About Us

Valaryee Mitchell is the President and founder of Thrive Leadership Solutions, LLC. Thrive's goal is to strengthen the organizations that help people. Mitchell has over 20 years of progressive experience with human service programs, including those serving youth, adults, people living in poverty, dislocated workers, re-entry, and businesses. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience with policy development, program creation, and management. She believes building a solid organizational structure is necessary to ensure effective programming. Her career spans state and local program leadership and coordination. Mitchell was named one of Style Weekly's Top 40 Under 40 in 2018.

As the Director of the City of Richmond's Office of Community Wealth Building, Valaryee Mitchell was entrusted with the crucial task of reducing poverty and fostering wealth creation. Before this, she served as the Statewide One-Stop Coordinator for the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). During her tenure, she developed a One-Stop Certification process that ensured continuous quality improvement across 18 American Job Centers in Virginia. Mitchell's unwavering dedication to fostering genuine partnership collaboration in state and local programs, driven by her belief that collaborative efforts enhance program outcomes, has made her a sought-after leader for training at conferences.

Mitchell received her bachelor's degree in political science from Hampton University and her Master's of Public Administration from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. She cites her time at her "Home by the Sea" (Hampton University) as when she discovered her passion for helping others. She volunteers at her church and in the community.

Mitchell has served on multiple national profit boards, including President/Chair. She is in her third term as a member of the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals Board of Directors (NAWDP).

Valaryee Mitchell's mission is to transform communities by helping individuals succeed and reach their goals. She firmly believes that this is possible through structural and systemic change, and by building programs that empower people. Her belief in the potential of every individual to thrive is a source of inspiration and optimism.