Executive Coaching • Strategic Facilitation • Organizational Consulting •

I partner with executives and leadership teams to build thriving organizations where both people and impact flourish—from nonprofits and social enterprises to corporations and government agencies committed to meaningful change.

I specialize in partnering with executives navigating the tension between organizational impact and a fulfilling life outside of work, and leaders in transition who want to outsmart the imposter syndrome that often comes alongside new expectations, opportunities, and authority.

I especially love working with:

  • Parents balancing high-impact careers with the realities and complexities of young children at home

  • Teams who want to better understand themselves and each other

  • First-time executives/CEOs navigating new leadership authority and dynamics with Boards and funders/investors.

  • Technical experts stepping into people leadership for the first time (that shift from “peer” to “boss” can be a doozy)

  • Leaders who want to unlearn toxic examples of senior leadership and employ a more co-creative and collaborative approach

Drawing from 20+ years as an executive and COO, I know firsthand the challenges leaders face: the isolation and pressure of leadership, the weight of high-stakes decisions, the tension between growth and sustainability, the complexity of managing people and building healthy team cultures.

Through executive coaching, strategic facilitation, and organizational consulting, I help you cut through the noise to focus on what matters most—strengthening your leadership, aligning your team, and building systems that sustain impact.

The result? Leaders who navigate complexity with clarity, teams that operate with genuine alignment and warmth, and organizations that don't just survive transitions—they emerge stronger and more connected.

SERVICES

Executive leadership requires more than generic solutions. Through coaching, consulting, and facilitation, I partner with leaders across sectors to navigate challenges with clarity and confidence.

  • The higher you rise in leadership, the harder it becomes to get honest feedback and genuine perspective. Through strategic questioning and deep listening, I create confidential space for leaders to discover solutions, overcome persistent limitations, and reach new levels of impact and fulfillment.

    My coaching centers on a core belief: you already possess the creativity, insight, and resilience needed to solve your toughest challenges. Rather than prescribing solutions, we work together to uncover what's holding you back and what's possible when you lead from your strengths.

    Support Areas: Navigating leadership transitions • High-stakes decisions • Team dynamics and difficult personnel situations • Leadership presence and authentic voice • 360 reviews • Difficult conversations and conflict resolution • Managing isolation and emotional demands • Vision clarity and values alignment • Burnout prevention • Career transitions and professional development

    Ideal For: Leaders stepping into new roles | C-suite executives navigating organizational transformation | Government leaders managing stakeholder complexity | Corporate managers stepping into senior roles | New Executive Directors and CEOs | Team members navigating transitions | Technical experts moving into leadership | Professionals preparing for career changes

    The Process: Discovery & Goal-Setting → Bi-weekly Coaching Sessions (typically 3-6 month engagements) → Implementation Support → Progress Review

  • Comprehensive support to strengthen your organization's foundation and capacity for impact—from strategic planning to HR systems to change management.

    Organizational Strategy & Assessment

    • Organizational assessments identifying strengths, gaps, and opportunities

    • Stakeholder interviews and organizational design optimization

    • Strategic planning facilitation

    • Change management and succession planning

    • Crisis management and governance best practices

    • Leadership pipeline development for growing organizations

    • Diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy implementation

    • Post-merger integration and culture alignment

    HR & People Operations

    • Policy development and compliance review

    • Talent strategy and recruitment approaches

    • Compensation frameworks and equity analysis

    • Performance management system design

    • Employee engagement and retention strategies

    • HR advising and hands-on bandwidth support

    Systems & Capacity Building

    • Workflow optimization and project management systems

    • Role clarity and job description development

    • Board development and governance

    • Executive search advisory and leadership onboarding

    • Supervisor training and culture development

  • Strategic retreats, team alignment, and leadership development designed to build trust, generate commitment, and create lasting transformation.

    Strategic Retreats & Offsites

    Every offsite has the potential to be an inflection point. My approach emphasizes not just the retreat itself, but the scaffolding for sustained transformation.

