Co-Founders

Jennifer Johnson, CEO and Co-Founder

B.A., B.Ed., M.A.
As a parent, former educator, entrepreneur, and passionate change-maker, Jennifer is on a mission to empower young people, and the adults who support them, to be their best selves. She holds an M.A. in Education in Curriculum, Teaching, and Organizational Learning from OISE, is a seasoned leader in both education and the corporate world, a former Board Member of Resilient Kids Canada, a CTI-trained coach, and holds a leadership certificate from Harvard Business School. As a parent of two, Jennifer is committed to nurturing self-leadership skills and the ability to navigate an increasingly dynamic world with authenticity, compassion, and resilience. A proud hockey mom, she is also invested in fostering positive cultures in sports for athletes, coaches, and parents—creating environments that promote Positive Youth Development in challenging times.

Jan Frolic, Co-Founder Emeritus

B.A Honours
Jan is a serial entrepreneur and a former corporate leader in the Diversity & Inclusion space with a focus on gender equity. She has an Honours B.A. in Sociology and is a committed advocate and continual student in anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Jan is passionate about building kids who will champion others. As a mother to three young adults, her most important role is to raise happy, kind, self-aware individuals to be inclusive, socially engaged and globally aware adults.

A Message From the Co-Founders

Dear Captains and Poets Around the World,

When Captains & Poets was born in 2018, we set out with a simple but powerful goal: to give young people an inner compass to understand themselves and each other and to ignite a positive sense of agency so that they may navigate the world with authenticity, compassion, and resilience.

What began as a Kindergarten to Grade 12 program has grown into something much bigger. As the world has changed, our mission has expanded. Today, Captains & Poets is embraced not only in schools, but also sports communities, professional development spaces, and in the corporate world. One thing is clear, this work is universal. The need for self-awareness, self-leadership, and leadership lives in all of us, at every stage of life. And once you learn about your Captain and Poet, you have them with you for the journey.

When people learn about their inner Captain and Poet, they gain instant access to what makes them unique alongside powerful insight into the complexities of being human. Whether in a classroom, on the field, or in a boardroom, when we lead from within, we create healthier relationships, stronger teams, and a more compassionate world.

As Captains & Poets continues to grow, we are deeply grateful to all who have shaped this journey so far -especially co-founder Jan Frolic, whose passion for authentic identity remains an integral part of our story.

To the thousands of Captains and Poets we have met along the way, thank you! You continue to inspire us to reach around the world.

Our Poets imagined this possibility. Our Captains continue to make it real. We invite you to join us in creating a world where everyone is empowered to reach their full potential.

With gratitude,
Jennifer Johnson
CEO and Co-Founder