ABOUT

 DR. Amanda holdsworth, apr

FOUNDEr
VICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGY & OPERATIONS

In 2018, Amanda launched Cultivate & Engage (formerly Holdsworth Communications), an agency dedicated to supporting purpose-driven organizations and educational institutions through strategic communications, marketing, branding, public relations, and research services. She also currently serves on a research team at the University of Michigan’s Marsal Family School of Education focusing on community colleges, non-traditional learners, and career and technical education.

She earned both a Master of Arts in Strategic Public Relations and a Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California. A former assistant professor, her post-doc research led to the creation of the CultureComm Model which links employee engagement, organizational culture, talent attraction and retention, and brand perception, and she has presented her findings at conferences around the world.

Amanda has appeared in CNN Money, Fast Company, Forbes, Inc., USA Today, and Parents Magazine, and has secured media placements for clients in The Wall Street Journal, Good Housekeeping, Parents Latina, and U.S. News & World Report and on NBC News (national). Over the last 25 years, she has led her teams to 30 industry awards for her work in branding, PR, and marketing within the education and non-profit sectors. Amanda is also Accredited in Public Relations (APR) and is a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, both of which contribute to her love of strategic communications planning and process development.

A dual citizen of Canada and the United States, Amanda has studied, volunteered, and worked abroad in seven countries. She is currently based in Michigan with her family; however, they are frequent travelers who love experiencing new cultures.