Co-Founder; Empower Community Care, Evidence Based Associates, MST Services
Moraga, CA
When he was ten years old, Keller Strother’s family moved to Palatine, Illinois. This was his tenth move. Keller has moved many more times, living in eight states and six countries. Given this background, it is not surprising that Keller considers life to be a journey.
After a high school career heavy on STEM and French classes, student government and sports, Keller enrolled at Stanford where, in his first two years he took zero STEM classes while completing the degree requirements for a bachelor’s in Religious Studies. Keller then focused on mechanical engineering. Graduating with BA and BS degrees, he went to work in the Middle East in the oil industry. He soon returned to Stanford to complete a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering. A decade later he completed an MBA at Duke with an emphasis in health care management.
Professionally, Keller spent a dozen years in engineering before pursuing an entrepreneurial path focused on services for children and families which lead to the co-founding of several organizations (five for-profits, one 501c3 non-profit) related to the advancement of research-proven/evidence-based care for children and families in the behavioral and mental health service sectors. Over the past three decades Keller has leveraged his optimism, work ethic, and focus on producing tangible results in these sectors.
Keller lives in Moraga, California, with his spouse, Sonja Schoenwald. He enjoys exercising, cars, household projects, and playing with their two dogs. Their grown son lives and works in the DC area.
DCI Fellow: Sonja Schoenwald