Our Team
Laurel Donnellan, Founder and CEO
Laurel's mission is to help individuals do remarkable work and organizations to provide remarkable work done in remarkable cultures. She is a compassionate leadership expert with a BS from Cornell University’s College of Business and an MA in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University. She founded Compassionate Leaders Circle 26 years ago, developing transformational programs that build careers and organizations from the inside out. Laurel currently cohosts the Compassionate Leaders Circle Podcast and writes about inspiring people and organizations for Forbes.com. Her passions include shining a bright light on compassionate leaders every year at the CLC Awards, education equality and properly-brewed tea.Â
Meryl Eriksen, Chief Compassion Officer
A native of Skaneateles, New York, Meryl Eriksen graduated from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and was the first to complete its collaboration degree with the Culinary Institute of America. Before joining CLC, she led people-first teams in hospitality. Now, through Compassionate Leaders Circle, she brings clarity, warmth, and strategic insight to her facilitation work. Meryl is a skilled group leader known for creating safe spaces where people feel comfortable sharing. She’s a thoughtful speaker on leadership and a welcome guest on purpose-driven podcasts.Â
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Tracy Goodsel, Chief Operations Officer
Tracy is a two-time certified life coach focusing on teens and young adults. Her passion is to help these individuals discover and cultivate self-compassion, confidence, and resilience to begin building a life that they love. Combining her coaching and organizational skills have made her an invaluable contributor to our client programs and workshops. Tracy earned her bachelor’s degree at UC San Diego and proceeded to find work all over the country. Starting in Hawaii, making her way to New York, and eventually settling on the west coast, she now resides in Reno, NV with her husband and two children. Tracy has a passion for the arts and self-development, which she infuses into her work as one of our Senior Faculty and certified coaches.
Sarah Feely, Chief Learning Officer
Sarah's role at CLC is to help organizations align their business strategy to their people strategy, empowering each individual to love their work. Sarah’s passion is to help individuals at all career levels discover their authentic selves and find meaning at work. She has earned a Masters of Science in Learning and Organizational Change from Northwestern University and is a certified executive and organizational coach. Before joining CLC, Sarah spent ten years in recruiting and talent advisory roles at Korn Ferry. Then, she took on a client advisory role, supporting several of the firm’s largest global Life Sciences clients. This role spanned assessment and succession strategy, culture and digital transformation, and leadership development initiatives. Sarah lives in Dallas with her husband and three young children.
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Marietta Bolster, Director of Education Partnerships
Marietta Bolster is the Director of Education Partnerships where she designs and facilitates programs that support young people in discovering their strengths, purpose, and voice. Drawing from a background in international affairs, design, leadership coaching, and yoga she blends creativity with emotional intelligence to guide students through meaningful self-discovery. Marietta lives in upstate New York with her husband, their four kids, and a lively crew of pets. Her work is rooted in real life—full of curiosity, care, and a deep belief in each young person’s potential.
Finn Arffmann, Director of Marketing and Analytics
Born in New York City and nurtured by its music and arts scene, Finn Arffmann pairs a storyteller’s eye with a data analyst’s toolkit. His curiosity about how culture shapes behavior led him from researching LGBTQ representation in Chinese indie film at Haverford College to shaping audience insights for global brands like Nestlé. Now back in Chicago, Finn guides marketing strategy at Compassionate Leaders Circle—turning raw data into clear, people‑centered narratives that build community and spark growth. Outside the office, he keeps his Mandarin and French sharp, hunts down indie films and house music, and stays endlessly curious about the human stories hidden in every dataset.
Darryl Brown, Podcast Partner/Faculty
Darryl Brown is a prosperity and culture strategist working across companies, schools, and worship communities with a focus on equity as the foundation for positive economic impact. Currently, he sits on the Board of Trustees of Fordham University where he has guided the President, Father McShane and other top leaders through a process resulting in more racial awareness, policy changes, and diversity over the last 8 years. He is the former Executive Vice-President of ABC Radio Networks where he pioneered more equity for Black and Hispanic talent and audiences through improving national brands advertising spends. Darryl is an exceptional coach, consultant, and facilitator; committed to helping others lead with love so all can flourish.
Judy Brennan, PR and Media Training Partner
Judy Brennan has more than 25 years of experience in corporate communications, specializing in corporate reputation and awareness building for clients across a range of industries, including health care, real estate, financial services, and retail. Judy provides strategic counsel and support, bringing to bear years of experience in media training and media outreach, executive visibility and thought leadership, social media, B2B communications, as well as employee and community relations. Judy holds a B.A. degree with honors in history from the City University of New York at Hunter College. She lives and works in Chicago.
Scott Shute, Faculty
Scott is at the intersection of the workplace and ancient wisdom traditions. He blends his experience as a Silicon Valley executive with his lifelong practice and passion as a wisdom seeker and teacher. In his most recent role at LinkedIn, Scott was the Head of Mindfulness and Compassion programs. He has been a pioneer in creating workplace mindfulness programs and advancing the discussion around compassion in the work context. His latest venture, Changing Work, seeks to curate the best practices of conscious business and make them more widely available. He is the author of the award-winning book "The Full Body Yes".
