The Values-in-Action Foundation Forms National Leadership Council and Also Launches the First State Council in Ohio

-- Senior Executives From Multiple Disciplines Are Committed to Advancing Kindness as a Unifying Force in America --

CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Values-in-Action Foundation through its Kindland initiative has formed a National Leadership Council and held its inaugural meeting recently in New York.

“The National Council will serve as a high-level advisory group that champions the overall mission of Kindland and its flagship initiative, The United States of Kindness – an important national campaign to be launched during 2026, the 250th birthday year of the United States,” said Michael Dowling, CEO Emeritus of Northwell Health. Mr. Dowling will lead the newly formed council.

Retired General David H. Petraeus, in addition to being a strong advocate for Kindland, is also a member of the National Leadership Council and a national spokesperson for the United States of Kindness.

The United States of Kindness (USK) is a nationwide non-political campaign in honor of America’s 250th anniversary challenging all Americans to conduct 250 Acts of Kindness and share their experiences on social media @BeKindland #USof Kindness, on the Just Be Kind app, or by posting on the usofkindness.org web site.

“The goal of this movement is to establish kindness as a defining national value, leaving a legacy of unity that extends beyond 2026 thereby lessening the divisiveness and disconnection that is prevalent in America today,” said Stuart Muszynski, Co-Founder and CEO of the non-profit Values-in-Action Foundation.

James E. Bennet, a 30 year veteran of McKinsey & Company who retired as a Senior Partner there, moderated the meeting. He stressed the benefits of kindness to companies which were highlighted from research studies in a recent Forbes article including: improving leadership effectiveness, encouraging ethical behavior, boosting employee morale, engagement and retention, and improving relationships with all stakeholders, among others.

“Some people mistakenly view being kind as being weak or woke. But significant research proves the reverse is true. Doing good things for others without expecting anything in return shows courage and strong moral fiber. Kindness is the positive North Star that will lead us out of the place where a variety of negative behaviors are now thought of as cool, strong and sadly acceptable.” indicated Mr. Muszynski.

Members of the National Leadership Council will be actively reaching out to their contacts to recruit more companies and associates to support Kindland’s initiatives. The Kindland team will utilize extensive social media, targeted influencers, broadcast and print medial to launch the United States of Kindness campaign which will also be seeded by a kindness challenge board.

About Kindland

Kindland is a national initiative of Values-in-Action Foundation, a non-profit organization that has been in the business of spreading positivity and kindness for more than 30 years. It has created and implemented a variety of successful programs to service all demographics in schools, businesses, and communities. It has reached over 2.7 million students in all 50 states.