What do you dedicate yourself to?
While travelling through Scandinavia in 2019, a fellow traveller from South America asked me, ‘¿a qué te dedicas?’
It’s a question that changed my life.
When translated literally, the expression means, ‘to what is it that you dedicate yourself?’
After more than a decade in marketing, project management and entrepreneurship combined with a life-changing travel adventure across North America, Europe and Scandinavia from 2019-2020, I decided to professionally return to the practice I love the most — creativity.
Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada - I’m currently completing my Honours Bachelors of Design degree — a life-long goal at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD), specializing in Graphic Design and Illustration. I started drawing at the age of 3 and never quit. Many know me as a left handed kids-of-all-ages illustrator with a full cast of imaginary friends. (Some of them appear throughout this site!). They live in my labour-of-love project known as Little Big, when I exhibit at Canada’s One of a Kind Show.
I also hold an Honours Bachelors of Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier’s Lazaridris’ School of Business and Economics and I’ve earned certificates in design thinking, business design, strategy, digital marketing, UI/UX from IDEO and Brainstation.
When intersected together, these skill sets are the right and left foot for my path to walk through the world.
They help me achieve my ultimate goal — which is to bring about meaningful cultural change by design.
. . .
In previous lives, I’ve worked in partnership with international marketing guru and New York Times best-selling author, Seth Godin striving to revolutionize the future of education. Together, we built the acclaimed leadership workshop, recognized by Stanford’s d. School — the altMBA.
I’ve helped Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment launch Toronto FC from business blueprints, transforming the way that soccer is experienced in North America.
I’ve worked with culture-transforming agency Sid Lee, helping their team acclimatize one of the largest clients in Canadian advertising history.
I created two MVPs with the help of the teachings from IDEO: Silver, a dating app that works to solve loneliness for our 60+ population and a full working prototype of The M School — an educational platform that teaches the fundamentals of financial literacy, which empowers students to navigate an industry that’s unregulated by fiduciary duty.
I successfully launched my own illustration company, Little Big; selling my beloved animals and monsters in retailers and online, all over the world.
Along the way, I’ve picked up a few shiny stickers.
I received two nominations for Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2017 and 2018 by my team at Seth Godin’s altMBA
Little Big was selected to exhibit multiple times for the One of a Kind Show in Toronto and the National Stationery Show in NYC, and recognized for its design excellence
And I was a part of the teams that won Canada’s Top 10 Marketers, Strategy Magazine’s Brand of the Year and Agency of the Year
It’s been an absolutely extraordinary ride.
What People Say About Kelli
Kelli’s leadership, no — who Kelli is, enabled our team to become the versions of ourselves we had always dreamed of, thereby giving us the space to do the same thing for all of our students — thousands of them across the globe.
And she did it over and over again.
Yes she’s brilliant. Yes she’s inspiring.
But more so —she shows up for everyone in her path, and by doing so, gives them the freedom to rise.
I’d simply say, she is magic.
I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to find words that will do justice to Kelli’s intellect, creativity, leadership, and friendship.
But what I can tell you — if you’re looking to change the world — Kelli Wood is the place to start.
Mark Stuart >
Director & Choreographer, Broadway
Working on Kelli’s team radically shifted my understanding of what leadership is.
She built a culture in which her team thrives in uncharted territory iterating and problem solving quickly. The culture and structure she created was one of deep trust, kindness and creativity and one that helped support and inspire each team member to do his or her best work every day and encourage others to do the same without fear, insecurity or competition. Challenging situations were never disguised. They were surfaced and resolved quickly, empathetically and collaboratively by the team. I have never seen a leader so skillfully navigate complex and challenging human circumstances.
I would work for her again and again.
She is the leader I want to follow when the way forward is not clear.
And it never is — is it?
Lucia Parker >
Director, Cruzbike
Kelli epitomises the difference between a boss and a leader. Kelli is a leader. She is professional, trustworthy, warm, capable, effective and human — and invites exactly that from everyone she hires in return.
Kelli spoke unequivocally about the professional culture she wanted to create and uphold in order for us to do our best work in, then - and this is the bit that stands Kelli and the culture she creates in stark contrast to other work cultures I've been a part of - stands by that position unwaveringly.
When I started coaching with altMBA, it became evident almost immediately that this was a work culture like no other.
I have experienced first-hand Kelli doing whatever it takes to make her staff feel safe, protected, trusted, supported in return for professionalism on their part.
Ping Lo >
Digital Consultant