Michale Gabriel

My passion for storytelling has been the driving force in my life. It even led me to leave a job as a university development director over 40 years ago to take the plunge into life as an entrepreneur, becoming a professional storyteller long before such a career was widely recognized. Story by story, country by country, my journey as a storyteller took me to elementary-school classrooms and children’s hospitals, boardrooms and conference halls, fundraising galas and Soviet television. That’s right: I told U.S. children’s stories to 50 million viewers and promoted intercultural understanding near the end of the Cold War, thus earning the nickname “Russia’s American Fairy Godmother.” I took my approach of heart-centered storytelling as a tool for peace to countries including Uganda, Iraq and Costa Rica, and founded Storytell International, a nonprofit organization committed to building bridges of peace and unity between nations..

Today, I share my unique approach to storytelling with clients in corporate, nonprofit and educational settings around the world. A consultant and strategic communications partner to The Boeing Company for more than 20 years, I co-designed the Boeing IT Leadership Development Program and was a major contributor to the Boeing IT Technical Leadership Institute. I have provided Story by Design leadership development workshops, executive coaching and delivered conference keynotes on the power of story to over 10,000 executives, managers, and professionals around the world. In addition to The Boeing Company, my corporate clients have included Western Union LAROC–Costa Rica, Disney Development Corporation, and many others. Today I work with people both in the corporate and non-profit sector who have important stories to tell and with my help, can now tell them more power and purpose.