Alex Brown

Executive Coach, ACC

Alex has trained thousands of leaders in tech, nonprofits, and higher education, with a focus on developing ethical, inclusive and emotionally intelligent leaders who get results for their organizations. In his coaching practice, Alex works with leaders to move through the rhythm of action, reflection, and iteration—rapidly deepening leaders' internal development through external actions and experiments. He also has firsthand experience in becoming more self-aware, deepening belonging in organizations, and developing his leadership identity along the way. From this strong foundation of empathy for a client's learning process, Alex supports leaders in reaching their highest aspirations through coaching and facilitated learning programs.

He has worked with a broad array of leaders from the Fortune 500 to top-tier universities and small community organizations. Alex is a member of the International Coaching Federation and completed his coach education through the Hudson Institute of Coaching. A certified Shift Positive coach, Alex believes in supporting clients to start from a place of strength with a clear understanding of how they can be even better with their teammates. After years of exploring the Enneagram model on his own, Alex is now certified in Integrative Enneagram Solutions. In a previous chapter of his career, Alex completed multilingual research on the cultural histories of marginalized groups in Europe, and he brings this deeper understanding of diversity to all his leadership development work today. Alex holds an MA from Cornell University and a BA with highest honors from the University of Michigan.

When Alex isn't creating and facilitating leadership programs, you can find him in Berkeley, CA, where he enjoys hiking, caring for his rescue dog, and cycling along the San Francisco Bay. He returns often to his home state of Michigan to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and attend Michigan football games in Ann Arbor.

Julie Caruso

Executive Coach, MS, PCC

Julie is a certified professional coach through The Hudson Institute of Coaching and is credentialed through The International Coaching Federation. Her mission is to facilitate more productive and enjoyable workplaces through personal and professional development. Julie's coaching practice focuses on emerging leaders to the C-Suite, working both with individuals and their teams.

Julie has coached clients from Fortune 500 companies like Bank of America, Capital Group, CBRE, Colliers International, The Walt Disney Company, The Gap Inc., Starbucks, Uber, Dropbox, as well as various medium-sized organizations and tech startups.

Julie holds a bachelor's degree in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication from North Carolina State University and a master's in Counseling Psychology from Mount Saint Mary's University. She is certified in numerous assessments and methodologies including the Shift Positive feedback method, a Certified Dare to Lead Facilitator- facilitating the research of Brené Brown, a 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership Coach and the Integrative9 Enneagram, as well as continued studies in adult vertical development. Julie's background anchors her multidimensional understanding of how to leverage behavioral change in pursuit of desired results. When she's not coaching, she's enjoying all of the outdoor adventures California has to offer while currently living in the magical Ojai Valley.

Linda Newlin

Executive Coach, MCC

Linda is a Master Certified Coach and the pioneer of on-boarding. She has provided leadership development and team coaching, transition and integration, coach training, employee engagement, career consulting and organizational change for over 30 years. Her unique presence and passion for creating sustainable change is coupled with a professional breadth of experience from many industries and facets of human behavior change. She has been a CEO, Principal and Director and has coached thousands of individuals globally to break through their self limiting beliefs, behaviors and habituated patterns to create the outcomes they want and need now.

Linda co-created the Inner Work for Leaders course while on faculty at the Hoffman Institute. She facilitates courses in intuitive intelligence, resilience, self coaching, managing attention, decision making, presentation skills, networking and negotiation. Linda is a graduate of Pepperdine University in Communications and HR/Business and is a certified Hudson Institute Coach. She is certified in MBTI, Hogan, FireIndex 2.0, 3 Brains Coaching, Shift Positive 360, Integrative Enneagram, Transformative Coaching, Embodied Leadership/Strozzi. She has authored over 10 books including: WFH: Working From Home A Thrival Guide to Challenging Times and Beyond; Drop It: A Coach's Secret to Productivity, Presence and Possibility; Living Whole: A Guide Book. Upcoming for 2023 will be Harness Time and The Integrated Leader: Creating Organizations That Thrive Using 3 Brains.

