Our Philosophy

Meet Our Team

Jonathan Gibson

As a small child, Jonathan loved giving hugs and taking risks (his mother will happily tell you the story of how, at under 9 months old, he climbed onto the kitchen counter to turn on the toaster oven). He wouldn’t realize it until much later, but these values are at the core of who Jonathan is and how he lives his life. Jonathan is a genuine, caring person who thrives on forming connections and building community. He is passionate about personal growth and self-discovery and has spent his career as an experiential educator honing his skills to facilitate people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

Along the way, Jonathan has received extensive education and training in social and cognitive psychology, social emotional learning, leadership, and group development (at Duke University where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, National Outdoor Leadership School, and beyond). He has also sought out valuable life experience in various roles such as World Traveler, Mad Scientist, Hug Trainer, Preschool Teacher, and Wilderness Instructor.

His most recent (and most challenging) undertaking has been the role of Daddy to his lively daughter Lilah. Jonathan strives to grow and further discover how to be true to himself, and he looks forward to continuing this journey along with fellow travelers.

Co-Founder & Lead Facilitator

Michelle is a catalyst for courage and integrity. In 2015, she gathered a group of like-minded friends and colleagues around a vision of what a revolution in higher education could look like. After years of volunteering with groups and nonprofits to organize for social impact, (SuperThank, TEDxMtHood, World Domination Summit) Michelle took the leap and started her own college - Wayfinding Academy.

Prior to founding a college from scratch, Michelle was a college professor teaching courses on Organizational Behavior and Leadership. She earned her Bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Psychology from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and her Master’s and Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from Claremont Graduate University.

When not ruffling the feathers of traditional higher education, Michelle is also the co-founder of Smith & Jones Innovation where she helps organizations find their heart & soul and cultivate the ability to articulate that in the world through high impact events and consulting. When not working, she can be found walking the Camino de Santiago (she has done it 8 times!) or relaxing at her tiny home in Portland, Oregon.

Sean Aiken is a bestselling published author at Penguin-Random House, a formally trained Executive/Career Coach, and an accomplished TEDx speaker/workshop facilitator having spoken to hundreds of audiences at conferences, companies, and schools throughout North America and Europe.

He is a former Associate Professor and founding team member at Wayfinding College, a two-year accredited college in Portland, Oregon designed to revolutionize the higher education system. And he is the Co-Founder of the Rad Dad Collective, an initiative to support the well being of fathers and their families.

Sean has been featured in The New York Times, TIME Magazine, Wall Street Journal, and has been interviewed on CNN, Good Morning America, Rachel Ray Show, and countless other media outlets around the world.