We work with a talented team of trainers, coaches, mediators and activists, who help inform our work and advise us on leadership and cultural translation challenges in the public, private, non-profit sectors and the academia.
Advisors
Dr. Leslie Ahmadi
Cultural Translation Educator and Coach
Dr. Leslie Ahmadi (PhD, foreign language and culture education, The Ohio State University) transitioned from being a Spanish and English as a Second Language professor to a cross-cultural and diversity trainer and coach after experiencing a life-changing four-year journey with her Iranian husband in post-revolutionary Iran (1992-1996). Where it comes to communicating effectively across differences and bridging cultural divides, Leslie’s background as a linguist and cultural educator draws heavily on the principle, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.”
Fluent in English, Spanish, and Persian, Leslie has worked on multicultural teams both domestically and abroad (including in Mexico, Spain, China, Russia, and Iran). Her work as a trainer, educator, and coach on language, culture, and communication issues spans academic, corporate, and nonprofit sectors.
Annabel Park
Political Consultant and Community Organizer
Annabel is a progressive activist, a social media consultant, and an award-winning documentary filmmaker (9500 Liberty, Story of America). Following the 2016 election, she launched a podcast called Democracy in America with Rich Tafel as the co-host. The goal to teach Americans how to reengage across the political divide.
She has founded and led several nonprofit organizations and media companies including Indigo Light, Coffee Party USA, The Talk on Main St, Count Me In To Win, and DIY Green. She studied philosophy and politics at Boston University and then at Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar. Her writings have been published on CNN, Washington Post, New York Times, Newsweek, and others.
Ryan Nakade
Professional Mediator and Facilitator
Ryan Nakade is a nationally recognized leader bridging conflict among the most diverse communities. Ryan is has joined Rich Tafel in providing the Cultural Translation training modules. A trained mediator and facilitator, he has worked with governments, non-profits, and civic leaders to bridge divides and make communities more resilient to conflict, primarily in the OR and WA region. He is a facilitator for the Department of Human Services family decision cases in OR. He is the Board Vice President of the Oregon Mediation Association and on the Beaverton Center for Mediation and Dialogue advisory committee.
Ryan works on the DHS grant with the CURE-PDX project, which seeks to counter violent extremism in the Pacific Northwest. He is a regular facilitator for Civic Synergy, which brings college students of diverging political views together to formulate bipartisan policy solutions proposed to Congress members. He lives in Toledo, WA, with his wife and nine goats.
Cheryl Robertson
Executive/Life Coach
Ms. Robertson has served in the Human Resources and Administrative fields for the past 30 years. After 14 years with the DC Department of Human Resources, she started her own Executive Coaching business, InnerGrow Integrated Coaching, LLC.
Ms. Robertson is certified in Integral Coaching by New Ventures West and the International Coach Federation. She is certified to administer The Leadership Circle Profile 360 Assessment, analyze results, provide feedback to clients, and coach for higher levels of performance. She is certified as an MBTI and DiSC Practitioner. Through her coaching and training, she provides leadership, job performance, and career coaching to executives, teams, and specialized leadership programs.