Mindi Searle

I’m Mindi Searle, founder of HRt and a lifelong student of how people, leaders, and organizations grow.

For more than thirty years, I have worked alongside executive teams, boards, and organizations navigating change, growth, and transformation. Throughout my career, I held senior Human Resources leadership roles across nonprofit, manufacturing, and corporate environments, partnering with leaders to strengthen culture, develop talent, and build organizations capable of thriving through complexity and change.

Over time, I became increasingly fascinated by a question that traditional leadership and organizational development approaches often overlook:

Why do smart, well-intentioned people continue to misunderstand one another, react defensively, and struggle to create the cultures they genuinely want?

That question led me to explore mindfulness-based practices, systems thinking, active listening, and organizational awareness. I witnessed firsthand the power of introducing these practices across entire organizations—from executive teams to frontline employees—creating shared language, deeper understanding, and more intentional ways of working together.

Today, I help leaders cultivate the awareness, presence, and relational skills that support meaningful and sustainable change. My work is grounded in the belief that how leaders show up shapes everything that follows, and that lasting transformation begins with greater awareness of ourselves, our assumptions, and our impact on others.

I believe organizations perform at their best when people are seen clearly, listened to fully, and challenged to grow with both accountability and compassion.

I hold a Master of Business Administration from Queens University of Charlotte and a Bachelor of Arts in Management and Organizational Development from Spring Arbor University. I am also certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).

Outside of my professional work, I remain deeply committed to service and community. I have served eight years on the board of Goodwill of Northern Illinois and have previously served on the Transform Rockford Leadership Committee and as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) supporting neglected and abused children.