We are in a time of a seismic shift in the way life operates.
Women+ have natural qualities to be the leaders of this cultural change. We’re here for it.
Let’s speed up the progress
We teach women+ and allies how to impact, influence and accelerate essential culture shifts through conscious leadership education, experiential training, and community-rooted support.
We are whole-brain holists
Life thrives when we use the whole brain, the logical and the artistic. Our relationships, careers, and sense of self flourishes when we balance out feminine and masculine behaviors, like knowing when to listen and when to speak, and blend IQ with EQ, intuition, and physical wellness.
We advocate for feminine principles in all areas of life and business—empathy, attunement, and adaptability—not in opposition to the masculine, but in harmony with it. We are holists.
...leading with love
In the old world of business Love is considered ‘soft’, and ‘softness’ is perceived as weakness.
We disagree.
“Cor”, Latin for heart, is the root of “courage”.
It takes courage and love-infused values like learning, open-heartedness, vulnerability, and encouragement to guide the world of business from empty to empowered.
Courageous Being Center is a sanctuary that was so far missing in the professional world. It's a place for those like myself, in need of compassionate, meaningful and actionable guidance. They have helped me unlock potential that I didn't even know existed within myself!
M.P. : financial services professional
Ivana Polonijo—Dr. Ivi
Chief Soul-utions Officer & Founder
Dr. Ivi (pronounced Evie) has been empowering humans since first grade, when she helped another little girl stand up to bullies. She is no stranger to big and little stress. She’s faced childhood gremlins, civil war, immigration, single parenthood, and a rewarding and demanding academic and corporate career. Before she started using conscious leadership principles, she frequently hung out with old colleagues: anxiety, impostor syndrome, burn-out. Through daily practice of applied psychological anthropology, she has refueled her spark and found confidence, strength, and composure. She blends anthropology Ph.D., executive experience from 15+ years in finance and boards service, with certifications in bioenergetics and inner work. Her purpose? Teach women+ how to find their own empowered calm no matter what the moment brings.
Liam Polonijo
Generation Z Consultant
Liam is an avid inner work practitioner. Through committed daily practice of Inner Bonding, transcendental meditation and general healthy lifestyle, he has upleveled his leadership, communication, organization, time-management skills, and navigation of personal and professional transitions. Liam serves as Generation Z Consultant to Courageous Being, providing valuable input across the center’s varied services. He studies Psychology and Business at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Maggie Kelly
Creative Soul-utions Manager
Throughout life’s turbulence, Maggie has demonstrated a remarkable ability to face adversity. Her experiences have shaped her resilient character and provided her with the ability to transmute challenges into opportunities for growth and learning. As a Psychology and Art graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, Maggie channels her passion for the arts and human psyche into projects that foster emotional expression and self-discovery. She brings a unique blend of personal experience and academic knowledge to her role, contributing to dynamic initiatives that support diverse client needs.
Monika Herceg
Narrative Strategist
Monika is an award-winning poet, playwright, editor, and cultural advocate from Croatia whose work has been translated into more than twenty languages and honored with numerous international awards. Her writing explores themes of womanhood, memory, science, tenderness, freedom, and human dignity, while her advocacy focuses on feminism, scientific literacy, and human rights. Beyond her literary accomplishments, Monika is an exceptional workshop leader. As Narrative Strategist at Courageous Being, she combines writing, reflection, and creative exercises to help participants deepen self-awareness, discover new perspectives, and engage in meaningful conversations about life, creativity, and the human experience.
Lada Dvornik
Whole Health + Well Being Guide
Lada blends science, movement, and mindful restoration to help individuals cultivate balance and resilience. As a seismologist and certified Yoga teacher and founder of YogaQuake, she explores how external forces—both geological and emotional—shape our well-being. At Courageous Being, she leads holistic well-being programs, including yoga, guided meditations, and inner work activities that support individual and collective transformation. Whether facilitating retreats or crafting daily practices, Lada integrates her varied skills to help others find steadiness amidst life’s shifts.
Tiffany Salzman
Marketing Catalyst + Growth Guide
Tiffany brings the A-Ha! spark and synchronicity to all aspects of Courageous Being’s presence. As our Marketing Catalyst + Strategist, she helps turn big ideas into clear, compelling messages that connect with the right people at the right time. Tiffany is the founder of Candor Concepts where she blends deep experience of leading, coaching + teaching with intuitive insight. She has a gift for listening between the lines and pulling out the golden thread of a message, helping us stay aligned with our long-term vision while making meaningful moves in the present.
