Gaston Schmitz

Originally from the Netherlands, Gaston Schmitz has work experience in over 20 countries across a diverse range of industries and businesses. He holds masters degrees in both International Business and Development Studies, and is an advocate for conscious capitalism and a board member of several non-profits.

In 2005 Gaston started studying mindfulness alongside his work. His studies remain central to his life and are a key aspect of his mindful coaching approach. Gaston moved to Asia in 2008 and has been a master coach at the Asian Leadership Institute for the past 4 years.

Employing a coaching style inspired by, conscious communication and neuroscience, he works with executives to achieve great results from a place of inspiration and purpose. His work experience allows him to listen deeply without judgment and to propose valuable new perspectives. He has a deep and demonstrated commitment to helping leaders learn how to discover and consciously observe their own limiting behavioural patterns in the moment they arise and choose the most effective response at every moment. Through deep listening and skillful questioning he facilitates leaders to connect with what really has meaning to them, so they can take firm and systematic action towards those goals and influence their main stakeholders in that process.

Michael Bartura

Based in Melbourne, Australia, Michael Bartura holds over 20 years of management experience in a variety of fields from education to international aid, manufacturing and business development. He has worked in a dozen countries in Asia, Australia, North America and Europe.

Michael is a practising coach and facilitator with a background in therapy, management and group work. He is a certified Positive Neuroplasticity Facilitator and teaches at the School of Life in Melbourne giving seminars on Self-Knowledge and EQ. As a facilitator, he listens deeply and asks questions with a mix of curiosity, empathy and honesty. Based on his broad work and life experience, his main coaching passion is unearthing that which is similar, and loveable, within the multiplicity of human experiences and reflections.

He currently lives in the forest just outside Melbourne with his family and is constantly amazed by how easy his kids can see though his pretensions. Besides his yoga/mindfulness practice, he joyfully fails to take dips in the icy river during the winter seasons but remains optimistic enough to think he will do so one day. He is addicted to quotes from much smarter people with better language skills and finds shopping for anything other than office equipment boring and tedious.

Garima Deveshwar Bahl

Garima Deveshwar-Bahl, originally from India, has a Master’s in Economics from the University of Cambridge, and a Master’s in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

For sixteen years, Garima worked in the development and social sectors as a public health professional. The most memorable of these years were spent doing grassroots work, and learning to use Appreciative Inquiry in resource-constrained settings. Even with large scale programs, it was the individual stories of change that stayed with her. She worked with the World Bank and UNICEF before joining SNEHA (Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action), the Mumbai-based women’s health NGO.

She now runs a leadership coaching practice in Mumbai. Her clients find her genuinely invested in their journey and value the love, trust and focus she brings to their time together. Garima believes that an untaught, innate ability to nurture and inspire others exists in each of us. As a facilitator she experiences how powerful the Triads are by creating a space for open, vulnerable and empowering sharing.

In her spare time, she practices yoga, meditation and enjoys travel and meeting new people.

Boris Alberda

Netherlands-born and based Boris Alberda holds a master degree in Business Administration. He has had a multi-faceted career, working with multinationals and agencies in various fields including business, IT, organisational change, investment, innovation, branding and marketing, and INGOs.

For the last decade, he has delved into his entrepreneurial skills, by starting his own business and supporting other entrepreneurs to start-up. From this place of experience and recognition, he became an executive board member of the Social Business Incubator that supports the start-up of Social Enterprises in the developing world, with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa.

He has a passion for aid work and is currently the business development manager at Holland’s biggest NGO Cordaid, which builds eco-systems for entrepreneurs in fragile countries and works to create income for the poor. He also lectures at multiple universities.

His has a passion for facilitation and helping others achieve their dreams and brings this enthusiasm to the TeamUp program.

Dinah Salonga

Dinah Salonga is from the Philippines where she started her career in Information Technology. She has worked as a programmer and management trainee for Computer Information Systems at Oracle, and as a database administrator for the International Rice Research Institute. She became employee #1 at Oracle, and worked in various capacities up to the position of Pre- Sales and Marketing Manager.

