People On Purpose

Sue Harvey is Founder & Principal, New Direction Strategy. Sue established New Direction Strategy to help organizations do change better. Her work builds on two decades of experience in complex organizations, deep communications expertise, a system-level perspective, and a belief in the power of a team’s innate wisdom and creativity to solve problems in unexpected ways. Over her 25-year career in business, non-profits, and government, Sue has been involved in organizational changes from every angle – as a leader, as a team member, and as a C-suite advisor. Before founding New Direction Strategy, she served for more than 15 years at Massachusetts’s largest health plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, in roles including Chief of Staff to the CEO and Senior Director of Member and Provider Communications. Earlier in her career she was Deputy Communications Director for the Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, executive-on-loan to the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, and a public affairs consultant with clients including Home Depot and the San Francisco Recycling Program. Through the course of her career she has: ·  Managed successful executive leadership transitions. ·  Coached leaders and teams through organizational, operational, and leadership changes ·  Built teams from vision to organization chart to award-winning execution. ·  Designed and facilitated educational, team building, and strategic planning workshops. ·  Advised non-profits on strategic planning, communications, and organizational change. ·  Created messaging strategies and related communications for a range of audiences including national media, regulatory agencies, industry associations, and internal employee groups. A Williams College graduate, Sue holds certificates in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University’s Institute for Transformational Leadership and in Change Management from Prosci.  She trained in facilitation at Georgetown, and completed the Center for Creative Leadership's Leadership Development Program and UMass Boston's Emerging Leaders Program. She is a recipient of the Wonder Woman Award from the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus. Living outside Boston with her husband, two children, and a menagerie of pets including guinea pigs and chickens, Sue has ample opportunity to practice flexibility in times of change.

Building on a thriving corporate career, Donna Teitelman started Impact Executive Consulting in October of 2002. She helps entrepreneurs and executives maximize business outcomes related to people, processes, and promotion. Over the years, she has worked with corporate executives to increase their promotability, and more often, entrepreneurs refining their leadership competencies as CEO. At the time when a start-up is reaching high-growth, Donna provides support on organizational development, leadership development, corporate responsibility, and building the executive’s public persona. Donna recognizes the call for sustainability as a critical success factor for an increasing number of firms. She aids her clients in setting up the systems, policies, and processes to achieve a corporate social responsibility (CSR) score that differentiates them from competitors. Donna’s personal give back is working with young adults. She helps them distinguish their transferable skills, make the most of business networking in college, and support their job readiness with strategies to promote effective interviewing and a robust career. https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnateitelman/

A respected entrepreneur and executive, Sunny drives the promotion of global brands for pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device. She founded Xavier Creative House (XCH), a healthcaremarketing agency that builds BOLD and EVOCATIVE designs, pushing the edge of creativity. Sunny is the point person for helping to position brands as Powerhouses. As,CEO, she leads Operations and Client Management utilizing a wealth ofexperience gained from her roles in communications, compliance, and sales inrapid-growth companies. Sunny shines when it comes to creating opportunities, solving problems, andenhancing your business with her greatest contribution being determination anddrive. She never lets up when it comes to building your brand and your business.Sunny earned an MBA with a concentration in International Marketing from Saint Joseph’s University, Haub School of Business. She studied Business Administration at Saint Michael’s College graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science.

Heather Ingram is an author, consultant, trainer, designer and illustrator. She has worked with a variety of clients across multiple sectors where she has helped thousands of people, improve efficiency, be more productive, happier and creative. She recently published Applied Flow: Stop Burnout. Be Awesome.a practical guide for anyone who wants to not only survive in business but also thrive. it’s a quick accessible and occasionally witty read - with a ton of examples and modalities from game theory, to psychology, to EQ, to yoga -- referencing stories from Wall Street to Silicon Valley to Capitol Hill. Although I think I was most impressed by her ability to tie in the Karate Kid and Legally Blond and Oceans’ 11. Learn more about Heather’s work, and her new book, at https://matagi.me Connect with Heather on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/heathercingram/

Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio speaks about his purpose – to foster health, sanity and justice in the world. Ken helps us understand how the exercise of domination disrupts the natural balance and interconnectedness of life. Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio, LMFT, SPHR, is an award-winning leader and keynote speaker in the field of workplace mental health. He also delivers keynotes on power, bias, and inclusion in the workplace, as well as on parenting, couple relationships, and healing after loss. Ken is the author of four books, and he appears monthly on NBC TV affiliate WWLP’s Mass Appeal show as an on-air expert on mental health, family relationships, and leadership.  In 2017, Ken retired from his 19-year tenure at Prudential as Vice President, Health and Wellness, and founded GreenGate Leadership, LLC. At Prudential, Ken was responsible for behavioral health services for US employees, leadership consulting internationally, and violence prevention. His team's work led Prudential to receive the American Psychological Association's 2017 Organizational Excellence Award.  Ken received the 2017 Leadership Award from the Employee Assistance Society of North America and was named 2016 Corporate Leader of the Year by the National Alliance on Mental Illness’s NYC Metro Chapter. Ken has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Fast Company, Bloomberg, Ignites, Entrepreneur, Fox Business News, Chicago Tribune, Inc. Magazine, Working Mother, HR Executive, and other media. His books include Simple Habits of Exceptional (But Not Perfect) Parents; Making Love, Playing Power: Men, Women, and the Rewards of Intimate Justice; and The Pet Loss Companion: Healing Advice from Family Therapists Who Lead Pet Loss Groups. Ken has also published extensively in the family therapy literature. Learn more at GreenGateLeadership.com.

“I want to paint. I want to paint!”. After veering away from a fine arts career path, Michael’s inner voice kept nagging at him. So, he began with a class at the Art Students League. In our conversation, Michael offers practical advice about following your inner promptings. Michael was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and was introduced to the art-making process by his two grandfathers: one was a carpenter and the other a dressmaker. They both took Michael to museums where they would draw together. They both dreamed of being artists and they passed that dream onto him. Michael’s grandfathers also impressed him with the importance of service and giving back to the community.  Along with being a Visual Artist, Michael continues to explore all creative aspects of himself as an Art Educator, a Coach and Trainer. Michael’s sense of purpose is expressed through all these experiences.

Intro As a creative person, Jeff Berman’s purpose is to connect with others and have a positive impact on his world. At a deeper level, his desire is to collaborate in the co-creative flow between his endeavors and the larger energies of the universe. What helps him do this? Awareness and intentionality. Take a listen. Bio Jeff Berman is a New York City-based composer, guitarist, and percussionist, with a background in ethnomusicology and a B.A. in Music from Wesleyan University. Jeff brings together his many musical influences to make work that amplifies the relationship between humans, society, and the natural world. He has composed music for Keely Garfield Dance, and his work has been performed at venues including The Rubin Museum of Art, The Chocolate Factory Theater, and Big Reuse Brooklyn. In addition to writing music, he plays in clubs around the city, and accompanies dance and movement classes. Jeff also freelances in media production, and works at Middle Collegiate Church, a community that is committed to love, equity, inclusivity, and the arts. For the latest information about Jeff go to https://www.jeff-berman.com

Steve Porcaro is passionate about helping leaders and teams achieve their goals through game-changing sales, marketing, and business development strategies.  his clients come from a wide variety of industries, including medical device, service, and hospitality. Steve’s mission is to empower improvement and growth by providing tools, techniques and support to businesses, teams, and individuals who want to level up. Steve is an executive coach, trainer, and inspirational speaker with over 25 years of experience. He is Past President of the Connecticut Chapter of the International Coach Federation, a Certified Master OASIS Trainer, and a DISC Behaviors Facilitator. Phone Steve at 860.243.9757. Email: Steve@SalesPlusMVP.com Website: www.SalesPlusMVP.com

Max Thomas is an advisor to start-ups and growth companies on executive leadership, business development & sales, digital analytics, and mergers & acquisitions. Max is a serial entrepreneur who has built, sold and transitioned several companies in the fields of digital marketing, online retail, and publishing. Max is a member of the angel-investor syndicate Gaingels, a mentor at StartOut, and an advisor at ERA NYC and Innovation Norway. He holds a BA from Columbia University and an MBA from Yale University. Max lives in NYC and Amsterdam. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxthomas/ Web: https://www.maxthomas.co/

