ICE CREAM SOCIAL WORK
Keynotes | Workshops | Team Building
Personal & Professional Development
Meet Manda: Founder of Ice Cream Social Work
🤝 Relationship Builder
🎙️ Podcast Enthusiast
🎃 Themed Party Host
📷 Memory Capturer
🌍 Adventure Seeker
🪴 Green Thumb
🤓 Theater Nerd
🐕 Beagle Mom
👩🏻🍳 Foodie
Roles Held
🟪 National Scholarship + Academic Data Manager
🟨 Financial Aid Coordinator, Advisor, Case Manager
🟪 Keynote, Adjunct Faculty, Trainer, Facilitator
🟨 Event Coordinator, Social Media Manager
🟪 Program Manager, Relations Manager
🟨 Delegate-at-Large, Committee Chair
Manda is dedicated to serving on non-profit boards, committees, and community organizations that support diversity, inclusion, and belonging, professional development, and advocacy initiatives.
Education and Instructor Certifications
🎓 Master of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis
Specialities in College Teaching and Student Affairs
🎓 Bachelor of Social Work
Specialties in Help-Seeking Behavior and Mental Health
📜 PsychoGeometrics® Certified Facilitator
📜 Mental Health First Aid® Adult Instructor
Public Speaking Engagements
🟨 University of Missouri
🟪 Gateway Technical College
🟨 Southeast Missouri State University
🟪 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
🟨 Missouri Suicide Prevention Project
🟪 National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
🟨 Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
🟪 Wisconsin Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
🟨 Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Personnel
🟪 Illinois Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
Achievements
🌟 Awarded Outstanding New Professional of the Year from both the Midwest Association for Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA) and Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Personell (MASFAP)
🌟 First financial aid administrator in Missouri to earn all 17 NASFAA credentials
🌟Received highest distinction at the National Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors Research Competition for research and tool development on “Overcoming Barriers to Student Help-Seeking Behavior"
🌟 Written into Missouri Governor’s Proclamation establishing September as Suicide Prevention Month in Missouri
🌟Awarded Volunteer Service Award from President Barack Obama, Outstanding Community Service Award from Missouri's Department of Mental Health, and recognized as a Distinguished Finalist for the Prudential Spirit of Community Award
What is "Ice Cream Social Work?"
Keynotes | Workshops | Team Building | Personal & Professional Development
Manda Riley (she/her) is the founder of Ice Cream Social Work, where she brings a blend of high energy, humor, and expertise to professional development and team building. She’s on a mission to make learning as fun as it is impactful—because who says you can't laugh and grow at the same time?
With high energy, enthusiasm, and a knack for making learning enjoyable, Manda will leave you feeling inspired, empowered, and equipped with practical tools that you can immediately implement into your personal and professional life.
A social worker at heart, Manda spent years working in suicide prevention, mental health, stress reduction, compassion fatigue, and helping others find support when they need it most. For the past seven years, she’s expanded her expertise into the wild world of financial aid, working as an advisor, scholarship coordinator, and adjunct faculty teaching financial literacy. In 2021, she proudly earned "Outstanding New Professional of the Year" honors from both state and regional financial aid associations.
Manda is passionate about helping teams thrive through inclusive communication, mental wellness, holistic student advising, and PsychoGeometrics® - her signature workshop that strengthens team communication and collaboration. If you're looking to level up your team (and have some laughs along the way), let's chat!
Outside of her work transforming teams, Manda proudly embraces her title as a self-care extraordinaire. Her favorite ways to recharge include snuggling with her beagle, Winston, binging podcasts and books, tending to her garden (with an unpredictable success rate), and planning her next travel adventure.
Want to make your team stronger, happier, and more productive? Let's create a learning experience that's both impactful and fun. Ice cream optional (but highly recommended).
Why the name "Ice Cream Social Work?" Ice cream socials are a cherished tradition known for nurturing camaraderie and providing avenues for networking, socializing, and strengthening community bonds. At their core, ice cream socials embody the spirit of community and togetherness.
At Ice Cream Social Work, we want to foster similar moments of connection guided by strengths-based social work principles. Hence, the fusion of Ice Cream Social and Social Work!
Topics We Love to Faciliate
We welcome custom workshop and keynote topic requests!
✨ PsychoGeometrics® (Shapes) for Effective Communication ✨
This session is the most memorable and meaningful communication tool you will ever use!
Help your team find a shared language to communicate effectively. PsychoGeometrics will transform your workplace. The content is applicable to team building, improving feelings of belonging, performance evaluation, motivation, stress management, leadership development, project delegation and management, onboarding, and so much more!
This session is a great fit for personal and professional development workshops, team building events, seminars, retreats (couples, staff, leadership, boards), conference sessions, and webinars.
