Authentic. Compassionate. Bold.

April Simpkins is the Founder and CEO of Paragon Strategy Partners, a leadership development consultancy grounded in a simple truth: leadership decisions directly impact mental health at work. With more than 30 years of HR leadership experience and 18 years running a successful consulting firm, April helps new and emerging leaders lead people with clarity, accountability, and humanity.

She has advised over 1,000 small- to mid-sized businesses across 15+ industries, translating complex people challenges into practical leadership strategies that actually stick. As a speaker and strategist, April focuses on the real pressures leaders face, such as burnout, disengagement, and communication breakdowns, and equips them to create cultures where expectations are clear, trust is built, and mental well-being is not an afterthought but a leadership responsibility.

10 Things About April

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Professional Bio

April Simpkins, SHRM-CP, PHR, CDP

President - April Simpkins Enterprise, LLC
Founder - Cheslie C. Kryst Foundation
National Ambassador - NAMI
Member - South Carolina State Workforce Development Board
Board Member - South Carolina Small Business Development Centers
Board Member - NAMI Piedmont Tri-County
Board Member - York County Regional Chamber
Board Member - York County Natural Gas
Member - Duke Energy Advisory Council (Upstate, SC)
Member - Women Presidents Organization (WPO)

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Awards & Recognition

2025 - Resilient Leadership Award - Career Mastered
2024 - Jack Holladay Community Champion Award - NAMI Piedmont Tri-County
2024 - Distinguished Service Award - Johns Hopkins Medicine - A Woman's Journey
2024 - Top Movers And Shakers of the Accounting Industry - Visionary HR Leader - MyCPE One
2022 – 100 Women To KNOW In America – KNOW Women
2022 - Mental Health Advocate Of The Year - Family. Services of America Corp.
2021 - Presidents Award - Women Presidents Organization (WPO)
2020 – Unsung Hero Award (for Exemplary Leadership in DEI) – Greenville SHRM
2020 – Women In Business Achievement Award – Charlotte Business Journal
2018 - Fort Mill, Tega Cay Business Person Of The Year – York County Regional Chamber
2016 - 50 Most Influential Women Award - Mecklenburg Times
2016 – Woman of Color Award - Women Presidents Organization (WPO) and 100 Black Men
2011 – Mover & Shaker Award – Business Leader Magazine