She discovered yoga in 2005 and realized its positive impact both in her personal and professional life. She eventually became a certified hot yoga instructor and co-founded Yogaplus, Inc., where she strives to help people become healthy, happy and ultimately better human beings. As the company’s managing director, she is also responsible for its over-all strategy and operations. She was chosen as one of Ten Outstanding Entrepreneurs by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2007.

Dinah is passionate about mindfulness and how it can help employees perform better and feel happier in the workplace. Besides being a TeamUp Triad facilitator she also conducts a emotional intelligence workshop called “Change From Within”. As a facilitator she is motivated to help others achieve transformation and aims to improve relationships, increase self-awareness, and contribute to an overall feeling of happiness and contentment.

Michael Bartura

Based in Melbourne, Australia, Michael Bartura holds over 20 years of management experience in a variety of fields: from education to international aid, manufacturing and business development. He has worked in a dozen countries in Asia, Australia, North America and Europe.

Michael is a practising coach and facilitator with a background in therapy, management and group work. He is a certified Positive Neuroplasticity facilitator and teaches at the School of Life in Melbourne various seminars on Self-Knowledge and EQ. As a facilitator, he listens deeply and asks questions with a mix of curiosity, empathy and honesty. Based on his broad work and life experience, his main coaching passion is unearthing that which is similar, and loveable, within the multitudes of human experiences and reflections.

He currently lives in the forest just outside Melbourne with his family and is constantly amazed by how easy his kids can see though his pretensions. Besides his yoga/mindfulness practice, he joyfully fails to take dips in the icy river during the winter seasons but still optimistic enough to think he will do so one day. He is addicted to quotes from much smarter people with better language skills and finds shopping for anything other than office equipment boring and tedious.

Fla Geyser

Originally from South Africa, Fla Geyser is an Inner Life Skills® master coach, speaker and writer. She has been living in Thailand since 2009. Prior to living in Thailand, she acquired a degree in Architecture and worked as an architectural technologist, both independently, and as an employee in Johannesburg. She has also lived and worked in London and travelled extensively across the UK and parts of Europe. Initially drawn to Thailand in response to a deep longing to pursue humanitarian work, she invested three years as an English teacher in government high schools in remote parts of the country, where she benefited hugely from living amongst the local people.

Fla specializes in supporting others to connect to their inner wisdom to discover their true purpose and direction. She believes that self-knowledge is the key to personal success.
In her leisure time Fla likes to practice improvisational dance, theatre and yoga as well as running and hiking in nature. She teaches laughter yoga and also dedicates her time to furthering her ability to communicate in Thai.

Nancy Martin

Originally from Texas, Nancy Martin moved to New York City when she was 17. After six years in New York, she moved to Sweden where she became certified as a Doula, a person who helps women have healthy pregnancies and births. Since then, she has lived and traveled around the world including Central America, Southeast Asia and Europe.

Nancy works to empower people to find the wisdom within themselves. She creates safe spaces that enable people to open up and explore the challenging and inspiring areas of their lives. Her gift is in being able to clarify the muddy waters, especially in intense situations. Nancy uses her intuition and her sensitivity to pick up on subtleties that help people go deeper and break through boundaries, especially the boundaries of their own minds.

Nancy loves exploring different areas of life. Her diverse experience includes running her own restaurant, founding a nutritional supplement company, leading personal growth workshops, facilitating women’s groups and teaching yoga. Her interests and studies include women’s health and empowerment, meditation, nutrition and other healing modalities. Currently she lives with her partner and daughter in a small beautiful village on the coast of Mexico, where she works as a doula and coach.

Luise Jørgensen

Luise Jørgensen is originally from Denmark and Mexico and holds a BA in Anthropology and Media and a MA in Creative Production. She has worked in the media industry, co-founded a not-for-profit supporting young people in creative expression, and started her own business. In the meantime, life brought her to Asia where she went deeper on her inner journey immersing herself into qi gong, mindfulness and meditative practices.

Her multicultural background, her varied experience and many travels have shown her that in times of transition there is a big chance to grow and develop, but we need to create room and awareness for that. She is a compassionate and skillful listener and enjoys supporting participants on their path and development by being present and holding a space for unraveling, vulnerability and self-reflection.

