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Jonathan Kaufman

President at J Kaufman Consulting

New York City Metropolitan Area, United States

Jonathan Kaufman is an innovative thought leader, business educator, and strategist who recognizes the impact of personal development on organizational growth. As a storyteller, Professor Kaufman shares his own journey dealing with the obstacles of everyday life and provides audiences a true understanding that we are all in the act of becoming when it comes to finding greater success.

Born with Cerebral Palsy, Jonathan Kaufman’s disability has been a profound part of his personal, academic, and professional life. Whether hiking in the Ecuadorian highlands with his family, skiing down a mountain or repelling down the side of a cliff in the Middle East, to the simplicity of tying his own shoes one-handed, he has pushed the idea that anything is possible if given the will. Building on his diverse educational background having attended Sarah Lawrence College, Oxford University, The University of Chicago, and Columbia University, Professor Kaufman is now regarded as one of the most innovative thinkers and practitioners in the areas of diversity and inclusion, organizational strategy, and personal growth. As a licensed psychotherapist, executive coach, and consultant, Kaufman seeks to develop new strategies and initiatives by synthesizing ideas from management theories and applications to entrepreneurial thinking to the knowledge of human capital by cultivating increased motivation and skills to achieve greater success both personally and professionally.

Kaufman is showing that through this integration, J Kaufman Consulting/J Kaufman Coaching can assist organizations and individuals on a broader scale by expanding services and providing them innovative approaches to analyze and find solutions in areas ranging from Leadership, Change Management, and Strategic Thinking and beyond. J Kaufman Consulting/J Kaufman Coaching continues to counsel corporations, governments, and non-for-profits around the globe.

His unique background has allowed him the ability to work in a variety of capacities from being a former Policy Advisor to the White House on Diversity and Disability to a technical consultant for Hollywood productions in films such as “Adam” and HBO’s “Temple Grandin” to his role as Lead Disability Strategist for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Senior Strategist at The National Business and Disability Council and adviser to Diversity Best Practices providing invaluable intellectual capital for Fortune 500 and 1000 companies. Kaufman’s versatility has also allowed him to work with numerous government agencies including the US Department of Veteran Affairs, US Department of Labor, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

As a psychotherapist, Kaufman works in private practice with a variety of individuals, couples, and groups with an emphasis on corporate health and wellness issues and areas around those with disabilities. As an executive coach and psychotherapist Professor Kaufman is growing his practice to meet the needs of C-Level Executives and managers in areas ranging from organizational stress management, motivation to finding greater pathways to success. Kaufman is also working with individuals who are looking to expand their growth on a personal level to find greater success in their daily lives.

Known as a dynamic speaker, Professor Kaufman has keynoted at such diverse global events as the United Nations Social and Economic Development Forum, Aktion Mensch in Berlin to AARP’s Diversity & Aging in the 21st Century Conference. He has also served as the Commencement speaker for Columbia University’s School of Occupational Therapy. Professor Kaufman has continued to lecture at numerous academic institutions including The City University of New York, Vanderbilt University, The McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas, Austin, and The Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.

Beyond his consulting, coaching, and psychotherapy work, Jonathan Kaufman is a Forbes contributor with a regular column "Mindset Matters" where he writes about the intersection of disability, business, innovation, and culture.

Available For: Advising, Authoring, Consulting, Influencing, Speaking
Travels From: NY
Speaking Topics: Future of Work, Mental Health/Corporate Health and Wellness, Diversity & Inclusion, Disability Related

Jonathan Kaufman Points
Academic 0
Author 37
Influencer 59
Speaker 16
Entrepreneur 30
Total 142

Points based upon Thinkers360 patent-pending algorithm.

Thought Leader Profile

Portfolio Mix

Company Information

Company Type: Individual
Minimum Project Size: Undisclosed
Average Hourly Rate: Undisclosed
Number of Employees: Undisclosed
Company Founded Date: Undisclosed

Areas of Expertise

Business Strategy
Change Management 30.35
Culture 31.63
Design Thinking
Diversity and Inclusion 38.69
Entrepreneurship 30.14
Future of Work 30.29
Health and Wellness 31.13
HR 30.04
Innovation 30.20
Leadership 30.63
Management
Mental Health 31.57
SportsTech 30.22

Industry Experience

Publications

37 Article/Blogs
Mindset Matters: Disability And Integrative Thinking As A Channel For Business Growth (Part I)
Forbes
January 30, 2023
This Mindset Matters column is the first in a series to enter a conversation with readers about how the lived experience of disability is shedding light on key aspects of management strategies that are vital for sustained growth in an evolving business culture. This series will begin with theory and continue to lay the groundwork in various practice areas around corporate reinvention and the importance of social intelligence in the future of work.

