Member since December 2025
Mary Tettenhorst is a leadership and talent development strategist, speaker, facilitator, and coach who helps leaders, teams, and organizations turn people priorities into practical solutions that create clarity, capability, and momentum.
As Founder of Impact Talent Strategies, Mary brings more than 20 years of internal practitioner experience leading talent strategy across companies large and small, local and global, and across a variety of industries. Her work is shaped by real-world business priorities, budgets, and resources - giving her a practical, business-minded lens that resonates with leaders at every level.
Mary is known for translating complex leadership, team, and talent challenges into engaging, actionable experiences. She partners with organizations to strengthen leadership capability, align teams, improve communication, and build people strategies that support business outcomes. Her signature work includes the I.M.P.A.C.T. Talent Strategy Framework, the B.U.I.L.D. Strategic Partner Framework, and Aligned & Intentional, a women’s coaching program for career growth, transition, and reinvention.
Mary is a co-author of Talent Impact: Grow Your People, Grow Your Business and an authorized practitioner of Everything DiSC®, The Five Behaviors®, and Working Genius®. Whether speaking to emerging leaders, people managers, HR and talent professionals, women’s leadership groups, or senior executives, Mary creates interactive sessions that meet audiences where they are and equip them with tools they can use immediately.
Helping people navigate pivotal crossroads in their lives with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
I am especially passionate about working with college students and working moms. Two groups often in very different seasons, yet facing similar questions: Who am I becoming? What matters most right now? And how do I align my choices with the life and career I want to build?
Whether I’m partnering with a student stepping into their future or a working mom reassessing direction, identity, or impact, I love walking alongside people as they explore what’s aligned with who they are (and who they want to be). These moments of transition are powerful opportunities for growth, and I’m energized by helping individuals gain the clarity and confidence to move forward intentionally.
Owning my own business had been on my dream list for years, but it was never something I wanted to rush into. Throughout my career in corporate talent development and higher education, I spent time learning from others who had built their own practices.
At a pivotal point in my own journey, when I was seeking greater alignment both personally and professionally, I got clarity around the kind of impact I wanted to make and how I wanted to make it. After a great deal of research, conversation, and A LOT of prayer, Impact Talent Strategies came to fruition as a full-time role for me in June 2025.
Today, my work reflects that intentional choice. I partner with individuals, teams, and organizations as they navigate growth, transition, and change - bringing structure, perspective, and practical tools to moments that matter. In many ways, the work I do mirrors my own journey: helping people pause, reflect, and move forward with purpose.
Many leaders are navigating unprecedented complexity - staffing shortages, economic and environmental pressure, and constant change. In the midst of it all, many leaders find themselves operating in survival mode, disconnected from the purpose that once grounded their work.
This session explores how purpose-driven leadership serves as a stabilizing force in uncertain times. Rather than focusing on tactics alone, participants will examine the leadership behaviors that help teams stay engaged, aligned, and resilient - even when conditions are challenging. Participants will leave with practical tools to reconnect to their “why,” communicate it clearly, and model behaviors that help teams stay rooted through change.
Empowerment doesn’t happen in isolation, it happens in community. When women intentionally connect, support, and advocate for one another, the ripple effects extend far beyond individual success.This interactive keynote explores the power of connection as a catalyst for stronger workplaces, families, and communities. Drawing from real-world experiences across leadership, career transitions, and community engagement, Mary illustrates how women (regardless of title or career stage) play a vital role in creating belonging and shared growth.
Participants will reflect on the relationships that have shaped their journey, recognize their own influence as connectors and advocates, and explore practical ways to strengthen connection in everyday moments. Designed to anchor the day and advance the conference theme, this keynote blends storytelling, reflection, and audience engagement to create a shared experience that feels both energizing and grounded.Attendees will leave inspired and equipped with practical ways to deepen connection, lift others, and contribute to communities where women thrive together.
Careers are rarely linear and many women find themselves at a crossroads - asking what’s next, what fits, and what truly aligns. This session creates space for intentional reflection and forward-looking career design. Participants will explore their values, strengths, and career drivers, identify patterns that may be holding them back, and gain clarity on how to confidently shape their next chapter. The session blends insight, reflection, and practical tools attendees can immediately apply.
