Bridging Knowledge, Tradition, and Purpose for Collective Impact

Dr. Marjorie Calixte-Hallworth, PhD, is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and independent researcher whose work focuses on helping leaders and organizations thrive amid complexity by managing enduring tensions rather than choosing sides. Her approach is rooted in both/and leadership and informed by the Polarities of Democracy framework, which recognizes that many of today’s challenges require balance—not simple solutions.

She began her career in state government, leading training and policy initiatives where she observed a recurring challenge across institutions: the difficulty of translating knowledge into action while balancing participation and representation, justice and process, and vision and execution. These experiences shaped her commitment to helping leaders navigate competing demands with clarity and intention.

As an entrepreneur, Dr. Marjorie founded a wellness-focused apothecary that integrates ancestral practices with modern approaches, reinforcing her belief that sustainable impact emerges when tradition and innovation are held together. She is also the co-founder of Calixte Antoine Kingdom and the Haitian Community of Tennessee, organizations dedicated to advancing education, service, and community empowerment through inclusive leadership and shared responsibility.

Dr. Marjorie is the author of Barriers to Effective Public Secondary Education in Rural Areas in Haiti, which examines the tension between political authority and public accountability in access to education. She is also the author of Bridging the Gap: Turning Insight Into Impact, which translates research and lived experience into practical guidance for leaders seeking to align individual purpose with organizational and community goals. Her published articles further explore leadership, education, and democratic participation through a both/and lens.

She is a Fellow of the Polarities of Democracy Institute, where her scholarly and applied work centers on leadership, organizational culture, and community change through polarity thinking.

Whether speaking to students, professionals, or community leaders, Dr. Marjorie equips audiences with tools to navigate complexity, manage competing values, and turn insight into sustainable, measurable impact. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration, bringing academic rigor to her work while remaining deeply practical and accessible.