Kandice Henning - Alive Center

Mission Matters

Kandice Henning is the Founder and Executive Director of the Alive Center in Naperville, Illinois, an organization that offers inclusive experiences in learning, sharing, and discovery to help individuals connect with their passions. Since merging with NaperBridge in January 2015, Alive has enhanced its teen program.

Kandice is also a Life Coach and Certified Yoga Teacher (CYT). After over 25 years as an executive at Accenture and IBM, she pursued her true passion: helping people create their desired lives. She graduated from Coach for Life, a life coaching school, and is a certified Heal Your Life Workshop Leader, following the teachings of Louise Hay. Kandice holds a 200-hour CYT from Moksha Yoga in Chicago and is currently completing her 500-hour CYT through ParaYoga with Rod Stryker. She earned a BA in Communications from the University of Illinois.

In this episode…

Aligning personal passion with professional endeavors leads to profound fulfillment. How does encouraging young people to pursue and integrate their interests into their career paths foster a strong sense of purpose and satisfaction?

Teen advocate Kandice Henning has developed a compelling blueprint for youth empowerment emphasizing respect, accountability, and passion. She asserts that treating teens with respect and holding them accountable are key factors in shaping them into future leaders. This philosophy is a guiding principle and deeply embedded in the mission and practices of the Alive Center, where these values are actively cultivated and reinforced. Through this approach, Kandice aims to inspire and equip young people to take on significant roles in their communities, driving meaningful change and fostering a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

In this episode of the Mission Matters Podcast, Paul Feith interviews Kandice Henning, Founder and Executive Director of the Alive Center in Naperville, about teens leading change and her blueprint for youth empowerment. Kandice delves into the inception of the Alive Center, shares her career trajectory that led to an unexpected calling, and her dedication to teen empowerment — emphasizing confidence building, leadership skills, and the freedom to fail — underpinning the center's success in nurturing the next generation of compassionate leaders.