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The Renaissance of the CTO in the AI Era

Alex Durand

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Stephen Brown

Founding Partner & Head of Financial Services Practice

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Rynn Kneebone

Head of Operations

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Nilesh Parikh

Founder & CEO

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Sona Haratunian

Head of Program Design and Delivery

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Ashley Anderson

Executive Coach / Leadership Consultant / Team Coach

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Robin Athey

Executive Coach / Transformational Coach / Group Coach

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Jonny Camara

Executive Coach / Leadership Consultant / Facilitator

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Alex Durand

Executive Coach / Team Coach / Organizational Consultant

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Kent Frazier

Transformational Coach / Executive Coach / Team Coach

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David Highley

Transformational Coach / Executive Coach / Team Coach

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Songya Kesler

Executive Coach / Team Coach / Leadership Consultant

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Kristin Kober

Executive Coach / Leadership Consultant / Advisor

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Dr. Bukky Kolawole

Leadership Consultant / Executive Coach / Facilitator

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Michael Mellen

Executive Coach / Team Coach / Facilitator

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Stephen joins Abundance Labs as a seasoned business leader, coach, and consultant specializing in financial services. With a focus on developing high-performance cultures based on Respect, Relationships, and Results, Stephen brings 30 years of leadership experience in Asset Management, Private Capital, and Wealth Management to Abundance Labs. His clients range from large Wall Street firms to RIAs and the organizations that serve them.

In his work as Founding Partner and Head of the Financial Services Practice at Abundance Labs, Stephen continues to leverage his extensive background to provide leadership and executive development services. As the former Managing Director of a $500M revenue, 900-employee business, he achieved top-tier results by fostering a leadership based culture. This experience led him to become Head of Leadership and Executive Development at the world’s largest wealth manager, where he created programs to replicate his success. Amongst other accomplishments, Stephen and his team developed a multi-day offsite leadership experience that became the flagship offering to hundreds of the firm’s C-suite, Managing Director, and Executive Director level leaders.

Stephen is a Middlebury College graduate with further education from the Darden School of Business (UVA), the Wharton School, and The Leadership Challenge program. He is a Certified Private Wealth Advisor, a Certified Leadership Practices Coach, and holds FINRA securities licenses.

An avid outdoorsman, Stephen has summited alpine peaks in Europe, Africa, South America, and the Himalaya. He serves on the Boards of Big Sky Community Housing Trust and St. Francis House. Stephen and his wife, Lisa, reside in Weston, MA and Big Sky, MT. They have two grown sons, two wonderful daughters-in-law, and a truly exceptional grandson.

As Head of Operations, Rynn supports multiple business areas, including all internal operations, administration, marketing and client service. She brings nearly 25 years of operational and corporate program management experience to the business, in addition to her background in managing large-scale training initiatives, key talent programs, and a variety of small businesses.

Rynn earned her BA from the University of Delaware and furthered her education in international business at St. Mary’s University, Twickenham (UK).

She currently lives in Denver, CO with her partner Alex and their pack of animals. She spends a great deal of her time volunteering for Canine Partners of the Rockies, raising and training future mobility service dogs. In her free time, Rynn enjoys hiking, practicing yoga, and spending time with her family pack.

Nilesh Parikh is an accomplished executive coach and leadership consultant dedicated to helping senior leaders, executives, and teams unlock their full potential. He also serves as the Founder & CEO of Abundance Labs, a global leadership development and coaching boutique. With a deep understanding of organizational dynamics and human development, he partners with clients to sharpen their clarity and focus, increase the impact of their leadership, and cultivate sustainable, embodied change.

Drawing on over 20 years of experience as both an executive and a coach, Nilesh brings a unique perspective to leadership development. He previously led business consulting, executive coaching, team effectiveness, and succession planning efforts at Merrill and UBS, where he designed and delivered programs that accelerated the performance of top advisors, senior field leaders, and leadership teams. His expertise extends beyond financial services, supporting leaders across industries, including technology, healthcare, and professional services. Recent clients include OpenTable, Goldman Sachs, LPL Financial, Accenture, and Cribl.

