initiatives, Kimberlee’s role has been to help organizations articulate new ideas clearly so audiences can understand them, trust them, and ultimately act on them.

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The Work Today

Across industries and initiatives, the pattern remains the same. Kimberlee helps organizations translate complex ideas into narratives people can understand, trust, and engage with.

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The lesson she learned years ago while helping parents make their homes safer still guides her work today.

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When people trust the message and the messenger, they are far more willing to listen, learn, and act. That trust is built not only through clear communication, but through collaboration with leadership and a culture that values transparency and understanding.

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Today, she continues helping organizations introduce new ideas and articulate their stories with clarity, credibility, and purpose.

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Life Along the Lakeshore

When she is not working on communications strategy, Kimberlee enjoys being an Airbnb Superhost, spending time with her husband and family, and exploring the lakeshore communities she now calls home.