Luise strives to be as present in each moment as possible, and she is passionate about learning new things. She loves mountains and going on road trips, and her passions include photography, dance and playing the ukulele.

Ilka Burnham King

Ilka Burnham King was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and has lived all around the world – however, she calls Australia home. Ilka spent many years working as a news reporter before becoming a senior advisor to Government, and then progressing to Issues Management in oil and gas.

After several years in the corporate world, the passing of Ilka’s mother left her wondering, and later to explore, what her true purpose was in life. As a result, Ilka took two years off to travel through Asia and it was in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, where Ilka’s journey of self-exploration began. Her old life as she knew it no longer existed, and she started to sketch out her new path – her real purpose.

Put simply, Ilka loves humans. She loves to listen, to learn and participate in life – laughing is her specialty. She says nothing comes close to beating the feeling you get when you truly ‘connect’ with another human being. Ilka believes that once you go ‘inwards’ the true gift comes when that same person then connects ‘outwards’ – and becomes part of the community. That is where the magic happens.
lka now lives in Melbourne, Australia and works in the not-for-profit area helping communities reduce the harms related to alcohol and drugs. She also volunteers for an organisation that helps support and care for children who have been orphaned due to their parents’ drug use.

Nancy Martin

Originally from Texas, Nancy Martin moved to New York City when she was 17. After six years in New York, she moved to Sweden where she became certified as a Doula, a person who helps women have healthy pregnancies and births. Since then, she has lived and traveled around the world including Central America, Southeast Asia and Europe.

Nancy works to empower people to find the wisdom within themselves. She creates safe spaces that enable people to open up and explore the challenging and inspiring areas of their lives. Her gift is in being able to clarify the muddy waters, especially in intense situations. Nancy uses her intuition and her sensitivity to pick up on subtleties that help people go deeper and break through boundaries, especially the boundaries of their own minds.

Nancy loves exploring different areas of life. Her diverse experience includes running her own restaurant, founding a nutritional supplement company, leading personal growth workshops, facilitating women’s groups and teaching yoga. Her interests and studies include women’s health and empowerment, meditation, nutrition and other healing modalities. Currently she lives with her partner and daughter in a small beautiful village on the coast of Mexico, where she works as a doula and coach.

Troy McFadden

“Being fully present for others as they undergo transformation is an honor that warms my heart and delights my soul.”

Having enjoyed an eclectic and service-oriented life that includes a career as an entrepreneur—investing in small businesses, founding healing centers in Asia, and establishing yoga studios in the US—Troy currently owns and operates The School of Sacred Arts, offering teacher trainings and retreats around the world, in addition to his coaching work with ALIC, TeamUp and “Wisdom Warrior Coaching” his private practice.

Since majoring in Cultural Anthropology, Troy has traveled the globe absorbing and studying human cultures—in particular their spiritual belief systems—always looking for the universal elements involved in how humans connect with higher consciousness. Long Buddhist meditation retreats, deep immersions in shamanic ceremonies, and solo wilderness vision quests have all brought him to the same realization: “At a certain point in our evolution, it becomes obvious that we are here to serve all beings who cross our path, in the best way we can, in every moment possible”.

Learning and growth, any kind of positive, effective change—whether personal, organizational, or global—requires strength, courage, persistence, flexibility, quality self-care and a deep connection to our highest ideals and guiding principles. Since we need each other to achieve our aims, we also need the skills required to communicate and collaborate in respectful, harmonious and otherwise mindful ways, taking full responsibility for our internal dynamics and our external actions. Knowing that others are just “being who they are” and that the world “is what it is” it’s up to us as individuals and organizations to respond and navigate accordingly.

Viewing TeamUp Triads as “high-minded, heartfelt and inspiring mini-summits” that he hosts, Troy brings warmth, wisdom, humor, and a deep respect for all involved into both his group work and private coaching.

http://www.wisdomwarriorcoaching.com

Maggie Calder

“Being fully present for others as they undergo transformation is an honor that warms my heart and delights my soul.”