Nilesh’s coaching approach integrates neuroscience, behavioral change, and somatic practices, equipping leaders with practical tools for sustained growth. He is a Certified Financial Services Coach, ICF Certified Coach, Leadership Circle Practitioner, Positive Intelligence Certified Coach (CPQC), Kolbe Certified Consultant, Accredited in the Enneagram (iEQ9) and a Corentus Certified Team Coach. He has also trained in somatics and somatic bodywork with the Strozzi Institute and is certified as an advanced practitioner in the 6 Team Conditions framework.

A graduate of the University of Miami, Nilesh earned his MBA from INSEAD, studying in Singapore, France, and the U.S. He has served as Board Chair of The GrowHaus, as a Director on the University of Miami alumni Board, and as an appointee to Colorado’s Workforce Development Council. Based in Denver, Nilesh enjoys exploring with his two daughters.

As Head of Program Design and Delivery, Sona brings a unique blend of experiences and skills from her executive-level positions in Talent and Learning Development cultivating high-performance cultures and unlocking the power of people to her role at Abundance Labs. She excels in crafting creative solutions for sustained change, and empowering individuals to realize their potential by leveraging their strengths and capabilities.

Before joining Abundance Labs, Sona designed and delivered innovative approaches to learning at two of the largest financial services firms in the United States. She partnered with leaders to create tailored solutions to deliver on the people strategies for both entities that resulted in new onboarding experiences, culture building and sustainment initiatives, leadership learning journeys and high potential talent programs to accelerate the growth of top performers.

Sona’s background spans Human Resources and various lines of business, providing her with firsthand experience in achieving strategic goals through innovative, measurable, and sustainable performance solutions. She holds a BA in Economics from Boston College, an MA in Education from New York University, and is a Certified Financial Planner®.

Based in New York, Sona is actively involved in various private foundation boards focused on poverty alleviation and self-sufficiency in Armenia and the Middle East. She treasures spending time with her family and friends, finding joy in balancing her professional commitments with personal pursuits.

Ashley Andersen, MSW, PCC is an executive coach and leadership development partner who works with leaders, teams, and groups to navigate and overcome the challenges that keep work from being life-giving. Her work is rooted in a longstanding fascination with human behavior and a deep belief that work should energize rather than deplete those doing it.

With a foundation in social work and psychology, Ashley brings a human-centered lens to leadership development, helping individuals and teams build self-awareness, strengthen relationships, and respond skillfully under pressure. She has partnered with leaders across corporate, nonprofit, government, startup, and academic environments, supporting teams through growth, transition, and cultural change.

As a coach, she creates space for reflection, deep awareness, and action. She boldly addresses the mindsets and habits that get in leaders’ way, while holding them accountable to meaningful action and sustainable results. She has also led diverse teams herself, giving her firsthand insight into the pressures and realities leaders face.

Ashley is a certified Organization and Relationship Systems Coach (ORSCC), a Co-Active Professional Certified Coach (CPCC), and holds a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential through the International Coaching Federation. She is also a certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator and certified to deliver Enneagram and DiSC assessments. She holds a BA in Psychology and English from the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Social Work from the City University of New York (Hunter College).

She lives in Colorado and enjoys time outdoors, good food, and conversations that challenge and stretch her thinking.

Robin Athey joins Abundance Labs with over 35 years of global experience as an executive coach, facilitator, senior leader, management consultant, and thought leader. Currently, she guides leaders and teams to bring their purpose and dreams to life, helping them cultivate their inner compass, align with natural power, and make wise decisions amidst complexity and uncertainty. Robin is deeply committed to fostering positive, sustainable change in today’s fast-paced world.

