Samantha

Samantha Funk is a Maine-based artist, Certified Leadership Gamemaster, podcast host, and Program Manager with over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector. She is the creator and host of Burnout & Breakthrough—a podcast dedicated to exploring the human cost of mission-driven work and the path to sustainable leadership and healing. Samantha’s expertise spans Creativity, Play, Game-Based Learning, Team Development, Transformational and Adaptive Leadership, Change Management, Consciousness, Emotional Intelligence, and Social Competence. Her nonprofit work has focused on community development, workforce programming, refugee resettlement, and systems-level advocacy—navigating the complexities of policy, funding, and human-centered service delivery. She holds a BA in Contemporary Conceptual Sculpture and an MA in Leadership and Organizational Studies. Samantha views leadership development as a creative and courageous practice—one that demands self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and an intentional commitment to equity and care. Since 2010, she has been exploring the impact of creativity and play in systems of power, identity, and human behavior. Her research bridges art and leadership, centering the role of permission-to-play in emotional regulation, group dynamics, strategic decision-making, and transformational change. Through her nonprofit leadership and podcast work, Samantha invites others to reclaim rest, rediscover purpose, and resist burnout culture—one breakthrough at a time.