Maggie has lived a very eclectic life. She was blessed with opportunities to spend time studying with and assisting Eckhart Tolle, and Mooji. She studied with monk Phra Bhasakorn in Wat Fai Hin, Thailand where she was initiated as a “nun-monk”. She created and directed Heartland Retreat Center in Chicago, USA and Sahaja Blessings Community Meditation Center in Kelowna, Canada. She has served as Opening speaker in Kelowna for Jason Silva, Justin Dawson, and Carolyn Myss.

On the business front, for more than 10 years Maggie was a co-owner of a Chicago Renovation and Design Company. She also served as a consultant coach for Mindful Sales and Marketing to 2 large corporations in Chicago and Canada.

In 2018 she had a Near Death experience, which resulted in extensive physical and brain injuries. By invitation from Jhaimy Alvarez-Acosta, she taught her Mandala Dance, and Light and Sound Meditation programs at Hollyhock, Canada.

Susanne Mueller

Susanne Mueller is originally from Switzerland, resides in New York and feels comfortable around the world. She is holding an MA in Organizational Development & Leadership and a BA in Psychology together with the Executive Coaching Certification from Columbia University. Susanne has worked for Swiss Airlines, the Swiss Mission to the United Nations and Nestlé.

In her own global leadership coaching practice Susanne has worked with clients from more than 60 countries in various industries like pharma, manufacturing, media, retail, and non-profit sectors. Susanne has traveled to more than 50+ countries and is fluent in Swiss German, German, English, French and conversational in Spanish.

She is a certified running coach and has completed the full Ironman triathlon distance in Lake Placid (2,4 miles swim, 112 miles bike, 26,2 miles run) and many marathon distance races. She has been a weekly blogger for the past 10 years and has published her latest book “Take it from the Iron Woman” Global Business Coaching with Sports Parallels in 2017.

Reuben Lowe

Reuben is the founder of a social enterprise called Mindful Creation where the vision is to empower 1 million people towards a change on the inside. He is also the co-founder of a charity called ACT on it.

When Reuben was younger he worked in care settings. When he was older he trained in CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and then moved into a specialist branch of this known which is known as ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy).

Reuben moved from the UK to Melbourne having been offered a job at an ACT conference in Australia. He also works at the Melbourne Clinic as a mindfulness-based therapist. He designs, implements and teaches programs in both the addictions and mental health services, and also facilitates Interpersonal Group Therapy.

His academic qualifications are BA Hons, Adv Dip, PG Cert

Andrew Bowden

Andrew Bowden is Australian born and has has spent much of the past 20 years in South Asia. After completing a degree in Psychology and a Post Graduate Degree in Education from Melbourne University, he moved to Thailand to pursue his growing interest in mindfulness meditation practices, as taught within the Buddhist traditions. Andrew has been fortunate to have the opportunity to learn and practice for several years with some of the leading teachers of mindfulness meditation in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Burma and India.

Professionally , Andrew has worked in the field of Education in Australia, Colombia, Thailand, England and Germany. In Germany he spent 2 years working for Microsoft & Allianz which included running workshops on intercultural communication skills . Andrew brings to his Triad Facilitation and his private coaching clients empathy, compassion and a deep & enduring interest in psychology and how mindfulness can be used to enrich all aspects of daily life beyond the meditation cushion.

Sarah Ghan

Sarah is originally from Australia, and has been living abroad in Asia and Europe since 2003. Upon graduating from a Combined Bachelors of Law and Finance, she spent the first few years working as a banking lawyer and corporate finance executive in Australia and China, in global professional services firms such as KPMG.

Most recently, Sarah has translated her skills to working with organisations that share her passion for personal development and human connection. She currently directs the operations of a non-profit social enterprise that uses experiential education to inspire, engage and empower people all over the world; and, has previously led volunteer programs for young adults in Asia and Africa.

Sarah is excited to explore what mindfulness means to others. Her curiosity, sensitivity and empathy allow people to feel safe in opening up and exploring deep issues. She feels privileged to be a witness to the authentic interactions and revelations that occur in the TeamUp space.

