Defined Departures: Creating your own “good goodbye” with Katrina Mitchell

​When we come to the end of our time in a community, in an organization, or in a workplace, we are more often than not left without guidance or leadership to facilitate this careful closure. As much as we may hope for an intentional ending --- and it is lovely when leadership braves this tending and frames or guides the process --- we don’t have to miss out when leadership doesn’t lead.

In the wake of the dismantling of USAID and the “reduction in force” that rippled across the international development sector in the early months of 2025, Katrina Mitchell embarked on their own process of creating a “good goodbye” setting about to honor the work they had done, the people and the relationships that I held within that work through a simple invitation to a conversation for closure.

She will share her own process, as well as the practices and ideas it is rooted within, and invite you to consider where you might embark on creating your own “good goodbye” to honor a relationship, project, work, or journey that is coming to a close.

Katrina MItchell is a creative director and leader, researcher and strategist, and neurodivergent thinker and maker. As a connector of people and ideas, she is driven by seeing the unseen, making connections across diverse disciplines, and supporting people in thriving. She has 15(ish) years of expertise in supporting social change—from strategy and research to design and delivery, including co-founding and collaboratively leading the now-defunct Picture Impact, a user-centered social design studio.