Ulli Bonnekamp, Cinematographer
Ulli is a 2008 Primetime Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Cinematography (Carrier, PBS). His international 30-year experience includes documentary clients such as HBO, PBS, FOX, TBS and Discovery. Ulli’s recent works include the Ken Burns films Cancer and The Gene (PBS 2015, 2020). Presently Ulli is working on a film about the staging of the musical The Braille Legacy by the Theatre By the Blind, the only theatre group of its kind in the US.
Dan Guerra, Faculty
Dr. Dan Guerra is a clinical psychologist, executive coach, and a playback theatre performer. He brings 25+ years of clinical experience treating individuals and groups in the areas of adjustment to chronic pain, improving stress management, and treating anxiety and trauma. He has worked with upper-level managers and C-level executives across a broad range of organizations, internationally.  He speaks on topics including leadership development, stress management in the workplace, reflection as a leadership skill, social-emotional learning, and the role of body-mind-brain learning in healing trauma.  He has co-authored the book: From Stressed to Centered: A Practical Guide to a Happier and Healthier You. He is an avid, world adventure traveler and hiker who has been fortunate enough to visit over 50 countries and to hike many mountain ranges across the globe. Dan currently resides in the Hudson Valley, NY, and has private practices in Fishkill and New York City.
Caroline Lee, International Education Partner/Faculty
Caroline is a dedicated Integral coach specializing in empowering young adults and talented individuals to navigate their best path both professionally and personally. With expertise in emotional intelligence and a rich international background, from living, studying, and working abroad, she brings a global perspective to her coaching. She helps her clients reconnect with their emotions, build self-confidence, and feel empowered to own their decisions. Combining empathy, clarity, and practical guidance, she supports her clients in cultivating resilience and gaining clarity about their goals. Caroline is passionate about helping young adults discover their inner strength, trust their instincts, and create a fulfilling, authentic life. When she's not coaching, she loves exploring new ideas and inspiring others to move boldly forward.
Karlin Sloan, Faculty
Karlin has a lifelong passion for visionary leadership, and helping people access their most mysterious and powerful abilities to transform the world in positive ways. ​Karlin Sloan is a distinguished entrepreneur, author, and global citizen. Her expertise extends to defining exit strategies and guiding founders through the intricacies of selling their companies. Her clients recognize her as a unique blend of intuition and analytical prowess, making her a sought-after strategic problem solver, particularly in high-stress crisis situations. She served as the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Sloan Group International from 2000 to 2022. She is also an accomplished author, having penned several influential books, Karlin's commitment extends beyond business success, as she firmly believes that leaders should contribute positively to the world.Â
Kelly Dwyer, Faculty
Kelly Dwyer, a seasoned executive coach, specializes in guiding leaders and teams to cultivate self-awareness, make informed choices, and achieve peak performance. She brings clarity to team dynamics, strategic planning, and individual effectiveness, empowering clients to navigate their growth edges with confidence. With a rich background in leadership spanning operations, strategic projects, and program management, Kelly has spearheaded the creation and launch of new departments, business services, and cross-functional teams. Kelly's impact transcends industries, collaborating with leaders and teams in companies ranging from 50 to 100,000+ employees. As an ICF professional certified coach (PCC) with an MBA from Cornell University, she combines academic rigor with practical experience to guide individuals and organizations toward sustained success.
Mark Anthony Lord, Faculty
Mark Anthony Lord, MDiv., is an internationally recognized speaker, author, entrepreneur, and coach. In 2003, he founded the Bodhi Spiritual Center in Chicago, growing it from a small gathering to a thriving community of over a thousand. Over 14 years, he trained spiritual coaches, ministers, and thousands of students in transformational teachings. Mark has created and led online programs focused on personal and career success and co-founded Living The Course, a global spiritual community. He is the author of Thou Shall Not Suffer: 7 Steps to a Life of Joy and The Seven Living Words. Before his spiritual leadership, he spent 17 years traveling as a director and choreographer, including three years with Disney. His mission is to help people heal, forgive, and live magnificently.
Jaye Smith, Faculty
Jaye is an Executive Coach and master facilitator providing clients with the knowledge, expertise, and compassion to create better work environments, opportunities, and to drive success and results for all stakeholders. Her career as an executive coach and organizational effectiveness consultant spans over 25 years. Her mission is to help people, teams, and organizations be vital and chart a course of action that is fulfilling for them and produces extraordinary results. Jaye is co-author of The Retirement Boom: The All-Inclusive Guide to Money, Life, and Health in Your Next Chapter as well as Reboot Your Life: Energize Your Career and Life by Taking a Break. Jaye founded Breakwater Consulting and co-founded Partners International. Previously, Jaye spent a number of years as a senior consultant to Chase, Chemical Bank, and Citibank. She began her early career in senior management positions at a community-based organization. Jaye holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from New York University and a B.A. in Psychology from City College of New York.
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