Vivian L. Carpenter is a writer, motivational speaker, and teacher. She holds three degrees from the University of Michigan: a BSE in industrial engineering and operations research, an MBA and a Ph.D. in business administration. As an academic, she has won several awards and grants for her scholarly work in institutional theory from the National Science Foundation, Governmental Accounting Standards Board, Kellogg Foundation and Ford Foundation. As a business professional, she was Director of Academic Programs at FAMU’s School of Business and Industry (SBI) and served as chairperson of the board of MotorCity Casino in Detroit, Michigan. She lives in Tallahassee, Florida and Birmingham, Michigan.