Our purpose:  inspire a holistic approach to self-leadership and human development.

We offer:  interactive self-development tools to promote proactive communication and team vitality.

Outcome:  a fresh perspective, confidence and self-leadership skills that foster creativity and collaboration.

Contact us at 612.309.3659 or [email protected]

Marit Solheim-Witt, MA

Founder

Marit works with organizations to inspire holistic approaches to leadership, collaboration and human development. As the founder of Alpha Element Institute, Marit has a passion for research and education on the interconnected aspects of human health, relationships and communication. She is the author of Alpha Element Institute’s personality assessments and Vitality Type™ indicators and has developed an interactive evaluation process that relates individual Vitality Types to temperament styles. Marit worked as an instructor at the Center for Integrative Health and, along with AEI co-founder Ingrid Serck-Hanssen, develops and teaches continuing education courses for mental health professionals on the application of the Alpha Element platform to interpersonal communication and behavioral health. She has a special interest in the stressful work environment of today’s healthcare professionals and is one of three co-researchers on a long-term qualitative research study about the impact of bioenergy awareness on interprofessional relationships, communication and coherence in the clinical environment. Born in Norway and raised in Belgium and Germany, Marit has a Masters in Holistic Health Studies from St. Catherine University and received her B.A. from the University of Minnesota in American Studies and Studio Arts. As part of advancing the development of the Alpha Element® platform, Marit continues to collaborate on research and education about bioenergetic aspects of human health, relationships and communication.

Marit’s journal article on bioenergy and communication

Ingrid Serck-Hanssen, MBA, MS, LPCC

Co-founder

As a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and advocate for positive change, Ingrid works with individuals and organizations to help improve interpersonal communication, self-leadership skills, health and wellness. Ingrid is senior advisor on corporate accounts, developing leadership training and stress management programs. As the co-author of Alpha Element Institute’s Vitality Type™ Indicators, Ingrid’s focus is to apply Alpha Element® platform tools in executive coaching to stimulate a mindset of interactive learning and vitality. A dynamic speaker and presenter, Ingrid also designs and delivers customized training programs for executive teams on strategies for self-coaching and interpersonal communication that improve collaboration, team cohesion and prevent burn-out. Ingrid earned her master’s degree in business administration from the Norwegian School of Management. A leap of faith brought her to Minnesota in 1991 where she continued her professional career while also establishing a new family. As a result of her son’s experiences with adolescent mental health and addiction problems, Ingrid embarked on a new journey – a master’s degree program in mental health counseling. With her dual background in sales, marketing and mental health counseling, Ingrid manages business operations and spearheads the development and implementation of Alpha Element certification programs.

Shelly Kirsch

Advisory Board Member

Shelly has over 30 years of experience in accounting and finance. She currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Allegiance Financial Group, Inc where her responsibilities include financial reporting, compliance and tax. Shelly is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, with a degree in Business and Economics.  She is also an Enrolled Agent, a federally authorized tax practitioner empowered by the US Dept. of Treasury. In addition to her professional role, Shelly is dedicated to her work as an advocate for mental health care reform. She serves on the legislative committee of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and has testified in the Minnesota House of Representatives during hearings on mental health legislation reform. In addition to her background in finance, Shelly also brings her passion for mental health advocacy to the Alpha Element Advisory Board.

“Learning about the Vitality Types has provided me with understanding of differences in how I view myself and how others view me. Effective communication eliminates stress and negative feelings. As a team-building tool, the Vitality Types offer a neutral language that can help break down barriers in communication and improve collaboration.”

Shelly Kirsch, CFO, Allegiance Financial Group

Roberto Evaristo, Ph.D.

Advisory Board Member

Roberto brings his energetic, entrepreneurial, results-focused leadership to the Alpha Element Advisory Board. As a business school professor and worldwide consultant for 15 years, Roberto was a thought leader in the corporate strategy team at 3M for nearly a decade. Five years ago, he founded Outthink LLC. Outthink has earned global awards – including “Most inspiring solution”, International Association of Science Parks, 3rd place, 2015 – and engaged with large multinational companies such as UBS, Dell and many more. More recently, Roberto co-founded UK-based Exospect LTD (www.exospect.com) to deliver a comprehensive scalable platform addressing critical resource allocation challenges in industry. Roberto is a frequent keynote speaker at industry events and has continued to publish in the areas he consults.

“Learning about the Alpha Element Vitality Types increases self-awareness about key behaviors and how they impact interactions with others.”

Roberto Evaristo, Ph.D., CEO, Exospect LTD, Principal, Outthink LLC

Theo Jolosky, PhD

Advisory Board Member

Theo brings expertise in market research, market planning, and business strategy development to his role as Alpha Element Institute Advisory Board member.  His professional experience spans a range of fields, including higher educational administration, marketing and advertising, organizational development, and psychological and educational assessment.  His educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and both a Master’s degree and doctorate in the field of Higher Education. He is currently the owner of Jolosky Market Reasoning, a market research and planning independent consulting firm.

“I have managed people for a substantial part of my professional career. Although I no longer manage others, I can see how the activities in Connect With Your Vitality Self-Coach Workbook would have been useful tools for me when I was a manager. I was particularly struck by the depth and insight represented by many of those activities. Numerous questions posed in this self-reflective process would have forced me to see certain patterns of behavior in a new light.”

Theo Jolosky, PhD, Jolosky Market Reasoning