Helena Kirkland

I started my career in education as a paraprofessional supporting students with autism in the local school district where I grew up. From there, I went into higher education as a coordinator for the speech-language therapy program at California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM). When I came back home to Pittsburgh, I became an operations manager for Purpose Builders, a mental health practice that we helped start and build. That operational angle is what helped me move into people and culture and HR. I've always loved operations and understanding why people do what they do and how they work, so it was almost kismet that I moved into this field. My journey wasn't linear, it was more web-like, but each role taught me something different, and that's why I am who I am today. What makes me good at what I do is that I genuinely see people and hear people. In a world where people don't feel seen or heard and feel like a corporation is just there to make money, making people feel like they have a safe place in a person is huge. That allows me to meet people where they're at and actually connect and make changes that are necessary and needed. I've learned that from my life, what I've been through, the ups and downs, and the empathy that I wish I had at some moments, I always want to give to someone else.