Coaches Corner

Your Alumni Association is fearlessly committed to your success. We are here to provide you with resources to enhance your personal and professional goals. Coaches Corner is  a program that aims to connect Terps with access to top-level alum coaches interested in helping you start, advance or pivot your career. Our coaches:

• Work at various and scalable price points
• Offer exclusive discounts to Terps like you- just mention you're a Terp in your first outreach message to unlock exclusive deals 
• Have expertise in various career levels, industries and fields

Find the right coach for you:

Educate, Equip, and Empower

Dr. Joi Brown, a Career Strategist, Business & Life Coach, International Bestselling Author, Empowerment Speaker, and Entrepreneur known as the “Positive Energizer.” Joi is the Chief Executive Officer of 3EEE Consulting, where she continues to educate, equip, and empower people through coaching, conversations, and workshops. Joi’s impact and presence are felt by others through her expertise in career and entrepreneur development, conflict resolution, goal setting, health and wellness, leadership and team development, and personal and professional branding. Joi has been a part of two anthologies and is an Amazon International Bestselling Author for Step Into Leadership Greatness: Leadership Is Not A Title. Joi has been featured in various magazines and articles such as Tap-In, VIP Global, Women of Dignity and been recognized as a Top 20 Business Coach, Top 25 Most Inspiring Woman, Top 25 of Global Influencers, and Top 50 of Unstoppable Innovators. Joi is walking in her purpose helping to educate, equip, and empower women to unlock their passion, purpose and potential. Connect on LinkedIn

Coaching Method: In person and virtual

Area of Expertise: Early career, First-time job seekers, Recent graduates, Mid-Career, Career changers, Late-stage career, Executives/C-suite, Entrepreneurs, Women

Soul Search before you Job Search

Alison Cardy is a career truth teller who believes in living a life that actually feels like your own.

She runs a career coaching team that has helped over 300 capable professionals find a great career fit through her proven CLARITY process. 

She also works 1-1 with Entrepreneurs and Executives who secretly want to burn down everything they’ve built and aren’t sure why. Learn more on her website. 

Alison is the author of the bestseller, Career Grease: How to Get Unstuck and Pivot Your Career. Her work has been featured on Monster, Forbes, The Muse, Undercover Recruiter, and The Washington Post.

Coaching Method: Virtual

Area of Expertise: Career changers, Executives/C-suite, Entrepreneurs

Your partner for RADical success

Angie Dobransky is an award-winning coach, trainer, author, and speaker who shows people how to reach RADical success using The Success System in their lives and businesses. She empowers business owners and executives to build outstanding companies, achieve their vision, and impact the world. She coaches people and teams worldwide via Zoom’s magic, runs transformational retreats in Baja, Mexico, spends much time at the beach, and travels the world experiencing its wonders. Her book, Life Lessons in Success: Wisdom to Win the Game of Life, is a collection of true stories of achievers who turn obstacles into dreams. She and her husband currently split their time between Washington, DC, Daytona Beach, and Todos Santos, Mexico.

Coaching Method: In person and virtual

Area of Expertise: Mid-Career, Executives/C-suite, Entrepreneurs, Women, Business Owners and Executive Teams

“There is a hero in all of us.”

Chad Ellsworth ‘04 is an author; professional speaker; career, leadership and life coach. In 2018, he published “Building up without tearing down: How to cultivate heroic leadership in you and your organization.” Chad is an Associate Director for the Career Center at Carleton College after serving the University of Minnesota community for more than 15 years in various roles.

Chad is a Board Certified Coach (2015), Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach (2017), EQometer Certified Coach (2020) and the 4 Stages of Psychological Safety certified trainer (2020), as well as a certified practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Strong Interest Inventory. Originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, Chad received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska in 2001, and his master’s degree from the University of Maryland in 2004. He lives in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area with his wife, Kristin, and two sons, Joey and Paul.

Coaching Method:  Virtual

Area of Expertise: Early career, Recent graduates, Mid-Career, Career changers

The Cure for The Common Career

With more than 30 years of experience as an executive, entrepreneur and coach, Allan Fried has spent his career focused on bringing out the best in others. An inspired leader, lifelong learner and lover of big ideas, he has a talent for recognizing clients’ unique strengths and an uncanny ability to help them develop those strengths into something even greater than themselves.

