Women’s Leadership Institute announces addition of two new Executive Board members
August 20, 2024 - Emily Jodway
The Michigan State University Women’s Leadership Institute (WLI) recently announced the addition of two new members to their Executive Board. Kristen Barnow and Michelle Massey, both MSU alumni, will bring their leadership expertise to a strong group of senior executive women.
Housed within the College of Social Science, the WLI is a collaborative effort between Michigan State University, alumni, professional women, and current students, designed to support and empower women students with leadership aspirations. Students participate in the WLI through its Student Cohort program, an application-based program that takes students through a tailored curriculum across the academic year. Students in the program work closely with Executive Board members and other alumni.
“I am thrilled to welcome two new board members, Kristen Barnow and Michelle Massey, to the Women’s Leadership Institute executive board,” said Amanda Guinot Talbot, director of the WLI. “Their wealth of experience and fresh perspectives will help drive the institute’s work forward. This marks a significant stride toward achieving our mission and making a lasting impact on the lives of our student leaders. Welcome, Kristen and Michelle!”
Kristin Barnow (‘90) is the Chief Operating Officer of Tential Solutions, a professional services staffing firm that provides support to organizations across the country with recruitment, customer experience, company strategy and IT services. Barnow has extensive experience in talent acquisition, management solutions, and leadership roles within the recruiting industry. Prior to being named COO, she joined the company as President of Asphire, which became Tential Solutions in August of 2020.
Barnow also participates in a number of women’s leadership groups in addition to the WLI. She is a member of both Nest and Chief, the former an advisory group helping women reach their career and life goals, and the latter a networking group of senior executive women. She is the founding member of ClearEdge Rising, a leadership development community for women across the talent industry.
She moves into her role on the Executive Board after supporting the WLI since 2022 as a participant and keynote speaker. She recently established the Barnow Empowering Leadership Award, a scholarship intended to encourage students who have demonstrated the capacity to achieve educational and professional goals, the motivation to achieve these goals, and the initiative to seek opportunities to further their progress.
Michelle Massey (‘90) is the current Vice President, Community Outreach and Customer Operations at TechSmith and has served in the role since 2021. An East Lansing company with its headquarters located on campus, TechSmith is an industry leader in screen capture, screen recording, and video editing software. Before joining TechSmith, Massey spent 15 years as Vice President of Dewpoint and was responsible for its corporate business development, marketing and community involvement initiatives
Massey is very involved in the community at large and is passionate about entrepreneurship, business opportunities for women and advancing leadership in the greater Lansing area. She is an Advisory Council Member for the Wharton Center for Performing Arts, an Executive Board Member for the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, an Advisory Council Member for the Lansing Promise and Economic Club Emcee at the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce.
She is also the founder of M2 Speaks, where she offers her expertise from over 25 years in the technology industry through executive coaching, keynote speeches and panel experiences. She is a 2021 recipient of the ATHENA Leadership Award, which recognizes individuals for professional excellence, providing valuable service to the community and actively assisting women in attaining professional excellence and leadership skills.
More information about the Women’s Leadership Institute can be found here.