Mia Sundstrom
National Institute for Play
Mia Sundstrom is the CEO of the National Institute for Play and the granddaughter of NIFPlay founder and play expert, Dr. Stuart Brown. Mia also works as a consultant for the Office of the Chancellor at the University of Denver to infuse play and character development in the student experience.
Mia has reached global audiences through her speaking engagements, including recent presentations at Aspen Ideas and the World Expo in Osaka, Japan. She has appeared on podcasts, delivered keynotes, led workshops, and consulted with organizations and schools to leverage the power of play to build strengths of character, enhance learning, improve leadership, strengthen community, and unlock innovation.
Mia was previously an NCAA D1 assistant coach for the University of Denver’s top 10 gymnastics team. Before coaching, she was a student-athlete and captain for Denver Gymnastics, helping lead the program to a historic final four appearance while earning two degrees: a master’s in public policy (‘23) and a bachelor’s in business information and Analytics (‘21).
As Dr. Stuart Brown’s granddaughter, Mia has chosen a career trajectory to enliven his legacy and build upon the incredible work he’s contributed to the science and application of play.