Linda's clients would say that she is a life changing strategic partner grounded in scientific human behavioral change tools and transformative embodied practices that focus on creating lasting change and high impact. She supports her clients through the inner and outer work required to change that which no longer serves you. When she is not doing the work she loves, you will find on her yoga mat, writing, singing, walking in nature and traveling now that she has an OPEN NEST as her son is off on his life's adventure as an adult.

Deborah Herrera

Executive Coach, MBA, PCC

If you are looking to make an impact, Deb is the coach for you! Deb coaches and consults the way she lives—fearlessly and from the heart. With a deep curiosity and an innate ability to hone in on the real issue, you can count on Deb asking you questions that will stop you in your tracks and make you think differently about things. As an Executive Coach and former CFO, Deb is passionate about helping others realize their fullest potential, at the organization, team and individual level. Deb's passion is fueled by her own experience as a coaching client and the transformative effect it had on her life and her work. A recognized cross-functional leader and strategic business partner, Deb is adept at working across all levels and with all functions in an organization.

Deb brings more than 25 years business experience to her coaching practice, fusing this experience with a whole-hearted approach to coaching to facilitate transformational change with her clients. As a tremendously caring and thoughtful listener, she's able to inspire you into action by helping you create tangible and progressive actions that make a difference in your work and your life. Deb's experience spans small entrepreneurial firms to high-performing Fortune 500 companies where she has had the opportunity to work with individuals and teams in more than 20 countries and industries that include retail, manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, financial services, healthcare, med device, pharma, and professional services.

Deb is a PCC level ICF Certified Executive Coach through the University of St Thomas and serves as faculty in the Executive Coaching Program for the Center for Coaching in Organizations. She is certified in numerous assessments and methodologies including Hogan assessments and the Shift Positive feedback method, and has completed advanced studies in Narrative Coaching, Inner Team Dialogue, Trauma Recovery, and Positive Intelligence. When Deb is not working you can find her spending time with her teenage daughter (her favorite person), hiking, reading, and enjoying the outdoors. Deb resides in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.

Nikki Shultz

Executive Coach, ACC

Nikki focuses on working with teams to level up their collective game using the Enneagram and vertical development. She is passionate about collective growth, which means she is passionate about facilitating polarity balance in every layer of the system (individual, team, organizational) for the sake of creating growth. This looks like supporting clients to assess and actively manage the polarity of Yin (long-term learning, listening & nurturing, heart & gut intelligence, the arts, faith, collaboration, group, constraints, safety) with the polarity of Yang (short-term results, telling & guiding, logic & mind intelligence, concrete data science, competition, individual, opportunity, risk).

Nikki has coached c-suite leaders and partners (including CEOs) in a variety of industries and organization sizes. She is known for making difficult concepts easy to understand, listening for what is unsaid, shaping new worldviews, and skillfully coaching senior teams to navigate hard topics productively. In professional speak, Nikki is a team and leadership development coach and consultant. In real speak, Nikki sees herself more as a soul guide with an obligation to help liberate potential lying dormant. A two-decade career in multiple industries, functions and leadership roles has given Nikki the organizational understanding, language and credibility to meet teams where they are in their own development journey and help them take the biggest step possible to grow. She earned a graduate certificate in Executive Coaching from the University of St Thomas and has completed advanced studies and certifications, including Shift Positive 360^®, CP Enneagram, Growth Edge Coaching, Leadership Circle Profile, Vertical Mindset Indicator, Positive Intelligence and Inner Team Dialogue. In 2020, Nikki launched her business as a full time external coach and consultant, founding Courageous Roots Development.

She happily resides in the woods of Bloomington, MN with her husband of 20+ years, four sons, N+1 bikes, 10 fish, a new puppy, too many houseplants to count, some deer in the backyard, a minivan, and a mug always filled with coffee.

Carol Pfeiffer

Executive Coach, MS, PCC, CNTC

Carol's passion is being a trusted coach, advisor and sounding board to Directors, VPs and C-level executives who aspire to achieve their next level of leadership and team performance, often during rapid growth and change in their organization. Carol also specializes in coaching women leaders who desire to accelerate their professional growth, amplify their impact, AND truly have a life.