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Tags: Culture, Future of Work, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: A Paradigm Shift For The Role Of Mental Health In The Business Of The 21st Century (Part II)
Forbes
March 23, 2022
The further businesses navigate through this new frontier acclimating to our current reality where Covid is ever-present and the world of work is being reorganized from a centralized model to decentralized standards and practices, the value of mental health is being amplified and becoming more significant to the larger business conversation. Throughout the corporate ecosystem from leadership on down, we are hearing the echoes of words like self-care, needs, active listening to more clinical language such as depression, anxiety, to a bevy of terms connected to mental illness. The exposure to these types of language and ideas has opened the doors to a paradigmatic shift where the understanding of values around the world of work matters.

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Tags: Diversity and Inclusion, Health and Wellness, Mental Health

Mindset Matters: Peering Into The Future Of Corporate Health And Wellness (Part I)
Forbes
March 18, 2022
The corporate landscape is once again making a pivot where living in a world of Covid has become an accepted reality. The residual impact of these last two and half years has dramatically changed the world of work in profound ways as we witness the dawning of a new age where mental health is no longer an afterthought, but central to the business ethos. Although the past couple of years has wreaked havoc on the business community, one of the great lessons that are continually being discovered is recognizing the true value of mental health as an engine of corporate growth and fundamental in attracting and retaining top talent that is key to shaping a competitive advantage.

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Tags: Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion, Health and Wellness

Mindset Matters: The Nexus Of Hollywood, Disability And Commerce
Forbes
March 04, 2022
Last week the film CODA was bestowed two awards at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards. One was for best film ensemble, and the second was presented to Troy Kotsur for his riveting performance given by a male actor in a supporting role. Not only did he make history as the first deaf person to win an individual SAG Award, but he also epitomized another moment in the underlying trendlines that are taking shape in Hollywood and across the entertainment industry. The acknowledgment to see disability in all its diversity from Deaf Culture to those on the autism spectrum are being fully realized through both fictional narratives and docuseries alike. While nurturing authentic representation and a level of artistic freedom is essential, it is important to recognize that this maturation process has another element that needs to be cultivated. Envisioning the role of the disability narrative as pivotal to the growing tapestry of an ever-increasing entertainment landscape.

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: Revolution 2.0 Has Arrived In The Growing Disability Economy
Forbes
February 04, 2022
While the maturation process of the Disability Economy continues towards Revolution 2.0, the focus on the intersection of business and economic independence remains essential, yet there is a third ingredient that one could argue is just as important in communicating the inherent significance of this transformation. That is the value of expression, and how it amplifies the reengineering of the disability narrative in the digital economy of today. Revolution 2.0 is as much about a new way for the disability community to find opportunities of expression and push the boundaries of identity as it is as much about economic freedom.

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: What Businesses Seem To Miss About The Nature Of Accessibility
Forbes
January 21, 2022
Beginning in the previous Mindset Matters column, the goal was to embark on a journey to highlight the trend lines within the global Disability Economy to gain a greater understanding of the social forces that are amplifying the disability narrative and becoming an influential player within the ever-changing economic landscape.

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: Tracking The Trend Lines Of The Disability Economy And Its Meaning To The Business Landscape Of The 21st Century
Forbes
January 14, 2022
The historical nature of the Disability Economy post World War II has always been seen through the lens of a needs economy often referring to legacy products such as crutches, wheelchairs, hearing aids, scooters to various other goods and services focused on activities of daily living that include personal hygiene, grooming, dressing to eating. Yet, over the past seventy-five years, there has been a major tectonic shift across society, culture, technology, and politics that is redefining our very perspective of the Disability Economy and providing a new outlook asserting that this is an economy of scale that can transform opportunities and influence future possibilities to create a vibrant market of inclusion and innovation.

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: Reframing Entrepreneurship And Disability To Shape A New Business Culture
Forbes
December 17, 2021
This column further explores the Disability Economy by focusing on the thinking behind entrepreneurship and how the it is being redefined through a disability lens.

