Our Team

Laurel Donnellan, Founder and CEO

Laurel's mission is to help individuals and companies create remarkable work. She is a compassionate leadership expert with an undergraduate degree from Cornell University’s College of Business and an MA in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University. She founded CLC 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 leaders for Forbes.com. Her passions include education equality and properly-brewed tea. 

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. 

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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.

Book Sarah to Speak at your Organization
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 Analytics and Marketing

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.

Anthea Rowe, Faculty

As a public relations professional and communication coach, Anthea helps leaders and organizations explain what they do and why it matters. She has extensive experience leading corporate communication strategies for leaders and organizations in the public, non-profit and private sectors. In addition to leading corporate communication departments in-house, Anthea has led her own consulting practice, developing brands and communication strategies for leaders and organizations across North America. Anthea has a Masters of English from Western University in London, Ontario, Canada and Executive Education in Leadership and Marketing from the Ivey Business School – also in London, Ontario, Canada. Anthea believes business can and should be a force for good – and that it’s not only possible but critical to have fun while doing important work.

 

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.

Derek Hansen, Faculty

Derek is a coach to executives, professionals, and impact investors; and an organization development consultant specializing in purpose, leadership development, culture change, and team effectiveness. He has worked with individuals, small organizations, and Fortune 500 companies in industries including banking, technology, food, FMCG, transportation, and mission-driven NGOs in North America, Latin America, and Europe. Derek has led multi-month leadership and team effectiveness programs for teams with $1 billion+ P&L responsibility. Prior to focusing on leadership and organizational transformation, he spent 10 years in strategy consulting, leveraged buyouts, and investment banking. Derek received his Bachelor of Science in Economics summa cum laude from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of The Coaches Training Institute’s Co-Active Coach Training and Co-Active Leadership programs and a 2018-2019 Fellow with the RSF Integrated Capital Institute.

Caroline Lee, International Education Partner/Faculty

Caroline is a bilingual ICF certified Transition Coach, the mother of three teens, and has lived in France, England, and the US. She supports leaders and future leaders worldwide to maximize their impact without burning out. She helps clients use their emotions and intellect to manifest their true calling and retake control of their work/life balance. In her own career transitions, she gained wisdom that is beneficial to my work. She has an zest for life, and a deep care for others. Her true gift is to see people for who they really are, their true self, and help lead them manifest their talents in their next professional goal.

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. 

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.

Karen Radtke, Faculty

Karen Radtke is a certified executive & team coach and a change & culture faculty member. She coaches managers, partners, and teams on how to work together in a coach-like way that produces greater satisfaction and results, often in less time with less stress and struggle.  She specialized in working with teams and organizations restructuring, shifting organizational culture, or guiding mergers and acquisition integration. Karen is on the faculty of Lake Forest Graduate School. In 2020, Karen co-founded Color of Equity, a community collective committed to racial justice in Lake County police departments, cities, and school districts. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from The University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and a master’s degree in organization development from Loyola University Chicago. On a personal level, she shares the lessons she is learning as an adoptive mom of her twin college students born in Ethiopia.

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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