Allan’s is a quintessential New York success story, with a career trajectory that has taken him from the mailroom of renowned talent agency ICM to the offices of VP at International BMG and COO at Knitmedia. Along the way, he’s been a startup founder, a business owner, a consultant and a coach.

Allan is an award-winning group chair with Vistage Worldwide, the world's leading CEO organization. He holds a PCC certification from the International Coach Federation and is an alumnus of New York University's coach training program. As a respected leader in his field, Allan also has the privilege of serving as a mentor to other coaches.

Coaching Method: In person and virtual

Area of Expertise: Mid-Career, Career changers, Executives/C-suite, Entrepreneurs

Laura Malinowski, Class of ’94, is an executive coach and team coach dedicated to helping leaders unlock their full potential and build high-performing, resilient teams. With decades of hands-on operations experience and a B.S. in Business Administration from UMCP, Laura brings both practical insight and a creative approach to leadership challenges. She works with clients across sectors—including tech, healthcare, finance, and NGOs—supporting them in breaking down silos, fostering collaboration, and driving transformative change. Laura holds several certifications, including Generative Team Coaching, Change Management, Mediation & Conflict Resolution, and is a Certified Practitioner of the Narrative Enneagram and a Qualified Administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory. Outside of coaching, she enjoys running, archery, yoga, and exploring French language and culture. Laura also hosts the podcast “Your Future Realized,” where she shares strategies for personal and professional growth. She’s always eager to connect with fellow Terps who are passionate about making a meaningful impact—so don’t hesitate to reach
out. Go Terps!

Coaching Method: In person and virtual

Area of Expertise: Early career, Mid-Career, Career changers, Late-stage career, Executives/C-suite, Entrepreneurs, Women, Life Coaching

Fine is a Trap - You Deserve Better

Fine is a Trap was founded on the principle that no one feels “fine”. As humans, we have much stronger feelings than that, and if we’re saying we’re “fine”, we’re usually avoiding sharing what’s actually difficult. When we get willing to address the “fine”, we have the opportunity to create amazing!

Lauren is an Executive Coach, partnering one-on-one with corporate leaders (individually or company-sponsored) ready to overcome burnout, create healthy boundaries, reduce busyness, develop executive skills, elevate or change their careers, and find joy in their work.

In addition, Lauren is a Fractional Chief HR Officer for companies with up to 100 employees supporting times of change. She offers strategic advisory services, employee training, organizational development planning, and systems selection and implementation.

She’s also a certified Laughter Yoga Instructor, offering virtual employee wellness sessions!

A former corporate Human Resources and Operations executive, Lauren has 25+ years' HR experience in for- and non-profit companies and has been coaching for more than 15 years. She’s managed, consulted with, and coached c-suite and emerging leaders in a variety of departments. Lauren graduated from UMD in 1998 with a BA in Psychology, is a Professional Certified Coach (ICF PCC), a Certified Ontological Executive Coach, and holds Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and Senior SHRM Professional (SHRM SCP) certifications.

Using strategic thinking, creative solutions, and empathetic humor, she creates trusting and productive relationships.

Coaching Method: Virtual

Area of Expertise: Executives/C-Suite, Career Changers, Late-Stage Career, Women, Emerging Leaders,
Small/Medium Businesses

Empowering leaders to seek inward and lead outward

Passionate about empowering women, Jessika Portney is an executive & leadership coach and founder of Journey On. Jessika has worked in the field of leadership development for over a decade, supporting leaders of all backgrounds and tenures. In addition to her work with private clients, Jessika coaches and facilitates leadership development training programs for non-profit organizations and government agencies. Her approach to leadership has been informed by the cross-cultural experiences she’s sought out: pursuing a graduate degree and teaching English in Rome, facilitating Fulbright fellowships for mid-career leaders from 90 different countries, and implementing USAID projects for Egyptian women pursuing a STEM education.

