About the Founder

---

The Growth Factor

Founder and Instructor

Credentials:

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, KELLOGG SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

Master of Business Administration, June 2012

Concentrations: Healthcare Enterprise Management and Organizational Behavior

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE

Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, June 1997  

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

Bachelor of Arts with Honors, Speech and Hearing Science, June 1995 

Denise began her career as a clinician, a pediatric speech-language pathologist working in a hospital in Chicago. Early into her clinical career she realized, while she loved the clinical work, she also had developed an interest in the leadership and management side of healthcare. Denise found herself surprised with the expectation of health professionals to provide services in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape without necessarily having the formal training or education in leadership and management. This curiosity led Denise to begin coursework at Northwestern University in the Kellogg School of Management, studying healthcare management and organizational behavior. 

After completing her MBA, Denise moved from clinical work into a healthcare leadership role in a corporate healthcare setting. It was within the corporate health environment where she found her  second love, leadership and healthcare management. Denise led clinical and administrative teams and worked to create efficiencies in the day-to-day workflow, meeting revenue targets, all while maintaining high quality clinical care and optimal cost structure. 

Between 2015 and today Denise has taught leadership, business, and management courses for both master’s level and doctoral level clinical students at Northwestern University.

Teaching has provided Denise with the opportunity to inspire, motivate, engage, and educate future professionals to allow them the most success in navigating their careers.   Denise's love of teaching, coaching, and supporting young professionals  in their development inspired the launch of The Growth Factor Group in 2021. 

Denise lives in Franklin, Tennessee with her husband and two children.   

Licensure

Tennessee State Speech-Language Pathologist License- Current

Illinois State Speech-Language Pathologist License- Current

Additional Trainings

Kellogg School of Management Executive Education: Leading Change, February 2017

Kellogg School of Management Executive Education, Leader as a Coach, December 2017