Kristin Anderson
Lead Brand Designer
Kristin is a freelance graphic designer who brings wisdom, heart, strategy, and seasoned artistry to every project she touches. As the Lead Brand Designer at Courageous Being, she has been a creative force since day one, helping shape and evolve the CB visual identity into a cohesive, soulful, and bedazzled brand experience. With a specialty in branding and packaging, Kristin ensures visual consistency and brings nuanced color, form, and meaning to our multi-dimensional communications. She is also the visual artista behind Courage Cards, our signature "ritual technology" tool.
Courageous Being Center Experts: Applied Cross-Disciplinary Wisdom
Leaders with deep expertise across fields and disciplines, CB Experts embody love, courage, and conscious awareness. They reflect our mission to redefine Worth, Value, Wealth, and Wellness. Their input helps us apply this knowledge into practice across boardrooms, communities, and individual lives.
Dr. Xiaojue Hu
Psychiatrist + Psychedelic Researcher
Xiaojue’s work bridges science, culture, and spirituality, making her a natural fit for the CB Center. A board-certified psychiatrist and psychedelic researcher in New York City, she runs a private practice and serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor at NYU’s Center for Psychedelic Medicine. Her holistic approach integrates psychotherapy, mind-body medicine, lifestyle practices, and responsible medication management. Trained in psychedelic integration, Internal Family Systems, and Focusing, she is passionate about women’s mental health, spirituality, belonging, and cultural identity—guiding people toward healing, connection, and wholeness.
JR Kuo
Mental Health Specialist + Trainer
JR is a mental health advocate and specialist, national speaker, and trainer dedicated to normalizing conversations around mental health and fostering cultures of belonging. For over 15 years, he has spoken at more than 50 universities and numerous organizations nationwide. An immigrant and proud lifetime learner, his own journey with depression fuels his mission to prevent suicide and champion inclusion. JR is the founder of Coffee With JR, and also works as a writer, actor, and theater director. His projects promote his core belief that everyone holds infinite space within, inviting us to express our truest selves and create lives of ease and freedom.
Dr. Jessica Taylor
Strategic Executive Advisor
Jessica is a strategic executive advisor with 20+ years of experience guiding organizations through crisis, transformation, and institutional complexity. Having served as Chief of Staff, Executive Director, CEO, Chancellor, and President, she is known for helping leaders navigate high-stakes decisions, organizational conflict, and systemic change with courage and precision. Her academic work in psychology and leadership focuses on organizational behavior and executive decision-making. Dr. Taylor made history as the first Black woman president within the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and is recognized for identifying patterns others miss to help organizations grow without losing their humanity.
Carolyn Marsh, CFA
Financial Writer + Board Director
Carolyn pairs a sharp financial lens with the art of creative communication, helping Courageous Being translate complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives. Building on a foundation in risk management and investment strategy, she now leads her own firm, partnering with banks, investment firms, and consulting organizations to elevate their thought leadership. A seasoned writer and board director, Carolyn draws on a global perspective shaped by work and study across the U.S., Europe and New Zealand delivering meaningful insight that lands with kind precision.
Michael Muirhead, AIF®
Fiduciary Training + Certification Leader
Michael has over 30 years of experience across financial services, with deep expertise in fiduciary responsibility and education. He has worked alongside retirement plan sponsors, advisors, consultants, and plan providers throughout his career. As Senior Director at Broadridge Fi360, he leads the development and delivery of training, designations, and certification programs that shape industry standards. Michael combines practical insight with strategic perspective, supporting professionals in making thoughtful, responsible decisions that serve both people and purpose.
Dr. Risa Martyn
Technology & AI Change Leader
Risa operates at the convergence of technology, workforce evolution, and organizational change, helping companies integrate AI while addressing its impact on people and performance. With experience leading enterprise AI, ML, and digital transformation efforts in complex global environments, she brings both operational depth and strategic foresight. As a doctoral-level educator and executive coach, Risa explores how work is shifting—supporting leaders to respond with discernment, resilience, and a clear path forward.
AGNES
Chief Courageous Being
AGNES is our guide in conscious leadership. While some aspects of her are imaginative, our advice column is answered by a trained professional. And – for inspiration – we embellished her traits. Envision a being with the combined strength and wisdom of many Courageous Beings, like Angeles Arrien, Maya Angelou, Malala, or Maria Agnesi, the first woman appointed as a university mathematics professor. Now imagine her 300 years in the future, when she’s seen it all and transcended the struggle. AGNES knows how to take care of business with grace, and emboldens us to operate from our true amazing self.
Let's be courageous in all areas of life and business.
Learn more about Agnes's Medallion practices and how you can master them, too.
“Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage you can’t practice any other virtues consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically but nothing consistently without courage.”
~ Maya Angelou