Heather Wood turns personal loss into a leadership and advocacy movement

Heather Wood, a Syracuse-based keynote speaker and former AmeriCU Credit Union leader, launched Stupendous Love in November 2025 after a family tragedy in 2023. The brand and movement now includes speaking, servant leadership training, scholarships and mental health fundraising focused on connection, compassion and hope.

Why it matters: - Heather Wood is building a public platform around grief, resilience and service after a tragedy that reshaped her life. - Stupendous Love ties leadership, mental health awareness and educational support into one personal mission. - The work reaches beyond motivation. It includes scholarships, speaking engagements and organizational leadership training.

What happened: - Heather Wood, a Syracuse, New York keynote speaker and strategic leader, founded Stupendous Love as a motivational brand and movement. - Wood launched Stupendous Love in November 2025. - Her daughter, Ava, was killed in 2023 by her father, who then died by suicide. - Wood spent 23 years at AmeriCU Credit Union before shifting into entrepreneurship and advocacy. - Wood’s work now centers on speaking, community engagement and building Stupendous Love.

The details: - Wood’s career in credit unions and financial services spanned more than two decades. - At AmeriCU Credit Union, she held several leadership roles focused on organizational growth, operational excellence and employee and member experience. - Stupendous Love is rooted in inspiration, servant leadership, positivity and human connection. - The movement’s merchandise and apparel are designed as reminders of positivity, kindness and connection. - Wood’s keynote speaking work focuses on resilience, servant leadership and living with intention. - Stupendous Love also includes a Servant Leadership program for organizations that want more humanity and compassion in management. - The charitable side of the effort includes three scholarships established in Ava’s name. - Two of the scholarships are local and one is national. - The national scholarship drew more than 3,000 applicants in its first year. - Wood is also raising funds for mental health awareness, suicide prevention and educational access. - Wood continues to work with leaders, organizations and communities across Central New York and beyond. - Her stated values are authenticity, connection and living boldly. - Wood advises young women to build careers they do not need to escape from and to remember that success is built on people.

Between the lines: - Wood’s message is more than a tribute to Ava. It is a framework for how she wants leaders to treat people at work and in life. - Her emphasis on servant leadership reflects a broader push in workplaces toward empathy, trust and belonging. - The scholarship and mental health efforts give the movement a concrete public impact, not just a personal story. - Wood frames starting over as a challenge and an opportunity, which gives Stupendous Love a clear emotional center.

What's next: - Wood plans to keep expanding Stupendous Love through speaking, partnerships and charitable initiatives. - She is continuing fundraising tied to mental health, suicide prevention and education. - The brand will likely remain centered on connection, purpose and human-centered leadership.

The bottom line: - Heather Wood has turned devastating loss into a mission built around love, service and practical support for others. - More information is available through Heather Wood’s Influential Women profile and Stupendous Love.