About Me
I’m Dr. Cindy Urrutia—TEDx speaker, author, and leadership & personal growth strategist.
I help leaders and organizations fix disengagement, unlock human potential, and build purpose-driven cultures rooted in connection, presence, and heart.
With 10 years of university teaching and 6 years as a university cultural arts director, I’ve led institutional change and empowered diverse communities through education, storytelling, and soulful leadership.
I also bring several years of leadership and curriculum development experience—designing transformative programs that foster growth, inspire possibility, and center human connection.
The Crossroads
Before becoming a leadership and personal growth strategist, I found myself at a crossroads.
Despite years of meaningful work, I was facing limited opportunities for growth—and feeling increasingly disconnected from what mattered most: my family, purpose, and alignment.
That quiet realization became a turning point—one that led me to redefine success and help others do the same through soul-aligned leadership.
This me led to finally acknowledge that.
I was not purposely growing in a direction that supported my full potential as a human and a leader.
I was out of alignment with my soul needs and was not harmonizing spirit with my professional life.
AND
I also had unprocessed grief over the passing of my mother due to Covid-19 and wished to prioritize family more.
Thus I resigned.
As a result, my inner landscape transformed to one where soul needs and professional needs align.
This alignment gave me clarity, purpose, and harmonized my values with needs.
It also led me one to wake up with an idea; give a TEDx Talk on human growth needs.
From loss to alignment
How many people feel frustrated because their growth needs—
both professional and personal—aren’t being met?
It’s not just about career advancement.
It’s about a deeper misalignment with who we are and what we’re here to do.
I’ve lived that misalignment.
And when I lost my mother to the Covid-19 pandemic, everything shifted.
That grief brought my inner disconnection to the surface—
and gave me the courage to choose alignment over expectation.
I stepped back, reconnected with purpose, and began to heal the gap between my spirit and my work.
What emerged was clarity, conviction, and a mission to help others bridge that same gap—so they can lead with authenticity, presence, and heart.
THE HUMAN ELEMENT
Many people are silently frustrated—not because they lack ambition, but because their growth needs aren’t being met.
Organizations that fail to connect with their people on a human level will continue to lose talent, innovation, and trust.
The solution isn’t just better systems—it’s soul-aligned strategy.
My work exists at this intersection—where human needs meet organizational vision, and where self-leadership becomes the foundation of everything else.
My Mission
Empowering individuals and organizations to break barriers, unlock potential, and lead with heart
—transforming lives through the power of human connection.
TEDx Talk & Book
In my TEDx talk, The Power of Recognizing Potential, I introduce the Triad of Recognition™—a transformational framework that helps leaders identify and activate potential in others and themselves.
The talk inspired my latest book by the same name, a guide to soul-aligned leadership in action.
Watch the TEDx Talk
Short Professional Bio
Dr. Cindy Urrutia is a thought leader, TEDx & keynote speaker, and leadership & personal growth expert. She believes personal growth is the foundation of great leadership—helping individuals lead themselves first to create impact in their careers and lives.
She has authored and edited nine books and curated over 20 cultural and multimedia exhibitions featured in major publications. She has also spoken at conferences, led workshops, and facilitated discussions on leadership, empowerment, and human connection.
Dr. Urrutia is dedicated to helping leaders and organizations unlock potential, tackle quiet quitting, and lead with heart. Through keynotes, corporate workshops, and consulting, she empowers individuals and teams to build workplaces and lives rooted in connection, purpose, and growth.
Previously, she served as Director of the Center for Creativity and the Arts at Fresno State, revitalizing the center after years of dormancy. She continues to mentor, consult, and lead transformational leadership and personal growth initiatives.