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Tags: Culture, Entrepreneurship, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: The Responsibility Of Corporate Behavior In Magnifying The Disability Economy
Forbes
December 08, 2021
This column continues the series exploring the growing Disability Economy and thinking how corporate leaders must engage this market and community in new and innovative ways

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: A Framework For Corporate Leaders To Envision A New Way To Reflect On Accessibility
Forbes
November 19, 2021
The column provides a new framework for corporate leaders to think about how to engage the burgeoning accessibility and adaptive marketplace

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: A Divergent Path Of Accessibility From The Political Landscape To Marvel Superhero’s
Forbes
October 27, 2021
The column looks at the divergent path of Accessibility through recent events at UN Climate Summit and the launch of Marvel Studios new film "The Eternals."

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: Framing National Disability Employment Awareness Month As A New Tool For Business Acumen (Part Two)
Forbes
October 27, 2021
This column explores a new framework to see National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) as a central theme in helping to grow business in these delicate times. Rethinking the role of NDEAM will be key for corporate leaders to shape a competitive advantage and this column offers insight

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: Why It Is Essential American Business Recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month As An Instrument Of Change (Part One)
Forbes
October 25, 2021
The writer Carl Sagan once wrote that “Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it, we go nowhere.” If the pandemic has taught us anything, the role of imagination for businesses is an essential ingredient for growth and change. National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) offers American businesses a moment of reprieve where they can indulge in innovative ideas, creative musings, and building new strategic thinking for organizational growth. While NDEAM started as a vehicle to raise awareness of the employment needs of persons with disabilities, the concept has the potential to be so much more and serve an expanded role that can enhance its status throughout American business.

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Tags: Culture, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: Why Supporting Disability Employment Is Imperative To Solve The Puzzle Of The Great Resignation
Forbes
October 08, 2021
This column focuses on how National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) offers a potential solution to the Great Resignation and provides a new way of thinking around the culture of talent management.

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: The Great Resignation, Disability, And Defining A New Ethos For Employee Engagement
Forbes
October 01, 2021
This column explores the value of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) can be a framework in towards finding a more effective solution to the great resignation which has become a real issue in the war for talent.

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Tags: Culture, HR, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: How Businesses Can Transform In A New Age Of Anxiety
LinkedIn
September 22, 2021
This column discusses how the role of anxiety can be a transformational tool in the culture of business. By reframing this hidden disability, businesses can explore management practices, employee engagement and customer experience in a whole new way.

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: Uncovering The Next Cultural Touchstone For Business
Forbes
September 06, 2021
This column explores how corporate leadership needs to amplify the need to understand relationship building as an essential ingredient to building a healthy corporate culture.

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: The Paralympics As An Instrument For Business Growth
Forbes
August 27, 2021
The column explores how the Paralympic Games can offer a new lens for business leaders to tackle the challenges of this fast paced transitioning corporate culture and find a competitive advantage.

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: A Convergence Of Three Ideas That Business Needs To Embrace
Forbes
August 20, 2021
The column looks at three core principles fundamental for business in this transformational moment. From psychological safety, workplace design, to workplace culture the column looks at how the disability narrative is a connecting point and why business leaders need to engage this type of thinking.

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: How Jason Goldsmith Is Redefining The Mental Fitness Of Professional Athletes And Altering The Youth Sports Landscape
Forbes
August 13, 2021
This column explores how Jason Goldsmith, one of the preeminent performance coaches to elite athletes has used his personal experience with dyslexia to shape his coaching style and redefine the mental game of sports from the pros to youth sports.

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Tags: Diversity and Inclusion, Health and Wellness, SportsTech

Mindset Matters: What Simone Biles And Naomi Osaka Can Teach About The Significance Of Health And Wellness
Forbes
August 04, 2021
A simple gesture can often have a profound effect that resonates throughout the culture. This has been a summer where two athletes at the height of their powers are redefining the narrative of mental health and normalizing the fact that it’s okay not to be okay. It all began when tennis star Naomi Osaka chose to skip her press conference at the French Open to take time to focus on her self-care and look after her mental health. For many, this was seen as an act of defiance breaking with a longstanding tradition. Then, more recently there was gymnastic great Simone Biles who withdrew from several events during this summer’s Olympic Games to tend to her mental health challenges as well as grieve due to a recent family tragedy.

