David is one of the most determined and intuitive students and peer-mentors that I have had the opportunity to work with since arriving to UBC in 2010. In a traditional classroom setting, he goes above and beyond to participate in class discussions, intentionally reaches out to peers to encourage them to explore their skills outside of the classroom, and always seeks to apply what we've learned to real-life settings. David's intellectual interests, scholarship, and organization skills also earned him the opportunity to create and teach a seminar that applied psychology to writing skills. For this, I was his faculty mentor. The course was facilitated in a student-centered fashion that encouraged his students to build their own skills and interests, while also contributing to online classroom community. His gift for teaching is undeniable. —Brianne Orr-Alvarez, Ph.D.

David was a thoughtful, engaged, member of our committee, who worked hard to bring a student perspective to our discussions. He was particularly effective as an advocate for marginalized students, being able to highlight situations and issues where other members (particular faculty) lacked experience or context. His work made a concrete and positive impact on our final recommendations. —Jonathan Graves, Ph.D.

David was recommended to me by a friend of mine who spoke very highly of David. After the first meeting, I could tell that David is exactly the person that my business needs to succeed. From our conversation, David did a brilliant job of picking up the message that I wanted to get across to my clients and put it eloquently into words. He definitely does his research as he is up to date with the latest statistics and trends in communication, a very vital point in this ever changing world. It is a pleasure working with David, and I am looking forwards to working with him on a regular basis. —George Kovalyov, CFO at Marizyme

I hired David to help with branding my start-up real estate management firm, launching in May 2014. His broad business savvy, talent for asking the right questions and almost magical dexterity with language have been the best I've worked with. Our partnership is one of the best business decisions I've made. —Erik Rivera, Founder and CEO of Manhattan Pacific Management

I have had the pleasure to work with David on building Gradsters, a startup web company. David asks the right questions, challenges ideas, and walks you through defining your brand identity. David also helped articulate the business proposition in a clear and compelling way that resonates with users, partners and investors. —Sebastien Proulx-Bonneau, Director of Operational Excellence act Amilia

David has been a pleasure to work with at Starbucks. He brings an enthusiasm that brightens even the most time sensitive projects. David has a deep understanding of branding, marketing, and messaging. He gracefully couples this knowledge and expertise with patience and instruction to others. Although David focuses closely on constraints, he also ensures that all participants have the opportunity to learn more about the subject matter. For example, David researched and presented materials to share with those of us in the group with limited understanding of branding. In doing so, David empowered us to contribute our ideas to the project and absorb his passion for the work. I look forward to every chance to collaborate with David! —Jessica Rafuse, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Policy at Microsoft

David is a proactive and tireless, key contributor to the forward movement of our team. David takes pride in accomplishing each task with a smile and emits such positive energy, it is contagious. He naturally rises to the occasion—however challenging—and is always loyal to the cause. We count ourselves lucky to have him. —Paige Velzeboer, Real Estate Executive

I’ve had the opportunity to work with David on a number of creative collateral projects for our Diversity & Inclusion department and our Partner Networks (ERGs). His customer service, attention to detail and authentic human connection to me and our Networks is remarkable. He always goes the extra mile, putting in a little extra time, delivering projects directly, he is accountable with a smile. It is a pleasure to work with David Kind. —Kaycee Kiesz, Manager of Social Diversity at Zones LLC

David is an energetic and smart professional who understands the elements of storytelling. He gets how to tell a story and what the story is. Working with him on an event between Starbucks and Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, I personally experienced his storytelling abilities. Without explanation, he understood why this partnership was important and how to tell the story. —Sharon Thomas, MPA Public Relations at Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission

I have been continually impressed with David's creative ability. Working with him on the Starbuck's Access Alliance I have seen him display a keen understanding of branding and marketing, explaining the why behind his thinking and producing beautiful marketing and branding pieces to our team. He is thoughtful and results oriented in his approach and believes strongly in working as a team. He would be an asset to any creative minded team. —Kathleen Schegel, Area Manager for PepsiCo

I invited David to facilitate a PowerPoint training session for admins and coordinators on my team. He developed the content and delivered an exceptional experience to our team, teaching technical skills that were sorely needed by several partners on our team. David brings such a great skill set with him, including incredible communication skills, both verbal and written. He can take a muddled message and distill it to just the right words, with a visual punch that gets the message across so clearly. —Callie Smith, Senior Business Analyst at Starbucks

