Alexia Georghiou
Strategic Leader
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
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For decades, I worked in clinical and administrative roles in mental health, eating disorders, and substance abuse, serving children, teens, families, and adults through individual sessions, group work, and community initiatives.
2019 was a transformative year for me. I founded the Knoxville Happiness Coalition, hosting meetings until March 2020, when the pandemic halted in-person gatherings. Our events featured speakers from diverse backgrounds who had discovered happiness. This inspired me to study happiness and positive psychology, earning a certification from the Fellowship's premier masterclass on organizational culture and completing a leadership and management certification through Wharton Online.
In 2019, I began teaching at the University of Tennessee’s Center for Professional Education & Lifelong Learning. That same year, I joined the World Happiness Fest, planning an event for March 2020 to promote cross-cultural happiness. Around this time, I lost my role as a program coordinator due to layoffs. I created my first online course in 2019, and joined LearnFormula 2021. Since then, I’ve developed 20 courses on leadership, communication, workforce skills, mental health, and organizational transformation.
In 2019, I also joined the Knoxville Association of Women Executives (KAWE), quickly accepting a board position. I became president in 2022 and led initiatives such as awarding scholarships to college students, recognizing women leaders with the Notable Woman Award, composing press releases, and managing marketing campaigns on social media. I supported board transitions in 2023 to ensure continued success with community projects and leadership development.
In 2020, I joined the board of the Oak Ridge Human Resources Association (ORHRA), leading programs to advance local HR initiatives. By 2022, I helped form the Oak Ridge Human Resources Alliance as ORHRA merged with the Oak Ridge Chamber. I continued as an advisor since 2023, to shape HR policies benefiting the community.
My vision for community improvement expanded through Life Betterment Through God, an initiative offering culture and leadership training for ministry leaders. Over the past five years, I’ve written extensively, podcasted, and launched a newsletter, Life Skills for Leadership, featuring three columns and a library of over 700 resources for organizations and ministries. My mission is to transform communities one person, church, and organization at a time.
My collaboration with the Crack the Wellness Foundation in Jaipur, India, has been a highlight of my career. As the curator and contributing author for the Global Joy: Unlocking Happiness Across Cultures book and advisor for the upcoming Global Happiness Forum, I’m fostering international dialogue with initiatives focusing on happiness and well-being.
Area of Expertise
Topics
Executive Presence
We explore the concept of executive presence, defined as the ability to project confidence, clarity, and credibility, inspiring trust and respect in any situation. It’s not about being the loudest or perfecting a persona, but about how you communicate, engage with others, and handle pressure. We highlight the "sweet spot" of executive presence, where confidence and emotional intelligence intersect, and share practical tips for enhancing this vital leadership skill.
PRESENTATION HISTORY & UPCOMING EVENTS
2025
➸ University of TN Innovative Technologies Symposium-Burnout Prevention and Cognitive Resilience for IT Professionals,1.29.25
➸ Tennessee Conference on Volunteerism and Service-Learning-V.A.L.U.E. framework—Vision, Action, Leadership, Unity, Engagement—as a practical tool for enhancing organizational capacity, 2.18.25
➸ University for Peace, Gross Global Happiness Summit-Transforming Insecurities Into Collective Empowerment, 3.9.25
➸ World Happiness Festival- Purpose as Your Compass for the Future of Work, 3.20.25
➸SOAHR SHRM-Atlanta-Happiness Habits for Enhanced Employee Engagement & Productivity, 3.25.25
➸ Global Happiness Forum, Jaipur, India 9.13.25
2024
➸Gross Global Happiness Summit March 7-9
UN sanctioned University for Peace Campus
Colon, Costa Rica
➸Alternative Balance Webinar January 22
https://bit.ly/HappinessHabitsWebinar
➸Udemy Community Champion Webinar: Ask Me Anything on Learning Design July 11th
2021
➸Arkansas PMI
➸American Nephrology Nurses Association Annual Conference
➸The 36th Annual San Diego International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment, Rady’s Children’s Hospital
2020
➸Knoxville Association of Women Executives
➸Knoxville Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance
➸TCSW-Tennessee Council of Social Welfare Annual Leadership & Networking Conference
➸World Happiness Fest 2020-2025
Growth in Grief— https://youtu.be/7U_XSqbNUkE
➡️ Speaking Reel: https://rumble.com/v25l4ev-live-talk-diversity-of-thought-and-normalization-of-emotions.html
TESTIMONIALS
Dr. Shirley Raines, President Emerita, University of Memphis-Speaker, Author, Leadership Development Consultant:
“From my experiences with Alexia Georghiou, she is an exemplary leader and a dedicated learner. For example, she became an exemplary community leader as President of the Knoxville Professional Women. Alexia is very bright and took courses at Wharton. Ms. Georghiou also leads in human resource organizations in the area. As an engaging instructor, her virtual and in-person courses are in demand. Alexia's consulting strengths with organizations are in building positive and productive culture and strong teams.“
Lawrence Kitambi, PMP, Vice President - Programs Central Arkansas Chapter-Positives: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
“Alexia, presentation to our PMI Central Arkansas Chapter had good content and insights into practical ways of how to deal with conflicts. The members' response was very positive and as a group of leaders we learned a lot. In general, the delivery was very good, and she was passionate and came across as a high level expert in this field.”
Kathryn Schrader, Founder & Principal Strategic Tax and Business-Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
“Alexia spoke at our Annual CPE Conference for the Knoxville chapter of the Accounting & Financial women's alliance. Her presentation was well organized, interesting and of value to the audience. The reviews of her presentation were excellent. Alexia will be asked to speak again at one of our future events!”
Short BIO-Alexia Georghiou, founder of the Knoxville Happiness Coalition, empowers professionals to find their compass of purpose. She equips leaders to cultivate executive presence, foster positive workplace cultures, and achieve sustainable well-being through strategies that build resilience and productivity.
A global advocate for happiness and well-being, Alexia is the curator and contributing author on purpose for Global Joy: Unlocking Happiness Across Cultures and advises the Global Happiness Forum in Jaipur, India. She also teaches leadership and professional development at the University of Tennessee.
Locally, Alexia leads the Oak Ridge Human Resources Alliance, shaping HR policies that uplift the community. As a visionary speaker and thought leader, she inspires professionals worldwide.
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