Michelle also founded Gabrielle's Wings, Inc. in 2018, a nonprofit she created to honor her daughter Gabrielle Eileen, who was taken by tragedy at age seven. Gabrielle’s Wings is dedicated to giving children of color from vulnerable communities the tools they need to soar above their circumstances. The organization embodies every parent’s dream for their child to grow and thrive without limitations. Gabrielle’s Wings serves a global community of elementary-aged children through educational, recreational, and cultural engagement. To date, the organization has allocated more than $450,000 to projects with partners on three continents. 

Michelle is a proud Alumna of Howard University and a member of the Advisory Board for Howard University’s School of Communications. She is the past Chair of the Hampton University Scripps School of Communications Advisory Board, an Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc. member, and an associate of Jack And Jill of America.

Michelle has worked with organizations such as ABC’s Good Morning America, the Oxygen Network, CBS News, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. She has been featured by national media, such as O Magazine, The Tamron Hall Show, Good Morning America, and The Talk. Hope Warrior’s client list includes NBC News, Telepictures, CBS Studios, Univision, and LVMH of North America.

official bio

Meet Michelle Hord

Michelle D. Hord is an inspirational speaker, author, consultant, and media executive. As the President of Hope Warrior, Inc., a strategic consulting agency, and former Vice President of Creative Content and Talent Management for NBCUniversal, Michelle has produced content for an esteemed list of television shows and developed tactical solutions for business and talent management needs. 

Through Hope Warrior, Inc., Michelle offers her expertise in on-air talent recruitment and development, employer brand marketing, DEI, workforce leadership training, and broadcast writing and producing.

In 2022, Michelle released her Amazon best-seller, The Other Side of Yet. The book focuses on her story of resilience in the face of unimaginable loss, and was written in hopes that others can also find courage and strength on the other side of their own crossroads. Michelle has shared her journey with audiences across the country, focusing on healing, resilience, and starting over.  

Gabrielle was a kind and energetic little seven-year-old girl.

She was known among her elementary school classmates as one who would grab kids off of the "buddy benches" to play. She used her last two birthday parties to collect donations for children in need. As a tribute to her spirit, the $250,000 "Gabrielle's playground" now soars with butterfly designs at her former elementary school equipped with buddy benches and activities for children of all abilities. 

Gabrielle suddenly and tragically gained her “angel wings” on June 6, 2017. While her family and friends remain heartbroken over her loss, they are now focused on extending her legacy by helping other children around the world.

meet

Gabrielle

Michelle understands that at some point, we all must face the "other side" of what we once knew and understood about our lives:

→ The other side of a health emergency
→ The other side of a job layoff
→ The other side of a divorce
→ The other side of a personal loss

Michelle has culled lessons learned from mental health experts, executive coaches, business executives, and spiritual leaders throughout her professional life and her personal grief journey. She knows what it is like to be faced with getting to the other side and now works every day to help other people imagine and find their own "other side" of difficult crossroads. 

In her personal life on the other side, Michelle has found joy in a blossoming career, a new loving marriage and her first published book. She is still a mother and advocate first, and is devoted to her global non profit, Gabrielle's Wings, which has projects on three continents. 

HELLO FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF YET

what I

believe

I am a strong woman of faith, and that foundation allows me to be the tethered calm in the hurricane. 

where i 

thrive

I thrive in the process of regrouping and reassessing in moments of crisis. I have had to do it personally and professionally at the highest stakes and have helped Fortune 500 companies do the same. 

what sets me

on fire

I love impacting people’s lives, from helping professionals grow through change to advocating for children or acting as the catalyst for a new dream in the communities I serve. 

i am a

unicorn

Most creatives believe operations people worry too much about details and structure. Most operations people believe creatives focus more on blue-sky ideas than results. (They are both right :)

In a career spanning from writing and producing for high-profile television megastars like Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Diane Sawyer, and Robin Roberts to managing a corporate HR recruiting team of 100 people, I have succeeded in creative AND operations capacities.

I understand the 30,000-foot view and what it's like on the ground.

I can dream up a blue sky solution, get the bird in the air, and then land that sucker safely and on budget.

I have done it before and can't wait to do it with you!

Fun Facts From Michelle