Michelle Porcelli is a TEDx speaker, author, keynote speaker, and Executive Director of Uplift Works Foundation. With a master’s degree in counseling and experience spanning education, professional development, and community leadership, she helps audiences build resilience, communicate effectively, and strengthen human connection.
As a practicing elementary school counselor, Michelle delivers 60 classroom lessons each month on topics including conflict resolution, compassion, and resilience. She also facilitates grief groups, provides individual counseling, and leads youth programs that promote connection and kindness. Her work gives her a firsthand understanding of how people respond to stress, navigate relationships, and find the courage to move forward.
Through Uplift Works Foundation and the Resilient Families Project, Michelle extends that commitment to families and communities. She also presents professional development for educators at the school and district levels, translating counseling concepts into practical strategies people can use in everyday life.
Her most requested keynote, Who Ate My Chocolate?, combines humor, relatable experiences, and meaningful insights to help audiences navigate conflict, strengthen relationships, and respond to adversity with greater confidence. Michelle makes complex emotional topics approachable, creating room for both laughter and reflection.
Whether speaking to professionals, educators, or community leaders, Michelle brings warmth, energy, and a clear purpose: helping people turn moments of frustration and challenge into opportunities for connection and growth.
Beyond her professional roles, Michelle has five children, three grandchildren, two dogs, one cat, and one husband. Her drink of choice is Diet Dr. Pepper, and homemade bread tops her favorite foods list - but her friendship can be won with a warm chocolate chip cookie.
