Michele Waxman Johnson, CEO of Bold Thought Partners, is the granddaughter of immigrants and a first-generation college graduate who worked full-time while paying her way through graduate school. She believes that education is the gateway to economic opportunity and is living proof that education is a game changer in our personal and family trajectories.

A graduate of the University of Maryland and the University of Virginia, Michele served as Vice President of a private scholarship provider for 10 years and Executive Director of a community leadership program for 11 years. She is past board chair of the Elijah Cummings Youth Program, a high school leadership fellowship founded by the late Congressman Elijah Cummings, and volunteers with Mid-Shore Scholars, a college access program. Michele lives on the beautiful eastern shore of Maryland with her husband, Paul, and their two Australian Shepherds, and is the proud mother of two young professionals.

In 2021 Michele filed the paperwork that created Bold Thought Partners, LLC, and began working as a national consultant and advocate for affordable, transparent, and equitable higher education, working alongside clients who share her values. Michele is a scholarship displacement evangelist and an advocate, advocacy coach, and coalition builder, committed to empowering and educating students on the cost of higher education before decisions are made.

Nationally known and connected in the scholarship industry, Michele is an active member of the National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA) and serves on the advocacy and government relations committee and as a mentor. Between 2016 and 2021, Michele presented ten times at NSPA national and regional conferences and webinars. In 2021, she spoke alongside Zaniya Lewis of the YesSheCanCampaign at the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) Guiding the Way to Inclusion conference keynote session.