Avanika Lal is a leadership coach, MBA instructor, and Haas MBA student. She designed and launched Beat the Grind, a Haas MBA course where she coaches students to optimize progression, performance, and long-term success through habit design, reflection exercises, and applied coaching labs grounded in neuroscience and behavioral science.
She serves on the leadership team for UC Berkeley’s Workplace Mental Health Initiative, where she designs programs and coaches organizations on optimizing work environments for performance, wellbeing, and sustainable leadership. Avanika is also the in-house coach for UC Launch, serving UC Berkeley-affiliated entrepreneurs through group workshops focused on growth, resilience, decision-making under pressure, and sustainable leadership.
In addition, she provides 1:1 coaching to Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students (student entrepreneurs and prospective students), helping them clarify career direction, navigate uncertainty, map energy and decision priorities, and co-create frameworks and actionable steps to translate strengths into aligned next moves during periods of transition.
She is also a co-designer and lecturer for four Haas MBA leadership courses, including Leader as Coach and Audience-Focused Communications.
Her coaching approach is framework-driven, reflection-based, and highly experiential, guiding participants to move quickly from insight to action using repeatable tools, career mapping, and co-created frameworks that build momentum, optimize decision-making, and foster continuous growth.
SESSION: What’s Your Best Next Move? Defining Your Career Mission, Direction, and Impact
