Meet The Founder

KendaNaing KK Kokonaing is a first-generation Burmese American author, advocate, and speaker passionate about emotional wellness and mental health literacy. Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana—home to the largest Burmese population outside of Myanmar—KK grew up navigating the complexities of identity, family, and adversity. Her experiences shaped her deep commitment to creating spaces where young people can understand and express their emotions with confidence and compassion.

KK is the author of My Whole Heart!, a children's book that helps kids recognize how emotions show up in their bodies and empowers them to speak their truth with their whole hearts. She wrote the book in the wake of her father’s stroke, during a season of emotional overwhelm, and has since turned it into a movement, The Whole Heart Initiative, that brings emotional literacy programming to schools, churches, and community spaces.

KK is currently pursuing her Master of Nonprofit Administration at the University of Notre Dame, equipping her to lead with both heart and strategy as she works to create lasting change in underserved communities. A psychology graduate from Bethel University, she combines lived experience, research, and storytelling to uplift children and families who may feel unseen or unheard.

Her work is deeply personal, inspired by her family’s resilience and her faith in a God who heals and restores. When she’s not visiting classrooms or speaking at events, KK enjoys serving her community, building bridges across cultures, and reminding people, no matter their background, that they are loved, valued, and never alone.