How our journey began
On the first day of kindergarten Michelle spotted a cool girl on the tire swing with kind eyes. She walked up to her and asked her if she would be her friend. Kate replied yes, and the rest is history. The girls quickly became best friends and over the years, despite being in multiple different cities and countries, they remained close friends.
Both the girls had one strong characteristic in common, the desire to help other people. This led Kate to become a teacher for children with disabilities and then a thriving marriage family therapist, and Michelle to work at the United Nations and then at a research driven non-profit. It is also what led them to create the Vent Society. Seeing so many of their friends struggle in their everyday lives and after Michelle attended a season of mommy & me after giving birth to her second child, the girls realized that local community groups for women, in which they can talk about their issues while also developing into a better version of themselves, should not just exist for women right after they give birth, but should exist for all women during all phases of their lives. Wanting to provide women with this support, resources, and community connection led them to the creation of the Vent Society.
Our Team
Michelle Powers
Michelle is born and raised in Los Angeles. She has worked for the United Nations, the RAND Corporation, and a Live Nation company as the Director of Strategic Partnerships. She has lived in Italy, England, and Norway and has traveled to over 40 countries. She came up with the idea of the Vent Society after recognizing a gap existed for this sort of community group for women (except for right after they gave birth), and after seeing so many of her friends struggling with depression and loneliness, she felt that such an organization could benefit women of all age groups, including those with and without children. Michelle also has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in politics and government with a certificate in international law and diplomacy, and is a certified life coach.
Kate Grogan
Kate is also born and raised in Los Angeles. Since becoming a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in 2016, she’s practiced following her clients’ lead and used her training as a guide in sharing and integrating their experiences. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Biology, with a concentration in Cognitive Science, from Wesleyan University. Shortly after, she moved to Chicago to work with a Clinical treatment program for families of children with ADHD and Autism. This experience helped harness her passion for working with others and developed the foundations of her clinical identity. She then went on to receive her Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology, with an Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. Now based in Brentwood, she works with adults, adolescents, couples and families struggling with depression, anxiety, stress, or significant life changes. As your advocate, she’ll work with you to explore what changes you want to make, and how to create the life you want to live.