Sarah is also a certified yoga teacher, and delights in sharing the practice of yoga, on and off the mat.

Andrea Dobinsky

Andrea Dobinsky, originally from Germany, has always been curious about connections: within oneself, with others, in social or organizational settings and with nature and the spiritual world. How do we communicate? What makes us feel connected? How can we shift dynamics if we do not feel a connection?

For her thesis in Sociology, she carried out field research into the relationships of exiled Tibetan women in Northern India. As a personal advisor to a Women’s Shelter in Germany, she supported the growth and change processes of healthy women and in a second work area of those who suffer from mental challenges. She also advised a local hill tribe organization in Northern Thailand and a non-governmental organization in South Africa about organizational development issues. Andrea has a dedicated mindfulness practice and also is trained in non-violent communication.

The uniqueness of the TeamUp program is found in the ideal combination of a safe and structured framework and the deep, open and honest connection which allows practicing, learning, reflecting and growing – while supporting and being supported. For the three participants, doors can be ‘opened’ that have been locked for a long time.

In her spare time, Andrea practices yoga, contact improve dance, and outdoor activities such as running, mountain hiking and cycling. She recently crossed her beloved Thailand from north to south by bicycle.
Andrea translated the TeamUp material into German, edited by TeamUp facilitator Matthias.

Andrea facilitates in English and German.

Carlota Simo Del Cerro

Carlota Simo Del Cerro, originally from Spain, holds a Law degree from the University of Alcala (Spain), and a Masters in European Law (LL.M.) from the University of Regensburg (Germany). She has worked as mediator for a global tourism company, as a lawyer with an international law firm in Germany, and also as an independent lawyer.

In 2007 Carlota started working as an executive coach focusing on leadership and transformation based on mindfulness and creativity. As a coach and facilitator Carlota holds a safe space for an open, positive and challenging process of transformation. Carlota draws on 20 years experience living and working in Spain, Ireland, Germany, India and China, which has given her a deep understanding of international contexts and cross cultural issues.

Carlota is passionate about art and people. She constantly keeps learning, and is motivated to enable people to explore life in all its variations. Carlota speaks fluent Spanish, German and English – and Mandarin on a conversational level. She regularly practices yoga and meditation, and loves to travel with her family.

Aaron Eden

Aaron began his journey of deep study into practices of self awareness and universal connection as a boy living in south India. Decades later, this study informs Aaron’s work as co-founder and principal at Eliad Group, a transformation design firm working with schools and organizations around the world to re-humanize how we work, learn, and live. Aaron’s work leverages his decades of experience in organizational change, transformation design, Restorative Justice mediation, Non-Violent Communication, education, and co-creation, as well as his personal mindfulness practice of over 40 years.

Aaron recently “Ed-splored” the world with his wife and three children, culminating in a year and a half stay in Bali when we was offered a director position at Green School. For the last several years they have been back on the Central Coast of California, enjoying their extended family while they eye new adventures.

Andrew Rivin

Andrew holds an MBA from Yale University and was awarded the “outstanding student of the year” (1 in 50,000) at the University of Texas. After initiating over a dozen small businesses in Africa in his early 20’s he started an adventure travel company, which the New York Times called the “the most respected in the field”. For 25 years he coached and mentored hundreds of employees, and skillfully built and navigated his business until it was sold in 2011.

Andrew now teaches yoga and mindfulness meditation in workshops and retreats around the world. He holds the highest certifications with the Yoga Alliance and facilitates teacher trainings in his hometown of Encinitas, California.

Andrew is a perpetual student of life, having traveled throughout Asia, Africa, the Americas, the Middle East and Europe. He has extensively studied the philosophies of Buddhism and Yoga, and enjoys sharing his discoveries and practices in both of these arts/sciences. Andrew is a life-long competitive athlete and continues to stay in top shape in order to play with his granddaughter.

Kenneth Hanh

Kenneth holds an MBA from Yale University and a BA in Sociology and Economics from Harvard University. In his early career he studied and then consulted with worker-owned companies, focusing on the use of ESOPs to foster greater employee participation in managerial decision-making and exploring what it meant to be the owner a company.

