We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Laura Waldorf Reiss a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Laura, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

There was a defining moment, early in my life, that quietly changed everything. I was diagnosed with severe dyslexia late in elementary school and after years of wondering why learning felt so hard to me while it seemed effortless to my sister and friends. While my friends went to the playground at recess, I went to the learning center. A dismissal time, when my friends went to their afterschool activities or home, I went to the learning center. Those were long, lonely afternoons for a little girl who just wanted to belong.

But what I didn’t realize then was that my struggle was shaping my strength. Dyslexia taught me to see the world differently, to listen deeply, to notice what others might miss. I learned to read hearts before I could read books.

That difference became my gift. It awakened my purpose and planted the seed for what would one day become my life’s work showing others that kindness isn’t something we do; it’s who we are, and it is in every single one of us.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’ve always believed that kindness isn’t just something we do, it’s who we are.

I founded Kindness Matters in 2008 with a simple dream to help people, especially kids, lead with gratitude, compassion and kindness every day. What started as one small after-school club has grown into a global movement teaching emotional intelligence and resilience through the daily practice of kindness.

But this mission was born not just from inspiration, it came from my own struggles. Growing up with severe dyslexia, I learned early what it felt like to be different. Later in life, moving through seasons of change, motherhood, and even moments of doubt and reinvention, I had to return again and again to the same truth that kindness, connection, and faith in humanity are what bring us back home to ourselves.

What sets my work apart is that it’s real, lived, and rooted in love. I’ve seen firsthand how one act of kindness can shift a moment, a day, and many a life. It’s proof that no matter what we’re facing, we all have the power to heal ourselves and the world, one kind act at a time.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I wouldn’t exactly call him a business partner, but I will tell you how I met my dear friend and our fearless leader.

Sometimes, the right people come into our lives at the exact moment the world needs them most.

During the pandemic, Kindness Matters, like so many organizations, was forced to pause our in-person school programs and that pause felt unbearable. We exist to be in the hearts and minds of children, and suddenly, that connection was gone. But rather than stop, we pivoted. We created Online Kindness, a virtual program to reach students, teachers, and parents around the world because kindness doesn’t stop when life gets hard, that’s when it matters most.

That global leap opened unexpected doors. Around that time, my dear friend Marianne reached out to say there was someone I had to meet, a man named Dido Balla. The moment we connected, I felt it immediately, this was a divine alignment. We were two people with the same heartbeat both devoted to global kindness, neuroscience-based growth, and the belief that this is possible, this is happening, and this is for us to do together.

Our partnership didn’t just happen overnight, it took patience, work, and trust. But together, we re-built something extraordinary. Dido stepped in as CEO, guiding Kindness Matters in the United States with wisdom, compassion, and vision, while I focused on the international arm, bringing our programs to new continents, new cultures, new hearts.

Today, Kindness Matters has grown from a local movement into a global mission.

It’s the partnership of a lifetime, two souls, one mission, and a shared faith in the power of humanity.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your firm or practice?

In the beginning, I truly believed I could run Kindness Matters entirely on kindness and volunteers. I never wanted to ask for money, honestly, I tried to stay as far away from it as possible. People still laugh remembering how often I’d politely turn down donations or say, “Oh, we’ll figure it out.”

And somehow, we did. In those early days, Kindness Matters was funded by my Amazon Prime account, my personal checking account, and our family savings. Then my parents joined in, first my mom, then my dad and soon friends and neighbors began contributing too. It was a family and community run organization, powered by love, belief, and an unshakable faith that kindness would provide what we needed.

For years, we operated free of charge teaching, giving, packing, creating programs for schools, because it was simply the right thing to do. But as the movement grew and people began asking for Kindness programs across the country, we realized that love alone couldn’t sustain it. We needed staff, an office, supplies, website, training, and structure to keep expanding the mission.

That’s when we learned the power of receiving. We began writing grants and welcoming donations so we could deepen our reach. And something beautiful happened, as people began to see the impact, they wanted to be part of it. Families told us their lives had changed, and students who grew up in our programs returned as mentors.

It became clear that any funding that flows into this organization isn’t just money, it’s an investment in the emotional health of our children, our families, and our world.

Kindness has always been our currency. We just finally learned how to let it circulate.

Join us on November 18th 2025 6pm-7:30 at Crazy Uncle Mikes to hear more about Kindness Matters:
6450 N Federal Hwy
Boca Raton FL 33487
RSVP@ [email protected]
KM365.org

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.km365.org/
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• Linkedin: https://ww.linkedin.com/in/laura-waldorf-reiss-92356480/
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