Many women in business advance by being dependable, responsive, and results-driven, yet find the shift to strategic leadership unclear or frustrating. This session focuses on the mindset and behavior changes required to move from “getting it done” to shaping direction, influencing decisions, and being seen as a true business partner. Participants will learn how to step out of constant execution mode, align their work to business priorities, and lead with greater confidence and clarity.
Today’s workforce challenges demand more than isolated programs - they require an intentional, integrated talent strategy. This interactive workshop introduces the IMPACT Talent Strategy Framework, guiding participants through a structured, hands-on process to diagnose talent gaps, align people initiatives to business priorities, and design scalable solutions across the employee lifecycle.
Through guided discussion, practical tools, and collaborative exercises, participants will actively assess their current talent ecosystem, prioritize opportunities, and begin building a customized talent strategy they can take back to their organization. This workshop is designed for HR and talent leaders who want to move from fragmented efforts to a cohesive, results-driven talent approach.
Owning my own business had been on my dream list for years, but it was never something I wanted to rush into. Throughout my career in corporate talent development and higher education, I spent time learning from others who had built their own practices.
At a pivotal point in my own journey, when I was seeking greater alignment both personally and professionally, I got clarity around the kind of impact I wanted to make and how I wanted to make it. After a great deal of research, conversation, and A LOT of prayer, Impact Talent Strategies came to fruition as a full-time role for me in June 2025.
Today, my work reflects that intentional choice. I partner with individuals, teams, and organizations as they navigate growth, transition, and change - bringing structure, perspective, and practical tools to moments that matter. In many ways, the work I do mirrors my own journey: helping people pause, reflect, and move forward with purpose.
Many leaders are navigating unprecedented complexity - staffing shortages, economic and environmental pressure, and constant change. In the midst of it all, many leaders find themselves operating in survival mode, disconnected from the purpose that once grounded their work.
This session explores how purpose-driven leadership serves as a stabilizing force in uncertain times. Rather than focusing on tactics alone, participants will examine the leadership behaviors that help teams stay engaged, aligned, and resilient - even when conditions are challenging. Participants will leave with practical tools to reconnect to their “why,” communicate it clearly, and model behaviors that help teams stay rooted through change.
Empowerment doesn’t happen in isolation, it happens in community. When women intentionally connect, support, and advocate for one another, the ripple effects extend far beyond individual success.This interactive keynote explores the power of connection as a catalyst for stronger workplaces, families, and communities. Drawing from real-world experiences across leadership, career transitions, and community engagement, Mary illustrates how women (regardless of title or career stage) play a vital role in creating belonging and shared growth.
Participants will reflect on the relationships that have shaped their journey, recognize their own influence as connectors and advocates, and explore practical ways to strengthen connection in everyday moments. Designed to anchor the day and advance the conference theme, this keynote blends storytelling, reflection, and audience engagement to create a shared experience that feels both energizing and grounded.Attendees will leave inspired and equipped with practical ways to deepen connection, lift others, and contribute to communities where women thrive together.
Careers are rarely linear and many women find themselves at a crossroads - asking what’s next, what fits, and what truly aligns. This session creates space for intentional reflection and forward-looking career design. Participants will explore their values, strengths, and career drivers, identify patterns that may be holding them back, and gain clarity on how to confidently shape their next chapter. The session blends insight, reflection, and practical tools attendees can immediately apply.
Many women in business advance by being dependable, responsive, and results-driven, yet find the shift to strategic leadership unclear or frustrating. This session focuses on the mindset and behavior changes required to move from “getting it done” to shaping direction, influencing decisions, and being seen as a true business partner. Participants will learn how to step out of constant execution mode, align their work to business priorities, and lead with greater confidence and clarity.
Today’s workforce challenges demand more than isolated programs - they require an intentional, integrated talent strategy. This interactive workshop introduces the IMPACT Talent Strategy Framework, guiding participants through a structured, hands-on process to diagnose talent gaps, align people initiatives to business priorities, and design scalable solutions across the employee lifecycle.
Through guided discussion, practical tools, and collaborative exercises, participants will actively assess their current talent ecosystem, prioritize opportunities, and begin building a customized talent strategy they can take back to their organization. This workshop is designed for HR and talent leaders who want to move from fragmented efforts to a cohesive, results-driven talent approach.