All the while Kenneth had pursued an interest in adventure travel, at one time in the late 80s even rappelling off the Great Wall of China. In 1990, taking his academic interests to heart, he started his own adventure travel company, which over the next 22 years sent thousands of travelers to Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean Basin. He always strove for excellence and put a premium on finding and developing the best staff, both in the office and the field. In 2012 Kenneth sold the business and immediately started a consulting practice, working with businesses in his industry in the areas of strategic planning, hiring practices, marketing and branding, and talent acquisition.

Not wanting to do the same thing for 25 years, just shy of this mark, Kenneth charted a new course, which ultimately led to his ordination as a rabbi in 2016. Now he works as a chaplain in a major trauma center in Massachusetts (USA) supporting patients and their families as they face life-threatening medical situations. Kenneth has found that being with a dying patient or a business client is not all that different. In both instances, what is called for is presence, compassion, an inquisitive mind and a recognition that the patient or client knows exactly what they need to know. The wisdom just needs permission and encouragement to emerge.

Kenneth is a husband of almost 30 years and the father of two adult children, and he marvels at how amazing it is to maintain a relationship with all three members of his family, even as they continue to change and mature.

Eric Vallone

Eric Vallone is originally from both Palo Alto, the heart of Silicon Valley, as well as Hong Kong. While spending most of his youth in California, he has spent the majority of his time over the past 7 years living and working throughout Asia.

Eric has over 12 years of experience in technology and education product and program management, professional services design and delivery, direct instruction and educator and facilitator training, operations, and sales in over 17 countries, mostly concentrated in Silicon Valley and Asia. He has worked with for-profit companies across many industries, including startups from angel stage through scale and acquisition, to established Fortune 50 enterprises and multi-billion dollar investment firms. Additionally, he has worked with a number of social enterprises and nonprofits, as well as schools around the world from primary through tertiary education.

From living and working in these diverse communities, and from being Chinese American himself, Eric has a unique perspective that has shaped his work with TeamUp. His coaching approach is centered around science-based pragmatism, utilizing a blend of applied mindfulness and communication strategies and techniques that best adapt to and leverage his clients’ contexts. Rooted in creating a space for authenticity with themselves and with each other, Eric helps clients lead themselves to higher levels of awareness, and then to the critical next steps of creating and following through with an actionable plan to modify the perspectives and behaviors they truly desire to change, in the contexts that matter most.

Eric is passionate about personal development as a foundation for professional development, with a focus on experiential, co-creative processes. He is an avid outdoorsman and athlete, from rock climbing and backpacking the Sierras and across Asia to surfing in the Pacific, with his own daily practice of applied mindfulness.

Nina Hakamies

Nina has been fascinated by human consciousness, the body-mind connection and our innate healing potential since childhood. We are more than we think, and we are capable of leading fully accomplished lives – What if we could live a life beyond our wildest dreams?

Nina is originally from Finland and Switzerland and settled in Australia in 2010. She has extensive life and work experience across four continents, including in countries such as Sri Lanka, India, the Philippines, Tanzania, the UK, the Netherlands and Australia.

She is a health professional with over 20 year of experience in the public sector, with a focus on mindfulness, yoga, meditation, mental health, workplace wellbeing, facilitation, and administration and management of health programs and initiatives. In tandem with her current work in the Australian public health sector, she runs her own business (Omni Yoga & Mindfulness) through which she offers stress management and wellbeing programs to organisations, individuals, workplaces and community groups. She has worked in several international organisations (such as the United Nations World Health Organization, The University of Melbourne, NGOs and public hospitals). She incorporates elements of sound healing in her work with clients.

Nina embarked on the TeamUp journey in 2018 and is now a Triad facilitator. Her work is continuously inspired by the search of ordinary people, whether a beginner or a seasoned practitioner, to find more insightful, conscious and relaxing ways of living in our high-paced modern world. What deeply inspires her is to see her clients grow towards greater wellbeing and feel fully alive. With this aspiration, she hopes to make the world a better place in her own authentic way.