SHANNON HUFFMAN POLSON is the founder and CEO of the Grit Institute, a leadership development organization focused on helping leaders thrive in times of change and uncertainty.
Polson was one of the first female attack pilots in the US Army. She led two Apache helicopter platoons and an aviation company on three different continents. She earned her MBA at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and has worked at Microsoft and Guidant (now merged with Boston Scientific). She holds a BA from Duke University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Seattle Pacific University.
Polson is the author of North of Hope: A Daughter’s Arctic Journey. She was recognized as a Trailblazer Woman of Valor by US Senator Maria Cantwell. She is an active community member and lover of libraries. She lives with her husband and their two boys in Washington State.