Meet the Team
At The Collective Rise, we believe leadership isn't a title—it's a mindset anyone can develop. We're challenging outdated models that reward visibility and volume over substance and character. Leadership is not reserved for the chosen few; it's a skillset and a journey open to all who are willing to rise. As co-founders, we're committed to creating a new path—one that equips people with the fundamental leadership skills often overlooked in traditional training, and builds a culture where we grow stronger together.
Michael Dowling
Co-Founder & Unlikely Leader
Michael Dowling is an author, speaker, and leadership advisor who challenges conventional assumptions about what leadership looks like and who gets recognized.
As the author of The Unlikely Leader: Breaking the Bias That Keeps Great Leaders Invisible, his work explores a simple but often overlooked truth: some of our most capable leaders remain unseen not because they lack ability, but because we have been using the wrong yardstick.
Drawing from his experience as a former talent agent, founder, CEO, and executive coach, Michael has worked with hundreds of companies across industries, advising leaders and teams in high-performance environments where visibility often outweighed authenticity. Through that journey, he came to recognize that many of the most effective leaders do not fit the traditional mold.
Today, he is the Co-Founder of The Collective Rise™, a leadership development platform designed to help individuals and organizations rethink leadership through the lenses of self-awareness, resilience, character, and impact. Blending storytelling, research, and practical tools, he empowers a new generation of leaders to rise not by conforming, but by embracing who they already are.
Gailynn Gluth
Co-Founder, Unlikely Leader & President of "Aha Moments" of Leadership Growth
Gailynn Gluth brings over 30 years of experience in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Leadership Development, and Entrepreneurship. A former CEO of her own technology company and a seasoned executive, Gailynn has worked with leading global organizations including Host Marriott Services, Starbucks, Boeing, and British Petroleum UK. She has also worked for and alongside nonprofits of all sizes, supporting mission-driven teams through periods of growth, change, and leadership transition.
Now a self-described "recovering executive," Gailynn focuses her energy on designing and delivering transformative leadership programs rooted in the latest global research. She is passionate about equipping the next generation of leaders—from the frontline to the C-suite—with the insights and tools to lead with authenticity and impact.
Certified in Myers-Briggs Steps I & II and proudly known as a leadership and coaching nerd, Gailynn blends deep expertise with a modern, human-centered approach to development.
She now lives in the mountains outside Park City, Utah, with her husband and their new puppy. She finds joy in hiking, gardening, and spending quality time with their adult son over good meals and better conversations.