Michelle Penczak

About Michelle

Michelle Penczak’s journey is deeply intertwined with a mission to empower military spouses. As the CEO and Founder of Squared Away, she leads a team of over 400 dedicated teammates across the world. Squared Away’s partnership with Hiring Our Heroes reflects Michelle’s commitment to supporting veterans and military spouses in finding fulfilling career paths. The company’s involvement in the Military Spouse Employment Partnership, a collaboration with the Department of Defense, underscores Michelle’s belief in creating meaningful opportunities for military spouses.

Beyond Squared Away, Michelle’s passion led her to create Savvy Spouse, a platform that serves as a lifeline for anyone seeking employment resources. This initiative was instrumental in shaping Squared Away’s inception, highlighting Michelle’s visionary approach to business.

Michelle’s academic credentials include a BA in Political Science and History from King University, as well as a paralegal certificate from George Mason University.

Currently based in Hampstead, North Carolina, Michelle’s impact extends globally as she works with clients and military spouses worldwide. Her accolades, including being named the Military Spouse of the Year at Kaneohe Bay in 2019 and Miramar in 2022, as well as receiving Inc’s Female Founder 250 in 2024, are a testament to her unwavering dedication to her mission and the impact she has made in the military community and beyond.

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Testimonials

“Michelle is an outstanding business partner who is the very definition of excellence.”

Daniel H.

Executive Team Immersive Experiences Programs

“Michelle was my pod leader at Zirtual. There aren’t enough words I can say to express my gratefulness to her and her work ethic. In the short time I was under her as a pod member, she never disappointed. She was always so positive and knew how to “constructively critique” you and still let you know that you are amazing at what you do. She was always easy to talk to, and never acted like she was higher than any of us!”

Kathleen Cabana

Senior QA Specialist

“Michelle was my direct supervisor throughout my time at Zirtual. Despite a heavy workload, she was always available to answer my colleagues’ questions and meet with us weekly to monitor our progress and quality of work. Her ability to successfully multitask in a demanding environment would be an asset in any leadership role.”

Chelsea Brierton

Experience Design Lead, Bank of America

“Michelle is an outstanding virtual assistant. She is punctual, efficient, organized, creative and extremely hard working. I enjoy working with Michelle on a daily basis. She is a life saver!”

Dr. Chelsea Mason

Doctor of Dental Surgery and Owner of Dr. Chelsea Mason Dental

“Michelle has been a great assistant, significantly adding to my efficiency and productivity. I trust her to autonomously manage the same tasks I would delegate to an in-office assistant and she executes them quickly and correctly. She’s added hours to my day and helped me stay organized both personally and professionally. Thanks Michelle!”

Aaron Hobbs

Executive Director, North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture

“Michelle was an enthusiastic, knowledgeable manager during my tenure at Zirtual. She always gave me insightful and constructive feedback, and made me aware of points I could improve on. I always left our interactions with more insight into myself as an employee and future manager than before. Michelle also maintained an admirable level of excellence with her clients that made her a fantastic role model for our pod. She was a great asset to our pod and a truly fearless leader for our group. She would make a tremendous asset to any company lucky enough to have her.”

Katy Gross

General Manager, Papa Johns

“Michelle was my virtual assistant for several months during my transition out of my house and into a new job. She was very effective at getting the things done I requested of her, was prompt, and thorough. She was a great assistant and I would absolutely work with her again!”

Chris Leith

15 Years Growing Leaders and Revenue

“Michelle has been my PA for over a year. She’s an incredibly hard worker and her attention to detail has made my life run much smoother. Most importantly, she handled and controlled my calendar, which has always been insane across multiple time zones globally.”

Daniel Houghton

Photographer

“Michelle is very reliable and efficient; she had innovative ideas that actually saved me time and made my job easier. She takes this role seriously, and gets things done quickly and without unnecessary demands on my time. She consistently exceeded expectations on the projects I asked her to do. It was a privilege having her as my personal assistant.”