Robin has worked with clients including ABB, Microsoft, HP, Google, MIT, Delta Airlines, IBM, Fujitsu, Eli Lilly, Boise Cascade, Banco Santander, and Girl Scouts USA. She also partners with startups and non-profits. Her experience spans 27 countries, working with factory workers to CEOs. Notably, she volunteered with the Realness Project, bringing Authentic Relating into prisons. Robin’s gentle yet powerful approach enables clients to trust their innate wisdom, clarify their vision, and grow their emotional agility under pressure.

Robin’s academic credentials include a B.S. in Industrial & Systems Engineering from the University of Florida and an M.A. in International Economic Policy from Columbia University. She also holds an Advanced Certificate in OD and HR from Columbia University and the University of Michigan. Additionally, Robin has been a Fellow at Harvard University, taught the core leadership class at Simmons MBA, and served on the board of the U.N. Association.

Living in Boulder, Colorado, Robin cherishes time with her friends, community, and family. She loves dancing and hiking in the wilderness. A dedicated practitioner of meditation and yoga for over 25 years, she integrates various modalities of ego development, somatics, post-trauma growth, and transformation in her work.

Jonny Camara joins Abundance Labs as a People Development Strategist, Leadership Coach, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Facilitator. In his own practice, Jonny brings close to a decade of experience in developing leaders and organizations. Raised in Ireland by an Irish mother and a Senegalese father, Jonny navigated various challenges around identity and belonging, finding strength in relationships centered on vulnerability, empathy, and authenticity. His early experiences taught him the value of these components in personal and collective transformation. Today, Jonny partners with leaders and organizations to build cultures of belonging, growth, and impact.

Jonny’s work spans multiple industries, including tech, finance, pharma, health, and education. He has collaborated with industry leaders such as Trivago, Pfizer, Mercedes Benz, and SumUp. Through transformational coaching, Jonny guides individuals and leaders on their personal discovery process, helping them find clarity on who they are, what they want, and the impact they wish to have in the world.

Jonny holds a B.A. in French and Business Studies from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. He is an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Accredited Coach, with a diploma in Professional Coaching Practice and a certificate in Executive Coaching Practice. In 2019, Jonny earned a Certificate in Organizational Analysis from Stanford University and a Certificate in High Performance Collaboration from Northwestern University.

Outside of work, Jonny finds balance through sports and fitness, reading about human psychology and philosophy, filmmaking, music curation, and writing. He currently lives in Berlin, Germany, with his partner and their young son.

Alex Durand joins Abundance Labs as the founder of Frable, a boutique coaching & consulting firm that helps leadership teams get out of their own way. His clients are the best at what they do. They love striving to be great and aren’t afraid of staying on the edge. Like all great leaders and teams, they recognize the value of having a coach and advisor by their side to navigate the challenges of today’s business landscape.

Today’s teams are treading water. Between external and internal performance pressures, employee burnout, and relentless change, it is easy for teamship to remain low on leaders’ list of priorities. Today, however, teamship skills like shared candor, shared accountability, and shared execution are a high-performance imperative: for yourself, for the teams you lead, for your organization.

Alex believes the most effective team coaching happens when the coach can observe and engage with the team in real time, in their day-to-day environment, much like how a professional sports coach supports the performance of a professional sports team. Done in this way, executive team coaching allows a leadership team to experience continuous, intentional, and measurable improvement over time, making it a much more worthwhile investment in the future performance of the organization at large. Alex is a Columbia University credentialed Professional Executive Coach. He holds a Bachelor of Accountancy from George Washington University and received his MFA in Writing from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

Alex is certified in several assessment tools including Korn Ferry’s Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI) and Hogan Assessments. He is a PwC alum. Alex is fluent in Spanish, conversational in French, and is improving his Portuguese. Over the years he has lived in Mexico City, Istanbul, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. He and his wife are spending the year in Porto, Portugal. He collaborates with clients around the world. His current compulsions are writing short stories and playing tennis.

Kent serves as Co-Founder and CEO of ParadoxEdge, creating more Fully Human leaders and workplaces at The Edge of Human + Digital Transformation.