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Health and Wellness, Mental Health

Mindset Matters: Psychological Safety, Disability, And A New Lens For Corporate Talent Management
Forbes
July 23, 2021
While companies and small businesses are continuing to struggle to hire talent in this time of transition, this is a moment to reflect on perhaps how corporate culture can reassess defining a path towards more robust inclusion and shape greater innovation in the economy of the 21st century. As organizations both large and small review their talent management processes it is important that leadership rethink their disability hiring strategy beyond the framework of diversity, equity, and inclusion, but see it as an anchor that can have a ripple effect across the entire progression of evaluating human capital management.

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Tags: Culture, Diversity and Inclusion, Mental Health

Mindset Matters: Witnessing A New Relationship For Business And Disability
Forbes
July 14, 2021
Since the next sequence of Mindset Matters columns will emphasize the developing relationship between business and disability rather than employment-related issues it is important to acknowledge a critical detail, the fact that there are moments when the connection between disability and business can be seen as if there are on two divergent paths when in reality embracing the lived experience of disability must be a key driver for the future of business innovation and developing a competitive advantage for long term growth. While employment issues are often a central narrative, rethinking the relationship between business and disability must begin to be amplified even more.

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Tags: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: Disability Is Central To The Future Of Corporate Innovation And Management Practice
Import from forbes.com
July 08, 2021
This is the first in a new series of columns to explore the concept of disability needs to be a central theme in the future of corporate innovation around key business sectors as well as a vital tool for management practice.

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Tags: Culture, Future of Work, Diversity and Inclusion

Mindset Matters: How President Biden’s Executive Order Advances Diversity And Inclusion As A Game Changer For Impact Investors And Entrepreneurs
Import from forbes.com
June 30, 2021
The recent Executive Order by President Biden promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion has a ripple effect beyond just policy. The impact for entrepreneurs with disabilities and investors to shape the future of work has been given a new platform to innovate the workplace of tomorrow.

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Tags: Culture, Future of Work, Change Management

1 Executive
J Kaufman Consulting
J Kaufman Consulting
November 12, 2012
Let us hear from you so we can help you and your organization grow in a positive direction!

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion, Mental Health

1 Founder
Diversity Best Practices
Diversity Best Practices
November 01, 2012
Founder and Chairman, J Kaufman Consulting Thought Leader, Diversity Best Practices

Jonathan Kaufman is the Founder and Chairman of J Kaufman Consulting, a strategy/consulting firm that helps corporations, government agencies and educational institutions develop strategies and initiatives that add value to those institutions and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.

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Tags: Culture, Diversity and Inclusion, Mental Health

1 Keynote
Kaufman discusses re-imagining disability for the 21st century during keynote address
Vanderbilt University
November 02, 2018
Jonathan Kaufman, a professor, anthropologist, clinician, entrepreneur and policy architect, discussed “Re-imagining Disability for the 21st Century” Oct. 25 at the Student Life Center. Kaufman’s talk explored the importance of businesses, governments and education systems evolving to be more inclusive of people with disabilities.

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Diversity and Inclusion, Health and Wellness

2 Media Interviews
Episode 274: Building a Culture of Inclusion
Workology
March 23, 2021
Today, I’m joined by Jonathan Kaufman, Executive Coach with J Kaufman Coaching. As a speaker, coach, writer, and consultant, Jonathan is a former Policy Advisor to the White House on Diversity and Disability, an engaging professional speaker, anthropologist, psychotherapist, executive coach, and policy architect.

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Future of Work, Diversity and Inclusion

APSE Conversations: Jonathan Kaufman
APSE
March 01, 2021
Listen to this conversation with Executive Coach, psychotherapist and columnist with Forbes, Jonathan Kaufman. Jonathan joined APSE National’s Kari Tietjen (Certification Director) and Erica Belois-Pacer (Professional Development Director).

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Tags: Leadership, Culture, Change Management, Diversity and Inclusion

2 Speaking Engagements
Disability-Led Innovation in Future Workplaces
Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT)
March 16, 2021
Disability-Led Innovation in Future Workplaces

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Tags: Innovation, Culture, Change Management, Diversity and Inclusion

2020 Kessler Foundation Grantee Symposium
Kessler Foundation
November 13, 2020
Falling through the Cracks: Implications of AI
for Employment of Individuals with Disabilities

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Tags: Innovation, Culture, Change Management, Diversity and Inclusion

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Jonathan Kaufman