My Why
“It’s a bit awkward when you talk about your mental health Michelle”
Crushing, embarrassing, silencing and just like that, as a result of one careless and stigmatising remark, in January 2017, I stepped out of the business I had co-founded, 15 years previously, under a cloud of immense shame and an even greater sense of self-loathing than I was already experiencing. Lots of things happened during that time, but on the other side of the peak of my burnout, clinical depression and anxiety, I began talking publicly about my experience, my thoughts and my feelings and also the things I had done to get help.
“It’s a bit awkward when you talk about your mental health Michelle”
Michelle Morgan
Michelle is an author, award-winning entrepreneur and leading voice on mental health.
She is the Founder of Pjoys, PJs with purpose and Co-Founder of the purpose-led business Livity, a 20-year-old award winning creative business that works hand in hand with young people and brands including Nike, Google, Unilever, Audible and the BBC.
She was also the Co-Founder of Live Futures and Co-Founder and Chairwoman of Livity Africa. As Executive Producer of Dubplate Drama she was part of the team to launch one of the first interactive TV shows on Channel 4 and MTV and as a Director of somewhereto_ she played an executive role in the £7million London 2012 Cultural Olympiad Project for young people across the UK.
Winner of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, The Lloyds National Business Awards and twice winner of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year she has also been recognised by two Prime Ministers for her work. In 2018 she was named by the Evening Standard as one of London’s Top Ten Changemakers and in the same year invited to join the Society of Leadership Fellows, St George’s House, Windsor Castle. In 2020 she was featured in the Meaningful 100 Global Leaders.
"Michelle is truly a unique kind of leader. Her passion is infectious. The meetings I have had with her and her teams have been truly inspiring."
Dara Nasr, Managing Director Twitter UK
“Michelle is an inspiration. She is thoughtful and eloquent, with an honesty that is both disarming and infectious. She’s a natural and gifted storyteller, and when she talks, you listen.”
Louise Benson, Festival Director and VP Events
Roles, Boards and Fellowships
Current Roles
Pjoys – Founder and Director
Grit & Joy – Founder and Director
Previous Key Roles
Livity – Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director
MHFA England (CIC) – Ambassador
DARE Pictures - Executive Chair Livity Africa – Co-Founder and Chairwoman
somewhereto_ – Executive Director
Dubplate Drama – Co-Founder and Executive Producer
Live Futures – Co-Founder and Director
MAA – Non-Executive Director
Fellowships
Society of Leadership Fellows – As Leadership Fellows of St George’s House, Windsor Castle, we support each other in becoming better leaders through nurturing each other’s wisdom.
Hammamet Network – The Hammamet Conference Series is an international platform for dialogue and progress is relationship between the countries of North Africa – Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia – and the UK.
The RSA – The Royal Society for Arts, manufactures and commerce. Fellows are committed to inspiring better ways of thinking, acting and delivering change.