- Interactive
- Memorable
- Transformative
✨Mental Health: It’s Like WiFi - When It’s Down, Everything’s a Struggle ✨
Have you ever caught yourself saying, 'I'm fine'... but in reality, your next snack (or cup of coffee) is the only thing standing between you and a meltdown? This session is for you. Together, we will celebrate small victories (like finally responding to that email without overthinking it!), and explore why it's everyone’s responsibility—no matter your job title—to help create a workplace culture that fosters mental wellness. Forget the clichés of hot baths and smelling essential oils (though we love those too!)—this session is all about practical, actionable strategies to improve your mental health, refresh your energy, and make work more enjoyable - one small victory at a time!
This session is available as a conference keynote, in-person workshop or virtual webinar.
- Interactive
- Empowering
- Light-hearted
✨ Stage Fright to Spotlight: Overcome Anxiety, Present with Purpose, and Rock the Mic! ✨
Public speaking is a fundamental skill for our career and life success. It is also the number one reported fear in the country! From nervous novice to confident presenter, this session addresses pre-presentation nerves, dispels public speaking myths, and prepares you to present with authenticity, purpose, and the confidence to rock the mic! A great fit for anyone looking to elevate their public speaking skills, overcome public speaking anxiety, and develop the skills to speak confidently and effectively in any setting.
This session is available as a conference keynote, in-person workshop or virtual webinar.
- Engaging
- Relatable
- Energizing
✨ Strengths-Based Advising: Holistic Student Support for Higher Ed Professionals✨
Discover effective techniques to enhance student communications, utilize inclusive language, navigate difficult conversations, and promote student well-being. Through the lens of a social worker, advisor and financial aid administrator, you will learn best practices that prioritize student comfort and foster a supportive, collaborative environment.
This session is ideal for front-line professionals and advising teams dedicated to serving and empowering our remarkable students. Don't miss this opportunity to transform your advising approach and make a lasting impact for retention and success!
- Practical
- Empathetic
- Student-Centered
✨Mental Health First Aid✨
Join us for a fundamental session on Mental Health First Aid designed to empower you with the essential skills to support those in need. Through interactive scenarios and case studies, participants will gain confidence in identifying signs of distress, offering reassurance, fostering a compassionate and non-judgmental environment, and guiding individuals towards appropriate professional help. Participants receive a workbook and resource guide. Upon completion of the workshop, participants receive a certificate.
There is a General and Higher Education track availabe for this program.
Mental Health First Aid requires participant pre-course work and approximately 6-8 hours of virtual or in-person instruction.
- Valuable
- Interactive
- Informative
Unlocking the Power of PsychoGeometrics®
Reviews from Manda's Workshops
✨ "After participating twice at professional events, I hired Manda to lead our team in a workshop for our staff retreat. We brought her in virtually and she was incredibly engaging and effective in managing our group despite our inability to bring her to us physically. My team was able to gain personal and professional insights about themselves, connect to their coworkers, and give me, their supervisor, valuable tools to manage each individual more effectively. One year later, our staff still reference what we’ve learned, we assign projects better suited to folks’ natural strengths and celebrate the successes folks find when they operate outside of those natural strengths. Thank you, Manda, for giving us a shared understanding of each other and the vocabulary we needed to relate meaningfully across our diverse team." - Casey R., Director of Student Financial Service Center
✨ "PsychoGeometrics was amazing!!!! Highly recommend Manda!!!" - Matt L., Director of Campus Relationships
✨ "Thank you for sending over our team report. They all truly enjoyed it and felt that their shape(s) clearly represented who they are. I had a great time! You did an amazing job!" - Pam L., Director of Financial Aid
Transforming Communication
PsychoGeometrics®, the science of behavior and the art of communication, offers a transformative approach to understanding and improving our interactions with others. By identifying our natural strengths, traits, and behaviors, fondly referred to as "shapes," we gain valuable insights into our communication styles and how we can adapt to connect with individuals of diverse backgrounds.
PsychoGeometrics® is the most memorable and meaningful communication tool you will ever use!
Unlike traditional assessments, PsychoGeometrics® doesn't confine us to predefined categories. Instead, it highlights our communication strengths and challenges, empowering us with the tools to "shape flex" and refine all five shape traits and behaviors. This approach is not only powerful and effective but also enjoyable, making it a preferred tool for individuals and organizations alike.
Over 1000 companies have embraced PsychoGeometrics® to raise awareness of behavioral and communication differences and strengthen relationships, teams, and organizational culture. Its ease of understanding and practical application ensures that participants retain their shape knowledge for years, continuing to leverage it for improved communication, onboarding, and professional development.
Testimonials from participants attest to the profound impact of PsychoGeometrics® on communication effectiveness and organizational culture. From providing a shared language for communication to fostering personal and professional growth, PsychoGeometrics® has become an invaluable asset for individuals and teams seeking to navigate diverse environments successfully. In essence, PsychoGeometrics® celebrates the richness of human diversity and provides a framework for building stronger, more connected teams.
"You don't have to be great at all five shapes, but you can use all five shapes to be great!" - Susan Hite, CEO of PsychoGeometrics®
LET'S CONNECT!
You + Ice Cream Social Work = Awesome
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