2024 NOW Conference Coaches

Wendy Carmody (she/her)

I have over 20 years of experience coaching employees, leaders, and executives in a corporate setting, and have recently established my own practice where I continue to support each individual’s self-development and growth, wherever they may be in that journey. I specialize in transitions - new in a job - or newly transitioning out of one phase into the next. I pride myself on deep listening, meeting clients where they are, and helping them uncover both their gifts and what might be getting in the way of reaching that next step. I consider my approach client-centered, but not afraid...

Rainbow Brockenborough (she/her)

An accomplished CEO with over 25 years in healthcare and entrepreneurship, Rainbow leverages her extensive experience in financial and operational experience in leading private and government sectors earning her and the individuals she works with success and accolades. Trained at UC Davis and certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) as an Associate Certified Coach (ACC), she partners with clients to overcome limiting mindsets to achieve the life they have always wanted and worked for. Rainbow is the Co-founder of Atlas Coaching & Consulting Group, a firm dedicated...

Paul Briley (he/him)

Paul leverages his 25+ years of experience in learning, leadership, consulting, and coaching to help you bring your vision to life. His career was built on consultative thought leadership focused on creating an impact on people, culture, and results.

Throughout his career, Paul has helped people get moving. He’s known for helping people assess their current state, define goals and outcomes, then build plans and move to action. His consultative approach helps build custom solutions based on your unique needs and experiences.

Paul has worked for large, multi-unit...

Rachel Ostroy (she/her)

Rachel Ostroy has an M.S.Ed. in Psychology and is a certified professional coach (CPCC, ACC, and CPQC). She is trained and certified in multiple modalities including Co-Active Training and Positive Intelligence. Rachel creates a safe, non-judgmental space to help her clients navigate life’s transitions and stressors and live as the best versions of themselves. She believes that we need to work through our shame, fear, anxiety, and guilt to overcome it. Through building mental fitness, her clients are able to see their obstacles and break old patterns. She comfortably blends the...

Carole Berkson-Ross (she/her)

Think of me as your partner who “turns on the light” at your core and illuminates the drivers toward and away from your goals. Remarkable results come from cultivating intuition, seeing patterns, and experimenting with new actions!

For 30 years, I have coached coaches and leaders in corporations, small business, government, non-profits, technologists, scientists, consultants, artists, and health professionals...with inspiring results. My 40 years of introducing new technologies, project management, training, and employee development have centered around the magic of...

Sara Benson (she/her)

As an ICF-certified coach, I work with individuals, groups, and teams to align personal values with professional goals. Starting from a place of curiosity, I surface a client's desires for the future, co-creating a vision to guide their path.

Leveraging deep listening skills, combined with visualizations, metaphors, and movement, I support clients as they develop an increased awareness and understanding of their longing for fulfillment.

My clients range in age from 25-70 and span the globe in their physical locations. I am excited to bring coaching to a broader and more...

Alani Bankhead (she/her)

Alani is a terrorist/spy/human trafficking career supervisory special agent and former senior Pentagon bodyguard to a top DoD official. All while 5’3”, a female, Latina, and young-looking. Imposter syndrome galore. Now she coaches around the topic to help aspiring world changers shed fear and achieve their highest potential. TEDx speaker. Author. ICF certified 2018. PCC.

Sibel Babacan (she/her)

Sibel is a Master Certified Coach (MCC) through the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
She brings over 25 years of experience and a wealth of resources from her extensive training and education to each client. Her travels around the globe, genuine curiosity, and love of diversity enable her to connect with people from all walks of life.

Sibel’s magic touch is her calm, deep listening. When she listens, you get a wonderful sense of being heard and seen. Her non-judgmental style and compassion allow Sibel to look at things right in the eye and ask powerful questions....

Margarita Akterskaia (she/her)

I'm a trained career and life coach who is passionate about other humans. My career as a coach started when I organized a boot camp for women in tech and evolved from individual guidance to empowering group participants. My approach is both Client-Centered and Strength-Based: I practice partnerships to define goals and unlock an individual's potential and leverage individual talents and experiences for impactful career progress.

Merideth Wakeman (she/her)

Merideth Wakeman is a talent development professional who has deep, corporate-level experience as a senior internal consultant and executive coach. She is as comfortable working with individual contributors and managers as she is coaching C-Suite executives and their direct reports. She can quickly build rapport with her clients and her goal as a coach is to guide individuals in finding the intersection of their talents and passions to enable them to reach their aspirations and do their best work every day.

Merideth started her career as a leadership and professional...