Kendra Mitchell, JD

Kendra Mitchell, JD, is an accomplished executive, attorney, and strategic advisor with leadership experience spanning corporate strategy, governance, law, business operations, organizational transformation, and executive leadership. She has served in senior roles including Chief People Officer, Chief of Staff, General Counsel, and strategic advisor to founders, CEOs, boards, and executive teams.

Kendra currently leads Ellington Aurora, a fractional executive practice through which she advises founders, CEOs, family offices, and mission-driven organizations on strategy, operations, finance, governance, organizational change, complex commercial negotiations, and operational execution. Her portfolio includes organizations across healthcare, technology, AI-enabled manufacturing, logistics, philanthropy, and other emerging sectors.

Previously, Kendra held executive leadership positions at Chainguard, Chief, Cisco Secure, and Duo Security. At Chainguard, she served as Vice President of People and helped build the organizational infrastructure supporting the company’s rapid growth. At Cisco Secure, she served as Chief of Staff to the Chief Strategy Officer, supporting strategy and execution across a 4,000-person global cybersecurity business. She also served as Chief of Staff at Duo Security following its $2.35 billion acquisition by Cisco and previously served on Duo’s legal leadership team as Assistant General Counsel.

Her experience also extends directly into healthcare innovation. As General Counsel of Healthcare Innovation & Technology Lab, Kendra advised leadership on strategy, governance, partnerships, compliance, contracting, risk management, and organizational growth for a digital health innovation organization working with major life-sciences companies.

At HMD, Kendra serves as Independent Director & Strategic Counsel, providing strategic guidance across corporate governance, legal and regulatory strategy, enterprise risk, organizational development, commercial matters, and long-term company growth.

Kendra earned her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and graduated summa cum laude from Hampton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science through the Honors College.