Peyton Pugmire is the founding director and owner of Creative Spirit, a center for creativity and personal transformation in Marblehead MA. Peyton first connected with his own creative spirit as a child in Georgia when he would paint, color, write, cook, dance, sing…AND mount full blown theatre productions in his family’s basement!  Since then, the strength he acquired through his art has fueled his personal journey of embracing his full self.  Today, Peyton strives to live as authentically and creatively as possible, and he is passionate about inspiring others to do the same. Peyton holds a BA degree in Theatre (College of Charleston) and a MA degree in Theatre Education (Emerson College).  A member of the North American Drama Therapy Association, he is currently studying to become a Registered Drama Therapist.  He has held top leadership positions with The Boston Conservatory at Berklee (Associate Director of Theater), the Watertown Children’s Theatre (Producing Artistic Director), and Wheelock Family Theatre (Director of Education). From 2005 to 2013, he founded and ran Divine Stage Works, a small Boston theatre company.  Peyton has taught across generations, including inner-city youth, college students, and adults.  Peyton is an accomplished actor, theatre director and trained painter, as well as a certified spiritual intuitive with clients from coast to coast.  He also has enjoyed studying shamanism and meditation. https://www.creativespiritma.com

Wendy Wollner is the Founder and CEO of Balancing Life’s Issues (BLI). With over 25 years of experience she has built and overseen a network of over 1,500 BLI trainers who bring work/life balance programs to corporations, not-for-profit organizations, employee assistance programs, and educational institutions. BLI trainers create custom-tailored curriculum for programs that focus on topics that include: emotional intelligence, managing stress with humor and health and wellness. https://balancinglifesissues.com Wendy passes her honest, straight forward approach combined with her high energy and sense of humor, through to her trainers who encourage program participants to think differently in order to cope with the stresses of today and boldly face the challenges of tomorrow.All BLI trainers bring their own personal experiencesaswellastheirexpertisetotheprograms,bringingadeeperlevelof understanding and human connection to help reach all individuals. BLI trainers have worked with a wide range of diverse industries including biotech, and major manufacturing companies, as well as service and professional organizations, reaching everyone from the shop floor and administrative personnel up to the C-Suite and boards of director across the United States and Canada. In 2016, Wendy received The Business Council of Westchester’s Business Hall of Fame Award in the category of Women Business in Success. In 2015, SmartCEO honored BLI as one of the fastest growing companies in New York, and Wendy and Wendy was a nominee for the 2012 Enterprising Women of the Year Award. She has been featured in Entrepreneur’s Start-Up, HR Magazine, The New York Post, The Journal News, CBS News Radio 880 with Joe Connelly, Westchester Parent, the Chicago Tribune, ExecuNet’s Career Smart Advisor, More magazine, and SHRM Magazine. She is a past board member of The United Way, and currently holds a board position for VolunteerNY. Wendy received a master’s degree in industrial psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. In2014, Wendy completed an Executive MBA program through WBENC and Tuck Business School. In 2012, she graduated from Goldman Sach’s 10,000 Small BusinessProgram. The proud mother of three adult children, including an eldest son who is in medical school, Wendy lives in the lower Hudson Valley of New York.

Shalini Rikhi describes herself as a human being who tries to live by some basic spiritual principles that she practices each day. Shalini began her Yoga practice over 20 years ago and has lived her purpose by sharing space and the practice of Yoga with the amazing community she serves. She believes that the core of what humanity stands on includes compassion, empathy, truth, love and service.

Gretchen M. Michelfeld is an eclectic writer, a sheepish Mets fan, a hopeful feminist, and a proud mom. Her essays and poems have appeared in TalkSpace, The Good Men Project, Real Simple and Open Thought Vortex. A former actress and member of the comedy troupe, Lesbian Pulp-O-Rama!, she is now a playwright and screenwriter. Her feature film As Good As You is available on iTunes. gretchenmmichelfeld.com

Priya Kaul brings a spunky energy and compassion to her work in talent development. Early in her career with at-risk populations in hospitals, Priya discovered her calling when she was invited to facilitate a program for aspiring leaders.  Priya finds her professional rhythm in being a strategic partner and collaboratively working with teams to unlock leadership potential. Having worked globally, Priya uses her academic base in Psychology to center her work with people in their leadership development.  Believing in purposeful growth, Priya has taken up running as a recent step in her own transformational journey. https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyakaul/

