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