A pickleball fanatic with a lifetime background in tennis, ping-pong, golf, soccer, and track & field, Kent is an accomplished endurance athlete who completed Ironman France. This athletic foundation informs his unique approach to performance coaching and the mental aspects of competition.

With over three decades immersed in entrepreneurship, leadership development, and guiding teams through complex challenges, Kent offers a deliberately developmental approach to building trust, harnessing creative tensions, and achieving results in high-stakes scenarios.

David Highley is an accomplished personal, executive, and leadership coach and joins Abundance Labs with over a decade of experience in guiding professional and personal transformation. As the CEO and founder of Leading Global Change LLC, David is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations achieve significant and lasting results.

David’s work spans multiple industries, where he collaborates with senior executives, business owners, and entrepreneurs. His experience is particularly rich in complex, regulated sectors such as medicine, biotech, education, finance, law, and government. David’s recent clients include high profile leaders from the music industry, and CEOs of publicly traded companies.

David’s coaching is rooted in fostering authenticity, purpose, and clarity in leadership. He helps clients develop intentional communication and leadership styles that lead to healthier workplace cultures and enhanced strategic thinking. His clients often report a deeper sense of purpose and satisfaction, both professionally and personally.

David’s approach is deeply informed by his background in professional musicianship, government leadership, and education, which uniquely positions him to blend creativity with pragmatism. This allows him to bring depth and pace to his coaching, helping clients explore their full potential with confidence.

He is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation (ICF) and holds certifications in Leadership Coaching from the University of San Diego and Systemic Team Coaching from the Global Team Coaching Institute. David also coaches, mentors and trains accrediting coaches and senior leaders at USD and UCSD. Outside of his professional life, David is an avid musician and lover of nature. He is passionate about driving positive environmental and social change and enjoys fitness, yoga, running, travel, and DIY projects.

Songya Kesler joins Abundance Labs as a three-time Silicon Valley entrepreneur with 15 years of global business experience. She works with leaders, innovators, and disruptors on a mission to find their inner truths and unlock their highest potential. Her clients are ambitious, hyper-intelligent founders and tech leadership teams across various industries, including SaaS, Health-Tech, Fin-Tech, and more.

Songya provides executive coaching, team coaching, leadership consulting, and management training. She helps leaders and their teams develop key skills and self-awareness to uncover who they are and what they want so they can lead with confidence, certainty, and authenticity. She also helps businesses design and deliver leadership training programs that increase employee engagement, motivation, and overall productivity. She has worked with clients like Aztec, Contentful, Formo, Zalando, and N26 to enhance employee engagement and productivity.

As an adjunct faculty member at the University of Colorado, Songya teaches Leadership & Ethics in the Masters of the Environment program. She holds engineering degrees from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Cambridge Judge Business School. She has received PCC accreditation from the ICF and Team Coaching training from Corentus.

Songya relocated to the US from Germany in 2021 and lives in Boulder, CO with her family. In her free time, she enjoys making pottery and practicing tea ceremonies.

Kristin Kober is an executive and leadership coach with more than 25 years of experience working with leaders inside complex, high-performing organizations. Her clients are often leaders who identify more as entrepreneurs, experts, or high performers. Individuals whose success has placed them in positions of influence they didn’t necessarily seek but now must fully inhabit. They are highly capable and committed, seeking support as they navigate the internal shift required to lead people with clarity, confidence, and intention. Through coaching, Kristin helps leaders slow down, examine long-standing patterns, and make more intentional choices about how they lead, communicate, and relate to others.

She also works closely with entrepreneurs and business owners who are exceptional at the work that built their organizations, but who need support navigating the demands of leadership as their businesses grow. Kristin helps founders move from expert and builder to intentional leader with a focus on strengthening presence, accountability, and the human systems that allow people and organizations to thrive over time.