Michelle Clayton’s story about purpose is a personal one, which has led her on a ‘scenic path’ of experiences and major milestones. Born in Dallas to an American father and Irish mother, she grew up in a bicultural family, eventually living on two continents.  The dual nature of her background felt like the two sides of a coin, fostering her belief that, in order to grow and evolve, we have to recognize the merit in our challenges as much as in our successes, the melancholy as much as the happiness, the yin as much as the yang. This duality became starkly evident to her during a trip to India, where she witnessed the profound richness of community and generosity amidst material poverty.  Michelle reached a significant milestone in the aftermath of her divorce. During a period of depression, she woke up and realized that she was going to rewrite the outline for the second half of her life. As a life-long student, Michelle maintains that the most significant lesson she is learning is that life is not a race. After all, who wants to be the first to the finish line anyway? https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellepclayton/

Emily Neustadt is an Executive Coach, Leadership Consultant and Meeting Facilitator with 20 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies and non-profits. She helps individuals and groups have courageous conversations to create a path forward toward high performance, innovation and full team engagement.  She designs and facilitates off-sites and meetings for team development. She teaches the Masterclass in Coaching at NYU’s School for Professional Studies and has been a guest lecturer at Columbia University, New York University and Hunter College.  https://www.neustadtconsulting.com

Jenn is a listener of souls.  She spent twenty years as United Methodist clergy before she honed her listening skills and moved into the counseling field.  She works as a therapist with adolescents in a residential treatment facility helping them through mental health and substance addiction struggles. She also sees clients in her Spiritual Direction Practice, helping people ask some fundamental questions about “Life, Love, and other Mysteries.”  Underlying all of her work is a deep belief in healing through relationship – relationship with each other, relationship with God (or the Holy), and relationship with self.  You can learn more about her work at www.jenniferolin-hitt.com

Sean Harvey is currently the Chief Compassion Officer & Founder of Symponia Studios & The Compassionate Masculinity Project.  His work in personal, organizational, and societal transformation is inspired by over 20 years of Talent and Organization Development consulting combined with a decade of college teaching experience at Cornell, NYU, and Baruch College CUNY in the areas Organizational Behavior and Change.   Sean is contributing as a writer, speaker, and consultant to a new narrative around creating a healthier gender balance in organizations to transform people, cultures, and systems.   He engages men in personal transformation experiences around the areas of authenticity, connection, purpose, and well-being as a means to foster greater gender balance in the workplace.  Sean most recently served as the head of Purpose, Personal Transformation and Wellbeing as well as the Internal Change Agent for Creative for EILEEN FISHER.  Find Sean at: www.genderarc.com www.symponiastudios.com www.linkedin.com/in/seanharvey

Maeve Callagy is a staff attorney at Part of the Solution (POTS), a non-profit organization whose mission is to be a loving community in the Bronx, which acts as a “one stop shop” for those who seek its services. At POTS, Maeve is an advocate on behalf of poor and indigent clients who are facing eviction in housing court, and with regard to benefits like food stamps and public assistance. Through her work she also advocates on behalf of clients with other governmental and charitable agencies. Maeve is also a member of the Saint Vincent de Paul society group of St Barnabas Parish in the Bronx, which provides spiritual and financial assistance in creative ways to those in need. Finally, Maeve is a mentor for a high school student through the iMentor program.  Find Maeve Callagy on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maeve-callagy-69357b34/

Lesley Mazzotta is the founder and executive director of One World Girl, a nonprofit organization, working in NYC and Long Island, to empower and champion girls to reach their full potential, build leadership abilities and become changemakers in the world. For over 20 years, she has worked as a producer, educator, workshop facilitator and spiritual director, conceiving and producing unique programming, imaginative events and creative learning opportunities on Broadway, in entertainment and in religious communities around the country. Lesley also serves as the educational specialist for the RCA Women’s Transformation and Leadership, a national initiative that encourages and equips women for leadership and worked for 6 years as Producing Director of Camp Broadway, an award-winning children’s theater company in New York City. Lesley has a BA from Tufts University, a Certificate of Creative Arts Therapy from The New School and a Certificate of Spiritual Direction from General Theological Seminary.  Lesley can be reached at lesleym@oneworldgirl.org Visit One World Girl at www.oneworldgirl.org