Caroline Hexdall

Dr. Caroline Hexdall is a licensed psychologist based in North Carolina. 

Caroline has work on the Embolden team since 2014. She is on the team that implements the Meaningful Conversations Program with Embolden’s community foundation clients. Caroline focuses in particular on the intersection of psychology and philanthropy, especially relating to how that combined dynamic plays out both internally and externally as a community foundation seeks to expand its mission and engage stakeholders more deeply in the work.

In graduate school, Caroline focused on issues related to developmental disabilities, chronic illness, and positive psychology, specifically hope, life satisfaction and subjective well-being. After receiving her doctorate in school psychology at the University of South Carolina, Caroline completed her fellowship at the Center for Development and Learning (currently the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities) at the University of North Carolina. During her nearly 10 years at the CIDD, she provided evaluation and therapeutic services to children and adolescents with and without developmental disabilities. In addition, she consulted with community and state agencies, Head Start programs and universities on the evaluation of and service provision to children and adults with and without developmental disabilities. From 2008 to 2013, she served as the school psychology consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Wanting to return to clinical work grounded in mindfulness, while continuing to make meaningful and positive change for all and expand her practice into philanthropy, Caroline founded the Center for Mindful Development in 2013, focused on providing psychological services to all children, adolescents, and families. Shortly thereafter, she began working with Embolden to conduct research and develop best practices for applying psychological principles to philanthropy and charitable giving. Caroline collaborates with the Embolden team to ensure that the Meaningful Conversations Program is tailored to meet the needs of each specific community foundation, the needs of the internal team, and the dynamics within the board of directors and the community itself.