Her life shows us that you don’t have to look a certain way or act a certain way to fit in; you don’t have to make a lot of money or come from a certain group or class or faith in order to matter.
Each of us can write our own story. And when we share those stories with one another, we can lift each other up along the way.
That’s why, as an author, Michelle speaks candidly about her experiences as a wife, mother, Black woman, and First Lady of the United States, telling her story in a way that empowers others to see the beauty in their own. Through her advocacy work, she strives to help young people see the power of their voice and the boundless promise inside of them. Through film and television, she elevates stories and storytellers who have too often been ignored. And as a co-founder of a children’s nutrition company, she’s aiming to help raise a healthier generation of children.
Michelle’s passion for storytelling has set sales records and earned her global acclaim. Her memoir, Becoming — a moving portrayal of her life’s journey and path to the White House — spent over 130 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list, sold more than 15 million copies worldwide, and won a Grammy Award. Her second book, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, also won a Grammy Award, and has spent months on the New York Times Best Sellers list. In it, she shares the lessons she’s learned that have helped her rise above difficult circumstances.
Through Higher Ground, which she co-founded with her husband in 2018, her work to share stories has won awards and accolades. Higher Ground’s first film, American Factory, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2020, and Crip Camp was nominated in the same category a year later. She produced and stars in Waffles + Mochi, a show that teaches children about their food and cooking through an adventurous part-yeti, part-waffle tour guide. Higher Ground’s Ada Twist, Scientist and We The People each won a Children’s & Family Emmy Award. The Light We Carry Netflix special recently earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special.
At the core of Michelle’s story is a belief not just in telling stories aligned with her values, but in living out those values — especially when it comes to strengthening the next generation. Through the Obama Foundation, she leads the Girls Opportunity Alliance, which supports global grassroots organizations that are working to make sure girls can get the education they deserve. Earlier this year, GOA launched a partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Clooney Foundation for Justice to promote girls’ education and help end child marriage. At Reach Higher, she encourages high school graduates to pursue a secondary education, whether through community college, university, trade school, or military service. As part of When We All Vote, she urges young people to register to vote and get involved in the electoral process — reaching more than 100 million people during the 2020 election. And with Partnership for a Healthier America, she works to curb food inequity in the USA — in 2022, they helped donate more than one million meals for families in need.
And through PLEZi Nutrition, a children’s nutrition company launched in 2023, she is building upon the legacy of her White House Let’s Move! initiative which she started in 2010 to help children across the country reach their highest potential. PLEZi Nutrition intends to raise the bar for how we make and market food and beverages for our kids, jumpstarting a race to the top that aims to transform the entire food industry.
We’re excited to announce that Former First Lady Michelle Obama will join us for a moderated conversation at #Impact24 on 16th in Poznan, Poland!