Her mission is to create leaders who are catalysts for change. These forward-thinking leaders create the best workplaces and the greatest value. She strongly believes that in workplaces where employees thrive, everyone wins…leaders, employees, families, shareholders, and the community.

Through quickly establishing a deep level of trust with her clients, she is known for helping them achieve tremendous self-awareness using simple, proven techniques from the fields of coaching and neuroscience including innovative brain-based coaching tools.

Carol came to the field of executive coaching in 2015 after 25 years in senior level Human Resources and Talent Management roles at Vail Resorts, SC Johnson, Rockwell Automation, and Aramark.

Carol is also an engaging facilitator and an accredited practitioner for Insights^®, the Shift Positive 360^® method, and The 4 Team Zones^®. She is both a Certified Co-Active^® (CTI) Coach and a Certified NeuroTransformational Coach. She holds a master's degree in Labor Relations & Human Resources Management from Michigan State University and a B.S. in Secondary Education & Communications from the University of Wisconsin—Madison. She is based near Boulder, CO where she lives with her family, and you'll find them paddle boarding on the lakes and skiing down the mountains.

Kelly van Riper

Executive Coach, PCC, CNTC

Kelly partners with individuals and leaders to create the results they want—for themselves, for their teams, and for their organizations. Her work centers on expanding leadership capability and positive impact, enhancing the interactions of teams, and operating in a manner that is simultaneously authentic, purpose-driven and effective. Her coaching style is empathetic, yet results-driven. She believes in fostering a supportive trusting environment, allowing her clients to explore their strengths and areas for growth openly.

With a passion for accelerating leadership and unlocking potential, Kelly helps bring to light desired goals, core values, purpose, and inner wisdom and resources. Her genuine interest in human behavior and motivation led her to neuroscience-based coaching, using the science behind how the brain functions and how it can be optimized for peak performance.

Clients benefit from Kelly's 25 years of experience in HR leadership, facilitation and coaching in settings from mid-size to Fortune 100 companies, entrepreneurial start-ups and non-profit/military organizations. She's become a trusted advisor to countless professionals seeking success and effectiveness in their endeavors.

Kelly is a certified member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF PCC), the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI CPCC), and is a Certified NeuroTransformational Coach (CNTC) and trainer. She is an accredited practitioner in assessment tools including Success Insights DISC and Driving Forces^®, Insights Discovery^®, Shift Positive 360^® and Integrative9 Enneagram Solutions. Kelly is graduate of Bowdoin College with a degree in Neuroscience and holds a master's degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of St. Thomas. She is currently based near Boulder, CO where she lives with her family. You'll find her running the local trails, traveling to the beautiful beaches of the Outer Banks, NC, and experimenting with anything creative—drawing, painting, quilting—as she finds those things soul-soothing.

Kerry Ross

Executive Coach, PCC

Kerry is a skilled coach and facilitator who is passionate about helping leaders grow and develop the critical skills required to thrive in today's increasingly complex world. She is known and respected for staying in the hard stuff while empowering her clients to lean into their own strengths and values. This approach has allowed her clients to fully realize what is truly possible, lead authentically, and create lasting change for themselves and their teams.

Kerry brings significant leadership experience to her coaching engagements. Prior to her coaching certification, she spent nearly two decades as a senior executive leading teams across a diverse set of clients at a prominent media agency. This experience provides her with a deep understanding of what leaders are up against in this rapidly changing world. Kerry leverages her unique and powerful perspective, enabling her clients to build more effective and authentic ways of leading to create a lasting impact.

Kerry is a certified professional coach through The Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). She has over six hundred hours of coaching experience with individuals, groups and teams earning her an accreditation as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation (ICF). Kerry is also an organizational and relationship systems trained coach (ORSC), an accredited Integrative9 Enneagram practitioner, and holds a certification to administer the Leadership Circle Profile 360.

Kerry is based near Chicago, IL where she lives with her husband, son, and very anxious dog Pepper. She is an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan and enjoys reading, visiting art exhibits, trying new recipes, and getting outside when the weather is nice.