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Michelle Kydd: Community Is the Backbone of Everything I Do

25 Jul '25
By The Shift

Image courtesy of Michelle Kydd

25 Jul '25
By The Shift

Image courtesy of Michelle Kydd

The Shift highlights women’s stories through the lens of impact. It hopes to contextualize history and inspire action.

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Michelle Kydd is Chief Innovation Officer at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and founder of the CAA Foundation. A leader in social impact and equity, she advises clients on philanthropic strategy and helped launch TIME’S UP. She serves on the corporate board of JULIE, a maker of emergency contraceptives.

The Shift:

Who are three women that inspire you?

Michelle:

Marian Wright Edelman

Fatima Goss Graves

Martha Minow

The Shift:

What is one defining moment in your career or life that empowered you to create change, and how has it shaped the path you’re on today?

Michelle:

I come from generations of women who impacted not only their families but their communities as well. As mothers, aunties, godmothers, teachers, makers, hairdressers, factory workers, nurses, farmers, and so much more. The defining moment was being born. The shared value system of that community is the backbone of being human and drives everything I do.

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Michelle Kydd is honored as part of The Shift’s “90 Plus One” list, which recognizes influential women shaping contemporary culture. With Gloria Steinem featured on the inaugural print cover, the list pays homage to her 91 years of activism by highlighting a powerhouse community of women shifting culture.