Jen Waldman

Jen Waldman helps people hone in on their unique gifts, empowering them to take  action with authenticity and heart. Using her background in the arts, she encourages  creative thinking and imagination, so that others can cultivate new ideas and share them  with the world.   

Jen and Simon Sinek united several years ago when Simon became aware that Jen was  using the Golden Circle to inspire artists to make a greater impact with their work. The  two recognized that by combining their efforts they could help people across many  different industries discover their WHY and bring it to life. Jen now travels the world  offering Why-inspired keynotes and workshops on leadership, communication, and  presentation skills so that individuals and organizations can have more impact with their  ideas. Jen is on a personal mission to shine a light on the ways in which we might build a  more diverse and inclusive world. As an active participant in the modern civil rights  movement, she is an outspoken advocate for social justice and works to raise awareness  and funds for the organizations and causes she believes in. She was honored with a  Proclamation from the City of New York for her work as a “champion of equal rights.”   

In addition to her work with Start With Why, Jen is the Founder and Executive Director of  Jen Waldman Studio , New York City’s premiere training studio for Broadway actors. She  has worked with over a thousand artists to develop and nurture their creative voice and  technique. Her clients include Tony Award winners and nominees, and in 2017 alone, her  clients appeared in 28 Broadway shows. Her studio maintains a robust scholarship  program for artists who have demonstrated a commitment to using their art to make a  positive impact on the world. Jen is particularly inspired by and dedicated to mentoring  young people. She recently served a 5 year term as the Theatre Chair for the National  YoungArts Foundation and is a professor at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She lives in  New York City with her husband and daughter.