Clients value Jessika’s deep curiosity about the human experience and ability to create a warm environment for them to be vulnerable and dig deep. She became a coach to honor these gifts and create space for those who want to do similar transformational work. Jessika finds true joy in partnering with clients to embrace their superpowers and manifest their potential.

Coaching Method: Virtual

Area of Expertise: Mid-Career, Career changers, Executives/C-suite, Entrepreneurs, Women

A Certified Career Services Provider with more than twelve years of experience advising students at the University of Maryland, Jessica Roffe specializes in guiding college students and recent graduates through the often-confusing early stages of their careers. As the Founder of Career Beginnings LLC, she equips her clients with the skills and strategies for career readiness and long-term success.

Her personalized coaching is driven by a passion for helping students and young professionals navigate career challenges such as finding internships and jobs, building strong resumes and LinkedIn profiles, networking effectively, and excelling in interviews. She also specializes in helping clients identify their interests, strengths, and values, empowering them to explore careers that align with their unique traits.

Jessica holds her MA in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College and BA in Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Coaching Method: Virtual

Area of Expertise: Early Career

Your Partner for Leadership Growth

Michael is the CEO of the Leadership Coach Group, a global leadership development firm providing executive coaching, team coaching, and training for leaders. He works with senior leaders to bring out their best performance, serve their people, and live a more fulfilled life. He has coached over 150 leaders on five continents – leveling up performance and achieving their goals.

Over two decades, Michael served in leadership roles at the White House, FBI, U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He was often called upon to start up high profile offices and initiatives. At the White House he led a national gun violence reduction effort in collaboration with mayors and police chiefs.

At the FBI, he was the first global chief of employee communications, coaching FBI Director Bob Mueller and his leadership team on engaging with the 40,000+ workforce and organizational changes post-9/11 terrorist attacks. As Deputy Chief Knowledge Officer, he supervised the FBI’s knowledge management, innovation, data sharing, programs as well as outreach programs to Fortune 500 companies’ security executives. He also led teams of FBI, ATF, DEA, and U.S. Marshall officers reducing violence in the country’s most violent cities in partnership with local officials.

Coaching Method: In person and Virtual

Area of Expertise: Mid-Career, Career changers, Late-stage career, Executives/C-suite, Entrepreneurs, Women

Ben graduated from the University of Maryland in 2019 with a degree in Finance and a minor in Technology Entrepreneurship. Today, Ben is a personal finance coach and helps individuals and couples take control of their money, pay off debt, and build a strong financial future. His approach is personal, practical, and rooted in the belief that financial freedom starts with clarity and confidence. Whether it’s creating a realistic budget, building an emergency fund, or making a plan to crush debt, Ben equips clients with the tools and strategies they need to take action and see results.

Through one-on-one coaching, Ben is on a mission to make financial literacy simple, accessible, and empowering. Outside of coaching, Ben is a huge sports fan and enjoys hiking and traveling.

Coaching Method: Virtual

Area of Expertise: Financial Coaching/Advising, Budgeting, Debt Management, Money Communication

Amy Yip is the CEO of Amy Yip LLC, the team alignment experts organizations trust to reduce internal resistance and get everyone moving in the same direction — with less friction and frustration. Through a proven six-part framework, her firm equips teams to build trust, align on vision, communicate with clarity, navigate conflict, embrace accountability, and achieve real results together.

An accomplished Mental Fitness expert, executive coach, keynote speaker, and award-winning author, Amy is passionate about helping individuals and teams thrive through change. She is also a 2X TEDx speaker with over 16 years of experience building and leading global teams at industry leaders like Google, Clorox, and Booz Allen.

Amy is an International Coach Federation Professional Certified Coach, a Certified Hudson Institute Coach, a Certified Strozzi Institute Somatic Coach, and a pioneer Mental Fitness Coach certified through Positive Intelligence.

She received her MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and her BS in computer science and BA in communications from the University of Maryland.

Amy resides in Maryland with Greg, her best friend and husband, and her sons Logan and Julian, the cutest kids ever.

Coaching Method: In person and Virtual

Area of Expertise: Mid-Career, Career changers, Late-stage career, Executives/C-suite, Entrepreneurs, Women

Check out all of our coaches on the new Terp Referral Exchange Business Directory.