About Us

About Us

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Laurie B. Lippin, Ph.D.
Founder and Director of Lippin & Associates, Laurie B. Lippin has 30 years of professional experience working with national and international clients. She is co-author of the recently published book, Understanding Whiteness/Unraveling Racism.
Laurie earned her Ph.D. in Adult Education and is a part-time faculty member at the University of California at Davis where she teaches diversity and adult education courses. Her independent consulting career with organizations in the private as well as nonprofit sector focuses on furthering their developmental needs for employees with a specialty in team building and diversity training. She also prepares professionals to use the MBTIŽ as a training faculty member for APT MBTI Qualifying Programs.

	Laurie B. Lippin, Ph.D. Founder and Director of Lippin & Associates, Laurie B. Lippin has 30 years of professional experience working with national and international clients. She is co-author of the recently published book, Understanding Whiteness/Unraveling Racism. Laurie earned her Ph.D. in Adult Education and is a part-time faculty member at the University of California at Davis where she teaches diversity and adult education courses. Her independent consulting career with organizations in the private as well as nonprofit sector focuses on furthering their developmental needs for employees with a specialty in team building and diversity training. She also prepares professionals to use the MBTIŽ as a training faculty member for APT MBTI Qualifying Programs.

Judy Helfand
Co-author with Lippin on Understanding Whitenss/Unraveling Racism: Tools for the Journey published in 2001.
Judy Helfand's varied background in high-tech corporations, non-profit community agencies, and anti-racist activist groups led her to co-found IMPACT Training with the goal of helping others find their own role in building and sustaining equitable, diverse communities. Her 20 years of experience with group facilitation, mediation, and information delivery give her skills for negotiating difficult terrain. Workshop participants often comment on her patience and clarity. Her experience working as a team member to ship product for high-end software companies gives her a sensitivity to and understanding of corporate culture. A published author, her work ranges from books on using computer software to articles analyzing contemporary life in the U.S. Judy also keeps up with the current literature on social construction of whiteness and racial relations, reading constantly to deepen her understanding. Thus she brings the insights and experiences of others to this work, as well as her own.

	Judy Helfand Co-author with Lippin on Understanding Whitenss/Unraveling Racism: Tools for the Journey published in 2001. Judy Helfand's varied background in high-tech corporations, non-profit community agencies, and anti-racist activist groups led her to co-found IMPACT Training with the goal of helping others find their own role in building and sustaining equitable, diverse communities. Her 20 years of experience with group facilitation, mediation, and information delivery give her skills for negotiating difficult terrain. Workshop participants often comment on her patience and clarity. Her experience working as a team member to ship product for high-end software companies gives her a sensitivity to and understanding of corporate culture. A published author, her work ranges from books on using computer software to articles analyzing contemporary life in the U.S. Judy also keeps up with the current literature on social construction of whiteness and racial relations, reading constantly to deepen her understanding. Thus she brings the insights and experiences of others to this work, as well as her own.

Associates:

Heather Young
Heather Young brings curiosity and energy to her work in a variety of fields, including high-tech, professional services, and non-profits. In addition to consulting with diversity and team-building, Heather is a systems and process expert with a strong background in project management.

She served many years as a management consultant with Ernst & Young Consulting and Hewlett-Packard Corporation, traveling extensively to work cross-culturally with teams on high-stress projects. Heather holds both a Masters in Business Administration and a Masters in Psychology, Organization Development, which allow her to bring a bottom-line focus to her work with individual and group dynamics.

	Heather Young Heather Young brings curiosity and energy to her work in a variety of fields, including high-tech, professional services, and non-profits. In addition to consulting with diversity and team-building, Heather is a systems and process expert with a strong background in project management. She served many years as a management consultant with Ernst & Young Consulting and Hewlett-Packard Corporation, traveling extensively to work cross-culturally with teams on high-stress projects. Heather holds both a Masters in Business Administration and a Masters in Psychology, Organization Development, which allow her to bring a bottom-line focus to her work with individual and group dynamics.

Stephanie Puentes
Stephanie Puentes is a 28 year veteran of the high tech industry. Before starting her own diversity consulting business, Stephanie held a variety of positions with Hewlett Packard where she was also a founding member of HP's first global diversity-focused employee resource group. She has extensive experience in project and people management which she uses to transform processes and organizations. She is a member of the People of Color Advisory Committee of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. She is also actively involved with several non-profits in the education arena both as a board member and a volunteer.

	Stephanie Puentes Stephanie Puentes is a 28 year veteran of the high tech industry. Before starting her own diversity consulting business, Stephanie held a variety of positions with Hewlett Packard where she was also a founding member of HP's first global diversity-focused employee resource group. She has extensive experience in project and people management which she uses to transform processes and organizations. She is a member of the People of Color Advisory Committee of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. She is also actively involved with several non-profits in the education arena both as a board member and a volunteer.

AlexSandra Leslie, M.A.
AlexSandra Leslie has been a consultant, trainer, and program designer working with Fortune 500 companies for over 15 years. She provides a consultative framework in which organizational functioning can be evaluated, and made more effective. Her focus is to promote organizational change through leadership development, group process intervention, team building, and personal growth.
AlexSandra's education includes a Masters Degree in Communications. She also trained with the Tom Peters Group, and Leadership Center West. Her personal study areas include work in counseling, gender issues, cultural diversity training, and for over twenty years she has been a teacher of meditation and stress management.

