METTIE SPIESS, CWP, CPHSA
Founder of AWWS, International Keynote Speaker,
Certified Psychological Health & Safety Advisor
Known to clients worldwide as the “stigma-crusher,” Mettie Spiess is an international keynote speaker, Forbes Next 1000 Award Winner, and Founder of A World Without Suicide (AWWS).
Mettie helps employers reduce mental health strain, strengthen leadership capability, and support team stability under pressure. Her work is especially relevant for organizations navigating AI-driven change, reorganization, chronic overwhelm, and heavy workloads.
For more than a decade, Mettie has been a trusted advisor to employers across 22 industries and 43 countries, including Kohler, the Department of Defense, Topgolf, Chili’s, and Syngenta.
She equips leaders with practical, applied skills to support employees effectively and respond to challenges without awkwardness, avoidance, or guesswork.
Mettie received the Giving the Best to Our Nation Honor from the U.S. Army for her work to eliminate stigma associated with mental illness. Her expertise has been featured by Forbes, ABC’s 2020, Fox News MKE, HR Daily Advisor, and The Master Shift.
J. ISRAEL GREENE
Certified Diversity Executive (CDE), Professional Speaker, & AWWS Training Facilitator
J. Israel Greene joined the AWWS team in 2017. He is an accomplished speaker, Certified Leadership Trainer and Diversity Executive. In addition to being a member of the AWWS team, he is also the Founder and CEO of Mosaic Worx, he is responsible for leading the consulting and strategy practices as it relates to Leadership and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. He has been listed as one of the Top Ten Trending DE&I Training Experts by All American Entertainment.
For the past twenty years, Israel has held a variety of leadership positions in companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500 including serving as a Global Director for one of the industry’s fasting growing E-commerce Consulting firms, leading cross-functional teams distributed across North America and Europe.
His background and leadership experience make him a highly sought-after Speaker, Trainer, and Coach in the field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. As a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE), he is extremely passionate about helping leaders transform their company culture by fostering a diverse landscape, creating equitable opportunities, and promoting inclusion so they can become the organization they have always imagined.
RICK HECHT, LMFT, MBA
Clinician, Consultant, & AWWS Training Facilitator
Rick Hecht joined the AWWS team in 2022. He is a licensed behavioral health clinician, with multiple certifications in wellness and well-being.
He has more than 30 years of strategic leadership experience in the healthcare industry as an executive, consultant, and trainer, working with multiple hospitals and healthcare systems, health plans, and integrated delivery systems.
Rick has clinical and operational expertise in behavioral health and has been studying nurse and physician burnout, mental health, and suicide for the past 10 years.
Rick has a master’s degree in counseling psychology, a master’s degree in business administration, and is currently completing his doctorate degree in clinical psychology, with a dissertation focused on loneliness in the workplace.
SAMANTHA VAN NUYS
On-Demand Training Co-Facilitator
“Supporting the mental resilience of employees so they can succeed personally and professionally as a part of the AWWS team, is an honor!”
After spending 5 years in the dental industry and several life curve balls, Samantha felt called to return to school to pursue Health Promotion and Wellness at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP). As a part of UWSP’s program, she facilitated mental health and substance abuse programs for diverse populations including schools, communities, and corporate groups.
Early on it became clear that building resilience and stress coping strategies were a need in every population. Building mental resilience in Millennials and Generation Z so they can thrive in the working world became her focus.
In 2019, Samantha joined the AWWS team adding her expertise and passion to both live and virtual client trainings.
NATHAN SPIESS
Coordinator
“Put your heart, mind, intellect, & soul into your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.”
~ Swami Sivananda”
Nathan, AKA “Mr. Details”, happily supports your program from behind the scenes. All travel arrangements and scheduling requests are handled by Nathan. We know that you spend countless hours planning your programs and events. We will work with you to make the experience a breeze and work hard to accommodate your requests whenever possible.
MEGAN & OLIVER STREGE
AWWS’ Inspiration Squad
“All good men and women must take responsibility to create legacies that will take the next generation to a level we could only imagine.” ~ Jim Rohn
Meet our inspiration and #1 cheerleaders, Megan and Oliver. AWWS was started after Edward Strege, beloved father of Oliver, husband of Megan, and brother of Mettie, died by suicide. Our goal is simple, to end the silence and stigma surrounding mental illness doing our part to create a world without suicide.
Megan, AKA “supermom” spends her days caring for Oliver and supporting her special education students.
START THE CONVERSATION
Addressing mental health with your employees can feel awkward and overwhelming. We have been transforming the conversation of mental health and shattering stigma in the workplace for 10 years. If employee mental well-being is a priority for your organization, we would love to connect with you!
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We are federally registered and credentialed with the System for Award Management (SAM) System.
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