Kylee McGrane-Zarnoch

Kylee McGrane-Zarnoch is a social entrepreneur, author, and pediatric mental health advocate whose work focuses on transforming the approach to emotional and psychological care in children's healthcare. McGrane-Zarnoch centers mental health, creative healing, and community in pediatric care, drawing from personal experiences observing the impact of long-term hospital stays on her grandparents. Motivated by these experiences, she began visiting pediatric wards dressed as a princess, fostering celebration, imagination, and connection for young patients.

As founder and executive director of A Moment of Magic, McGrane-Zarnoch leads a nonprofit network of college student volunteers supporting medically vulnerable children across the United States. The organization partners with more than 350 hospitals and nonprofits, mobilizes over 2,000 student leaders, and has impacted the care experience of more than 150,000 children. Through character visits, creative mental health programming, and trauma-informed volunteer training, A Moment of Magic provides comfort, play, and healing to children at no cost to families. The organization gained national attention after its story went viral, leading to widespread adoption by colleges and universities.

McGrane-Zarnoch is also the creator of "Express, Create, Heal," a psychosocial support program designed for children battling cancer and their families. The program, supported by a medical advisory committee, offers evidence-based tools for resilience, emotional literacy, and healing, and equips healthcare providers with resources to address trauma, reduce anxiety, and improve long-term mental health outcomes through play and creative expression. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization adapted by developing AMoM Unlimited, a virtual programming platform that maintained connection and support for children in hospitals and at home.

A TEDx keynote speaker, author, and Clinton Global Initiative Fellow, McGrane-Zarnoch has been featured by outlets including TODAY Show, CNN, and Forbes. She has received awards for her work in social entrepreneurship and has contributed to national conversations on pediatric mental health, including participation in the Biden Cancer Initiative. Her TEDx talk, "When a Person Becomes a Patient," explores the intersection of identity and healthcare. McGrane-Zarnoch is also the author of "Your Magic," a book that celebrates diversity and individuality through stories and illustrations. Her leadership and advocacy have advanced trauma-informed care, promoted psychosocial services in pediatric medicine, and expanded access to healing-centered interventions in clinical and community settings.