Meet the Voices Leading the Conversation

Steve Gross is the Founder and Chief Playmaker at the Life is Good Playmaker Project. A clinical social worker by training, Steve has dedicated his 30+ year career to teaching others how to build healing, transformative relationships with children facing overwhelming adversity. Steve has earned global recognition for pioneering innovative, play-based trauma interventions in countries such as Haiti, Ukraine, Rwanda, Turkey, Denmark, Japan, the United States, and more. In addition to being featured in Forbes, his work has also been featured as an example of how play can help children heal from trauma in the longtime #1 New York Times bestseller "The Body Keeps the Score". His goal is to inspire others embrace a more playful mindset -- one that elevates joy, connection, engagement, and empowerment in the workplace. He reminds leaders that these are not only the four key ingredients of play, but also the four most powerful levers for building stronger, healthier relationships, especially in times of uncertainty and challenge.