Kristin’s coaching is grounded in extensive organizational experience within the financial services industry. Over the course of her career, she has held senior roles in leadership development, training, recruitment, practice management consulting, product management, and business management, including direct experience supporting fast growing teams at institutions such as Merrill and Morgan Stanley. This background allows her to meet leaders with both practical insight and empathy, bridging real world complexity with reflective, transformative coaching.

Kristin is an Associate Certified Coach (ICF) and a certified practitioner of the Integrative Enneagram. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from McDaniel College and a Skilled Facilitator Certification from Johns Hopkins University. She integrates Enneagram informed insight thoughtfully and selectively to support self-awareness identify growth edges at a pace that feels aligned with each client.

Kristin lives in Maryland with her husband, two children, and two dogs. She serves on the Executive Councils of the United Way of Central Maryland and McDaniel College’s Women’s Leadership Network, reflecting her commitment to leadership development both within organizations and the broader community. Outside of her work, she values time with family at their beach home in Lewes, Delaware, and is on a mission to visit as many U.S. National Parks as possible.

Dr. Bukky Kolawole (she/her) is a leadership consultant, executive coach, psychologist, and respected facilitator who helps leaders and teams develop the emotional and relational intelligence that drives performance. With over 15 years of experience at the intersection of psychology, leadership, and organizational culture, Dr Bukky is sought out when the stakes are high, tensions are palpable, and teams need to move through blocks to have the conversations that matter most.

Her career has spanned mission-driven nonprofits, government agencies, and large institutions—including healthcare systems like Mount Sinai, academic settings like NYU, public agencies such as the NYC Department of Education, and financial organizations like CIBC. Whether coaching executives, facilitating leadership development programs, or navigating complex team dynamics, Dr Bukky’s approach remains the same: human first. She creates spaces where leaders are invited to pause, reflect, and transform how they relate, lead, and perform—building not just skills, but the internal capacity required for high performance, including the ability to tolerate and regulate emotional arousal and connect with intention and presence.

Grounded in the science of behavior change and the art of relationship, Bukky draws on a rich toolkit that includes Emotionally Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and the Leadership Circle Profile, for which she is a certified practitioner. Clients turn to her when relationships are strained, dynamics are complex, and the path forward demands more than technical expertise—it requires emotional fluency and relational courage.

Dr. Bukky holds a doctoral degree (PsyD) in clinical psychology and lives in New Jersey with her wife and their two joyfully chaotic young children.

As an executive and organizational coach, as well as Founder of Iron and Sage, Inc., Michael works with individuals and organizations to create space for growth, innovation, and possibility. His work with top executives, high potential team members, entrepreneurs, clergy, veterans, and boards moves people to see their work, organizations, and lives more holistically, enabling them to better tap into the strengths that can propel them towards a vibrant, equitable, and impactful future. Michael is interested in the knotty problems of leadership, the power of vision, and the heart of spirituality.

Michael has served as a coach, trainer, facilitator, consultant, and mentor in a number of settings, including corporate, small business, not-for-profit, summer camp, seminaries, and higher education. He has experience as an innovation consultant and coach, engaging with Design Thinking and other tools to create educational change and to shift the ways in which non-profit boards operate. He combines emotional intelligence with analysis and logic to help organizations achieve their missions.

Michael was ordained as a rabbi in 1998 and served as a congregational rabbi at Temple B’nai Shalom in Fairfax Station, Virginia and as Director of the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY), a 12,000-teen youth movement.

Training and Qualifications

Michael received his B.A. from University of Michigan and rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College. In addition, he holds the following credentials and training:

Teleos Coach Development Program Certificate
CoachU Core Essentials Coach Training GraduatePrepare/Enrich Facilitator and Trainer with Life Innovations, Inc.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) Certification though the Center for Applications of Psychological Type (C.A.P.T.)
Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) through HUC-JIR and Jewish Hospital, Cincinnati
Graduate of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, New York, NY

Michael continues to develop his skills, including regular coaching supervision.

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