David is a bright and creative brand thinker capable of valuably contributing to brand mission, strategy and communication projects and meet the tactical expectations to deliver project detail. David is a compelling writer, trainer, presenter and artist with deep interest in developing his skills, in complex multi-channel business engagement. A force of nature, organized and energetic, tech and social savvy, and unstoppable when mentored and encouraged! —Michelle Little, Global IT Procurement and Asset Management at Google

If you want to see what a catalyst for growth and opportunity looks like, work with David. I worked with David at Starbucks HQ, I witnessed him blend customer service and IT knowledge quite elegantly. David is a fast pace, hard hitting, active listening individual. As a partner or a leader, I highly recommend David. —Cameron Taylor, Platform Support Engineer at Aristocrat

David was great partner to have on the team! He has amazing customer service skills and able to create great atmosphere for every customer. David worked hard and always was open to new ideas and wanted to see everybody successfull. David is driven, passionate, energetic, and engaged! —Yuliya Labanouskaya, Senior Operations Manager at Amazon

David was such a wonderful contributor to our small team at Evans Company. I worked with him on a regular basis to coordinate property/casualty claims. Time and time again he delivered world-class customer service, deep critical thinking, and new solutions to old problems. —Mardi Anderson, R. L. Evans Company

David offered pro bono copywriting support for the development of QMUNITY's new website. David managed to capture the spirit of the QMUNITY brand by asking the right questions and translating both the tangible and intangible cues carrying the essence of the organization into a captivating narrative. David understands the importance of telling fascinating stories to differentiate your brand. —Daniela Gardea, Senior Communications Specialist at City of Vancouver

David Kind and I met at the Sodo Lobby Starbucks where I was lending support for a crazy, holiday shift. Immediately, I saw his talent for connecting with customers. Despite the stress and extreme customer count, David was genuine, knowledgeable and eager to help everyone. A pleasure to work with. He truly creates "inspired moments." Later, as David moved up at Starbucks, he offered to be an informal mentor for me. We checked in often, discussing the challenges and successes of my work in retail. These are unforgettable times in my life. David encouraged me to request informational interviews to learn more about Starbucks ethical sourcing practices. I took this knowledge and shared it with my team, deepening our customer conversations about coffee and Starbucks global responsibility. David Kind is always good for a smart quote, a bit of encouragement, or a practical idea, David helped set the foundation and shape my career at Starbucks. For that, I feel generous gratitude. —David Flippen, Starbucks Store Manager

I met David by accident at a downtown Seattle Starbucks store. He was visiting town and I was struggling to write my resume. In no time, we connected and began talking about my job search. Since then, we've stayed in regular touch. Mentoring me, David has given me both fantastic patience and priceless feedback. Together we have reorganized and polished my resume, identified my key areas of professional interest, and defined practical next-steps for me to evolve my career. Plus, he even coordinated informational interviews for me at Starbucks and Google. A friend and teacher, David has a very special, generous soul. If ever you get the chance to work with him, TAKE it. He brings refreshing momentum to every endeavour. —Jefferson Lee, Global Account Manager at Realtek Semiconductor Corp

I had the pleasure of working with David at Starbucks. His great leadership skills went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to his customers. David took each call, each customer, and each situation and handled it with great ease. David is very committed to his job. He has a passion for helping & teaching others, he does "amazing things. David worked with me on my resume and suggested The Strengths Finder book. This book guided me through organizing my skill set to assess where my talents were. I was so impressed with David's ability to take a situation, make notes, and turn around with a solution in no time at all. David is a true inspiration to all of us. David is a highly talented individual; any company would be "very lucky" to have him on their team. David will work, execute, and deliver exactly what you ask and more. I would not hesitate to hire David; his impeccable professionalism is truly outstanding! David is a one-of-kind; one that I know will be a great success in his lifetime! —Judy Whitehead, Inventory Coordinator at Expedia Group

David was a student of mine at Seattle Central Community College, where I have taught on occasion. He was an extremely imaginative, and at the same time responsible, student...a rare combination. I am convinced he will go far and deserves to do so. —Karrin Klotz, Intellectual Property Lawyer

David was my student in an advanced writing class at Seattle Central Community College. He is a gifted writer who was a joy to teach. His ability to communicate in attention-grabbing ways, plus his skill at working with and bringing out the best in other students, made David one of my favorite students of all time. He always put forth his best effort and inspired others (myself included) to do the same. —Shannon Perry, Founder of Audiotocracy