	AlexSandra Leslie, M.A. AlexSandra Leslie has been a consultant, trainer, and program designer working with Fortune 500 companies for over 15 years. She provides a consultative framework in which organizational functioning can be evaluated, and made more effective. Her focus is to promote organizational change through leadership development, group process intervention, team building, and personal growth. AlexSandra's education includes a Masters Degree in Communications. She also trained with the Tom Peters Group, and Leadership Center West. Her personal study areas include work in counseling, gender issues, cultural diversity training, and for over twenty years she has been a teacher of meditation and stress management.

Harriet Lancaster, M.A.
Harriet Lancaster is an executive consultant specializing in organizational development and management training. She recently retired from a career with the US Department of State and the US Peace Corps where she most recently served as Peace Corps director for Ghana, Africa. Harriet has specialized in change management and the development and implementation of training programs within the foreign affairs agencies. Her specialties include experiential education design skills, diversity training, advanced group process facilitation skills, organizational development consulting, as well as conflict resolution.

	Harriet Lancaster, M.A. Harriet Lancaster is an executive consultant specializing in organizational development and management training. She recently retired from a career with the US Department of State and the US Peace Corps where she most recently served as Peace Corps director for Ghana, Africa. Harriet has specialized in change management and the development and implementation of training programs within the foreign affairs agencies. Her specialties include experiential education design skills, diversity training, advanced group process facilitation skills, organizational development consulting, as well as conflict resolution.

Melanie DeMore
Melanie DeMore was born to parents who founded one of the first Black theatre groups in Alaska. After majoring in Music at Incarnate Word University in San Antonio, Texas she diversified her career as a studio musician, theater performer and songwriter. As a solo artist and a member of Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, she has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Cuba, and Europe singing at festivals, universities and concert halls. She has two solo recordings, the most recent "Share My Song" on Redwood Records. DeMore has shared the stage with Laura Nyro, Pete Seeger, Angela Davis, Sweet Honey in the Rock and many others. She has also been a California Arts Council Artist in Residence and has served on various conducting staffs in the San Francisco Bay Area. She teaches her Sound Awareness Program in business organizations, schools, prisons, and youth organizations, and is a featured performer and lecturer for Speak Out: The Institute for Social & Cultural Change.

	Melanie DeMore Melanie DeMore was born to parents who founded one of the first Black theatre groups in Alaska. After majoring in Music at Incarnate Word University in San Antonio, Texas she diversified her career as a studio musician, theater performer and songwriter. As a solo artist and a member of Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, she has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Cuba, and Europe singing at festivals, universities and concert halls. She has two solo recordings, the most recent "Share My Song" on Redwood Records. DeMore has shared the stage with Laura Nyro, Pete Seeger, Angela Davis, Sweet Honey in the Rock and many others. She has also been a California Arts Council Artist in Residence and has served on various conducting staffs in the San Francisco Bay Area. She teaches her Sound Awareness Program in business organizations, schools, prisons, and youth organizations, and is a featured performer and lecturer for Speak Out: The Institute for Social & Cultural Change.

Estell A. Jones, M.S.
Estell's expertise is in executive coaching, organization development, team development and facilitation, communication, human resource management, and process improvement. She has more than twenty years experience in career decision-making, consulting, public affairs and communications.

	Estell A. Jones, M.S. Estell's expertise is in executive coaching, organization development, team development and facilitation, communication, human resource management, and process improvement. She has more than twenty years experience in career decision-making, consulting, public affairs and communications.

Wendy Horikoshi, M.S.
Wendy Horikoshi has over 15 years of experience in training un diversity and leadership development. She is a training faculty member of the MBTI Qualifying Program for the Association of Psychological Type (APT) and teaches a course about the cross cultural use of the MBTI at JFK University. Wendy's many talents include a specialization in organizational change with a facilitation style that promotes teambuilding and fosters the kind of openness necessary for transformative learning. Her clients include corporate businesses such as Delta Dental and Levi-Strauss to universities and nonprofit/community-based organizations.

	Wendy Horikoshi, M.S. Wendy Horikoshi has over 15 years of experience in training un diversity and leadership development. She is a training faculty member of the MBTI Qualifying Program for the Association of Psychological Type (APT) and teaches a course about the cross cultural use of the MBTI at JFK University. Wendy's many talents include a specialization in organizational change with a facilitation style that promotes teambuilding and fosters the kind of openness necessary for transformative learning. Her clients include corporate businesses such as Delta Dental and Levi-Strauss to universities and nonprofit/community-based organizations.

Jude Kaye
Jude is a Senior Staff Consultant for Compass Point, a center for Nonprofit Management and a nationally respected trainer and consultant in planning, financial management, boards of directors, meetings, and orgainization development. Over the past two decades, Jude has worked with both large and small nonprofit agencies and has lectured at many Bay Area Universities. She has authored not only Compass Point training materials but also co-authored Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: A Practical Guide and Workbook.

Carole Barlas Ph.D.
Carole Barlas is an adult educator and independent consultant in the field of organizational development and transformative learning. She specializes in the issues of diversity (working with differences), adult learning, and leadership development. For the past five years, Carole has facilitated programs for executives, managers, and other leaders of a variety of private, non-profit, and public organizations, both local and international. Carole provides organizational assessments and coaching around underlying issues of diversity, leadership, and action learning. She has facilitated workshops, seminars, and retreats and has taught at the university level. She is also a published author and conference presenter.

	Carole Barlas Ph.D. Carole Barlas is an adult educator and independent consultant in the field of organizational development and transformative learning. She specializes in the issues of diversity (working with differences), adult learning, and leadership development. For the past five years, Carole has facilitated programs for executives, managers, and other leaders of a variety of private, non-profit, and public organizations, both local and international. Carole provides organizational assessments and coaching around underlying issues of diversity, leadership, and action learning. She has facilitated workshops, seminars, and retreats and has taught at the university level. She is also a published author and conference presenter.

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