It’s not just good business but good sense to put social impact at the heart of your organisation.
A global thought leader, Kim is the Founder and CEO of Thankful, a social enterprise that is working with influencers, thought leaders, brands, government and organisations to create a systemic impact for communities in Australia and beyond.
In Australia, Kim has launched Thankful4Farmers to support climate-smart agriculture and to help regional and rural communities to thrive. Thankful4Farmers has helped support drought-resilient programs, develop mental health and wellness resources for farmers and create a documentary about Soil health and its vital importance. They have launched New GAP Year to address the national labour shortage in regional communities and partner with corporates, brands, industry associations and the government to drive change.
Kim has driven Thankful’s work across multiple countries and issues, including gender equality and eliminating violence against women, climate change, food waste, food security, labour shortages, LGBTQIA+ rights and others. This work has led to collaborations with the UN Foundation to Eliminate Violence Against Women, and the UN World Food Program to reduce food waste.
Kim has spoken at the United Nations, was a member of the Professional Business Council Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, and is an Honorary Adviser to the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development NY, and has been featured in Forbes and numerous other local and global publications.
Kim has launched the Thankful Imperative Podcast series where she speaks with global experts, influencers and thought leaders, and the men and women at the grassroots who are tackling some of the biggest global challenges. She digs into scientific research to demonstrate that being thankful not only improves our mental and physical health but is also a powerful force to drive action to tackle some of the biggest global challenges and drive positive action.
Prior to founding Thankful, Kim spent over 25 years working in the Australian advertising, digital and data-driven marketing industry at international agencies including Leo Burnett and Publicis Worldwide as well as her own award-winning agency CUBED Communications, which was founded in 2005 and sold to Publicis Worldwide in 2014.
Talking Points
The Thankful Imperative: How thankful moments can make your world, and the planet, a better place
Thousands of studies show that being thankful is good for us as human beings being thankful is the single best predictor of wellbeing and good relationships - beating out love, hope, creativity and 24 other impressive traits (Scientific American). Studies show that gratitude boosts our mood, improves sleep, enhances relationships, and supports our immune system. The Thankful Imperative: How thankful moments can make your world, and the planet, a better place
But what if being thankful did something more? What if each of us could harness the power of thankfulness for good, improving the lives of people next door and half a world away?
Kim shows the power of activating thankfulness to strengthen relationships, communities, and drive business growth and how each of us can create and sustain our own thankful moments to create the kind of world we all hope to live in.
Key Messages:
- A Mindset Shift: Creating a more sustainable and equitable world
- Business Critical: The Thankful Imperative
- Net Thankful Score: Quantifying thankfulness to drive success across the organisation
- Relationships and Communities: Learn how to use the power of activating thankfulness to strengthen relationships and communities
Impact Matters: Why Doing Good Is Good For Business
How is your organisation reacting to the massive challenges the world is facing and we’re experiencing as a culture? If you’re not sure whether you’re “doing it right,” you’re not alone: executives across all industries, from academia, technology, food & agriculture, hospitality, advertising, product manufacturers, and so many more are looking in the mirror to take stock of what their companies- and they themselves - could be doing better to be in tune with massive societal changes we are witnessing.Impact Matters: Why Doing Good Is Good For Business
Today, it’s not just good business but good sense to put social impact at the heart of your organisation.
Key Messages:
- Why Should Organisations/Brands Prioritise Social Impact
- How you Do it Matters - avoid greenwashing and woke washing
- A shift in focus from activity and output to impact and outcomes
- Values are your Value - building authentic and meaningful social equity for your business or brand
Leading a Life of Purpose
As an entrepreneur, strategic marketer, author and the Founder of Thankful, Kim shares her inspiring journey from the desolation of the Australian outback mining town of Mount Isa to the boardrooms of Melbourne, Sydney, and New York… and the decision to turn her life into a mission to empower everyone to create more Thankful moments for themselves, and the world around them.Leading a Life of Purpose
Giving up a successful career, selling all that she owned and uprooting her family to relocate to New York. Kim shares her story of the sacrifice the challenges in her unwavering commitment to bring together influencers, thought leaders, brands and organisations to create the biggest impact for communities in Australia and beyond.
Key Messages:
- Understanding your ‘why’
- Turning your passion into your purpose
- Overcoming the obstacles and building resilience
Agriculture and Sustainability
Climate change and future food security are two of the biggest challenges the world is facing and sitting at the heart of the solution are the hard-working farmers and producers, who are not only front line on the food supply chain and responsible for our future food security but also front-line environmentalists as custodians of the land.Agriculture and Sustainability
Kim launched Thankful4Farmers to amplify the conversation of value and recognition of the agriculture sector and raise awareness of the challenges and opportunities. From farmgate to dinner plate, Thankful4Farmers is committed to driving impactful and sustainable change and has built a collaborative platform of brands, industries, government, influencers and thought leaders to drive the conversation and deliver real impact through grants to support systemic change programs.
Key Messages:
- Agriculture and Climate Change
- Food Security and Sustainability
- Cutting through the greenwashing
Video
Farmer's campaign to feed those in need |Thankful
Kim McDonnell | Thankful | Meat the Ultimate Podcast
Kim McDonnell is the Founder and CEO of thankful.org, a social enterprise and global lifestyle brand founded on the principle that the simple practice of gratitude has the power to improve overall happiness and wellness. This innovative new model merges philanthropy and business to spread the power of gratitude, via licensed products that give back, activations that spark thankful thinking, and harness the power of gratitude for good.Thankful for Women | Kim McDonnell
When women flee domestically violent situations they often lose their self-confidence and self-esteem in the process. Our #InternationalWomensDay event at Tavern on the Green helped to nourish these women and remind them that they’re worthy, amazing human beings, capable of doing anything. Thank you to all our amazing partners who helped to create Thankful Moments for these wonderful women #IAmThankful4WomenKim's presentations are engaging and insightful. Backed by real-life examples, research and data, Kim leads her audience through the drivers of real positive social impact. I stepped away fr ... keep reading Project Resource Partners
What makes Kim McDonnell so special and effective in delivering meaningful and high impact presentations is that she is purpose driven, kind and grateful to her core. This resonates for her audience no matter what she is talking about - her ability to connect quickly is unique. She's engaging, clear with conviction and this makes her audience invest. I've had Kim present at various companies on various topics, from philanthropy, social enterprise, purpose and values/leadership. The last time I had Kim present was in my capacity as Chief People Officer, to which I had to extend the session for our people to be able to ask all of their questions. Incredible!
