this is the thread
Where we’ve come from and where we’re going
who we are
Welcome to The Thread, a women’s leadership collective created for those who refuse to play small in work and in life. With tailored programs, events and resources, we're here to build you up, connect you with like-minded women and challenge you to stretch. If you're craving authentic relationships and increased self-trust in your professional and personal journey, you've found your place.
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2020
March
COVID-19 hits the United States and shuts the world down. At the time, Audra is living in Honolulu, Hawaii. She and her husband decide to move back to Wichita to raise their two wild little boys near family and to start a business for women in leadership, what’s now The Thread.
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2020
August
The Thread is born.
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2021
March
Cohort One kicks off with 17 amazing, committed women.
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2021
June
Kristen came on board as our Project Manager.
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2021
August
The Thread wins a Diversity & Inclusion Award by the Wichita Business Journal.
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2021
October
Cohort Two garners the participation of 23 women.
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2022
March
The Thread launches its first wildly successful “This is Her” event with Bradley Fair in honor of Women’s History Month.
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2022
March
Cohort Three becomes the first to max out participants and includes its first Kansas City participants.
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2022
April
After participating in in the first cohort, Kendra comes on board as Head of Community. Get to know Kendra on the blog.
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2022
October
Cohort Four starts and The Thread creates and executes its first regional corporate program with Intrust Bank.
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2023
April
Cohort Five starts.
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2023
May
We executed our first global corporate program with Spirit Aerosystems.
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2023
September
Kansas City becomes The Thread’s first licensee and the first Thread baby is announced (Kendra is expecting her third child in September).
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and that’s just the beginning
Meet THE dream TEAM
Audra is the Founder and CEO of The Thread, applying her bold vision and action-oriented approach to transform women’s confidence and leadership abilities through an award-winning personal development experience. She brings more than a decade of marketing experience and a social entrepreneurship focus to community building in the Midwest.
Founded in 2020, The Thread community has over 100 members in Wichita, Kansas, and aims to expand to 20 chapters in the Midwest region by 2028 through a licensee model. Audra is regularly asked to speak on topics that involve women in the workplace, leadership and confidence. She’s passionate about helping women feel more alive in their ‘one, wild and precious life,’ like the Mary Oliver poem.
Audra is married to her high school sweetheart and is the mother of two energetic young boys.
audra
Kristen serves as Special Projects Manager for The Thread team. She came on board just as Cohort One launched and has been executing by Audra’s side ever since. Kristen is a strategic thinker and expert problem solver with 16 years of experience working with business owners and executives to help them reclaim time, increase efficiency and focus on what matters most.
Born and raised a Texas girl, Kristen calls Wichita her forever home where she lives with her husband and three children just outside of the city. In her free time, you’ll find her jogging, adventuring with her family and spending as much time as possible on her front porch.
kristen
While working as an HR leader in a global corporation, Kendra was a member of Cohort One and has been a part of The Thread since then! After C1, Kendra served as lead for the Communications Committee for The Thread Alumnae Experience. In 2022, Kendra joined The Thread team as our Head of Community. In this role, Kendra is the main point of contact for cohort members, speakers, mentors and partners. She’s also responsible for onboarding cohort members and helps craft the curated experience for each and every cohort. Kendra’s strengths and passions are developing others, creating systems and processes and building authentic relationships—all of which serve her extremely well in her Head of Community role.
Kendra lives in Wichita with her husband, Weston, her three sons and their family golden-doodle, Harry (named after Harry Potter). Aside from The Thread, Kendra enjoys reading, spending time outside, watching sports and movies and building her health and wellness coaching business.
kendra
speaking engagements
Looking for a dynamic speaker or panelist for your next corporate event or conference? Reach out for more information about booking Audra for a speaking engagement.
