Molly Birkholm is a CEO, speaker, and advisor dedicated to advancing global mental wellness through world-class programs, training courses, and her weekly Substack newsletter, Effortless Power. She works with organizations including the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Goldman Sachs, Ritz-Carlton, McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and the Young Presidents’ Organization, among others. Molly also serves as a peak performance coach to C-suite executives, authors, actors, and athletes, helping them thrive under high-pressure conditions.

She founded Team Genius after recognizing trauma symptoms—similar to those she had seen in war survivors—emerging in professionals across the corporate, healthcare, and education sectors. Team Genius was created to embed mental wellness into the fabric of how people work, connect, and innovate. These programs are grounded in evidence-based practices originally designed for military and veteran communities, now adapted for high-performing teams and organizations. Molly leads next-level leadership development, team building, and post-merger integration programs, many of which draw on methods originally used to train U.S. special forces.

As co-founder of Warriors at Ease, Molly has spent over 18 years pioneering evidence-based resilience and trauma recovery programs for the U.S. military and veteran communities. Her clinical research with the National Institutes of Health and Department of Defense has helped validate these protocols, which are now used at more than 65 military bases and VA centers, and have reached millions of service members, veterans, and war-affected populations worldwide.

Molly and Team Genius wrote and designed the Warrior PATHH Meditation Program for the Boulder Crest Foundation, which provides free post-traumatic growth retreats for veterans and first responders. She also developed the Meditation Facilitator Training Program. She has extensive experience with curriculum design, clinical research, and course creation also through her corporate company, Team Genius.

Her journey into wellness began after a near-death car accident during her early career in investment banking at Bank of America. In seeking tools to recover from physical injuries and PTSD, she discovered yoga, breathwork, and meditation. This transformative experience led her to leave finance in 2005 and study extensively across Asia, immersing herself in Hindu, Buddhist, and Zen traditions through both philosophy and deep retreat practice. This path eventually brought her back to the U.S., where she co-founded Warriors at Ease in 2008.

Molly has created two 24-class video courses and authored two books for The Great Courses: Building Your Resilience: Finding Meaning in Adversity and iRest: Integrative Restoration for Deep Relaxation. She is a featured teacher and trainer on Yoga International.

Her educational background includes a Finance degree from Miami University and extensive certifications in mindfulness and yoga, including Advanced Yoga Teacher Trainings and her role as a certified iRest Yoga Nidra Teacher Trainer. She has trained thousands of facilitators across diverse settings—from ashrams and monasteries to hospitals, schools, government agencies, addiction treatment centers, and military programs.

Molly is passionate about creating transformative, immersive experiences that help individuals and teams unlock their fullest potential.

She lives in Miami, Florida, with her family. She spends her time in nature, gardening, traveling, reading, and, of course, yoga and meditation.

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