Brigitte Gawenda Kimichik, Esq.

Brigitte, author of Play Smart, the second book of THE SANDBOX SERIES, is a passionate advocate for addressing gender discrimination, bullying, sexual harassment and other misconduct in the workplace and beyond. Play Smart follows her first book Play Nice – Playground Rules for Respect in the Workplace, published in 2019, which she co-authored with JR Tomlinson. Through her blogs and her books, she aims to empower women, educate men, and drive cultural change in and outside of the work environment. For more of Brigitte’s work, please visit thesandboxseries.com.

Originally from Germany, Brigitte earned her Abitur from the Gymnasium Osdorf in Hamburg in 1980 before pursuing her studies in the US. She graduated with a BBA from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin in 1983 with Honors, where she was a distinguished member of the Dean’s List and the Golden Key Honor Society. Brigitte furthered her education by obtaining a JD in 1986 from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in Dallas in 1986. With over thirty years of experience as a commercial real estate finance attorney, Brigitte held partner positions at both Andrews Kurth LLP and Sheinfeld, Maley, and Kay. She also dedicated her time to serving on the boards of Wednesday’s Child Benefit Corporation and the alliance board of Genesis Women’s Shelter. In 2012, Brigitte was recognized with the Most Powerful and Influential Women of Texas Award from the National Diversity Council.

Retiring in 2015, Brigitte now resides in Dallas, Texas with her husband David. They are proud parents of two accomplished daughters, Nicole and Samantha, who are based in New York City.

To support Brigitte’s work and help others discover her books, please consider rating and reviewing PLAY SMART and PLAY NICE on Amazon, Goodreads, or your social media platforms. For more on her new book PLAY SMART, PLAY NICE, and her related blogs and lessons.

Visit thesandboxseries.com, sign up for her newsletter, or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

JoRayne "JR" Tomlinson
Co-Author of Play Nice

JR has over 29 years’ expertise in the commercial real estate and strategic alignment of corporate real estate operations for companies, managing numerous multi-million-dollar complex transactions for Fortune clients in North America.  Awards for her skills and broad-based experience as one of the best in her field, include the Dallas Power Broker Award by D Magazine, Dallas Business Journal, The U.S. Green Council Building Award and The Notable Women of Texas Award. JR is currently a Managing Director with Newmark Knight Frank. Ms. Tomlinson first began her career as a financial consultant with Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith, Inc., earning her Series 7, 63 and 22 licenses after earning a B.B.A. in Finance and Investments from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. JR is married to her husband Rob Hargis and lives in Dallas, Texas.