    What's included: Strategic priorities and sustainability planning • Connection to mission and values • Trust-building through experiential activities and structured dialogue • Genuine alignment that turns plans into commitments people own • Actionable roadmaps with measurable outcomes • Comprehensive follow-up support

    Board & Staff Retreats: Goal-setting to clarify mission, vision, and values • Facilitated conversations on priorities and accountability • Board development focused on governance, strategic oversight, and organizational effectiveness

    Available in-person throughout the Bay Area and beyond, or virtually.

    Team Development & Alignment

    Many organizations spend more time researching vendors than understanding their closest colleagues. I help teams invest in the relationships that matter most—building trust before crises hit and creating cushion for the inevitable ups and downs of organizational life.

    Services include: Executive team alignment with 1:1 coaching for key staff • Alliance conversations to establish working agreements • Trust and psychological safety facilitation • Role and decision-making clarity • Cross-departmental alignment • Change navigation • Conflict resolution • Strategic priorities and accountability systems • Between-session support for time-sensitive issues

    Leadership Assessments

    Organizations using personality assessments report 30% increase in team satisfaction and 25% reduction in workplace conflict.

    360-Degree Feedback Reviews - Comprehensive feedback from colleagues, direct reports, and board members. Includes data collection, confidential analysis, debriefing, and development planning.

    Enneagram Assessments - Deepen self-awareness, understand leadership patterns, and enhance team dynamics. Particularly useful for understanding how team members approach conflict, communication, and decision-making.

    FourSight Problem-Solving Assessments - Identify problem-solving preferences to optimize innovation and collaboration. Helps teams leverage diverse thinking styles rather than experiencing them as friction.

    Leadership Development Workshops

    Learning experiences that blend practical skill-building with deeper leadership development. Workshops can be standalone sessions or paired with ongoing coaching support.

    Topics include: Leadership team alignment • Manager/supervisor training • Innovation and change management • Difficult conversations and conflict resolution • Building influence and decision-making frameworks • Vision, strategy, and quarterly planning • Executive presence and delegation • Communication and stakeholder engagement

    Customized to your organization's challenges, ranging from half-day sessions to multi-day intensives.

  • Katrina Steffek, Founder

    Strategic consultant and executive coach to mission-driven leaders across sectors, combining 20+ years of executive experience with expertise in organizational growth, leadership development, and operational excellence.

    Highlights:

    • COO: Led 3x organizational growth ($60M→$200M in assets)

    • 40+ executive coaching & consulting engagements

    • Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC)

    • M.A. in Nonprofit Administration (nonprofit MBA)

    • Board leadership across 3 Bay Area organizations

  • Leadership Experience:

    Over two decades, I've built high-performing teams, navigated complex organizational transformations, and scaled operations across diverse sectors. My experience spans startup growth, crisis leadership, culture development, and strategic change management—skills that translate across any mission-driven organization.

    Key Leadership Roles:

    RSF Social Finance (COO & Head of People): Led operational growth and organizational development as assets under management grew from $60M to $200M. Built HR infrastructure, performance management systems, and scalable culture to support rapid expansion—managing the people, systems, and strategy challenges that come with 3x growth.

    Venture Leadership Collective (Senior Director of Talent Development): Designed and delivered capacity-building initiatives for 25+ organizations navigating leadership transitions, team dysfunction, and scaling challenges. Developed deep expertise in executive coaching, organizational assessment, and change management that translates across sectors and organizational types.

    Two Interim Executive Director Roles (Life On Art; California Partners Project): Provided leadership and organizational stability during critical transitions, including direct collaboration with California's First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom on statewide gender equity and youth mental health policy initiatives. Expertise in stakeholder management, rapid organizational assessment, and leading through ambiguity.

    Additional Background:

    • Grassroots organizing and coalition building

    • Cooperative business management (full P&L responsibility)

    • Deep experience with both C-suite strategy and frontline operations

    • Track record managing through economic uncertainty and organizational change

    • Expert in organizational diagnostics, impact assessments, and data-driven decision making

    Community Leadership:

    • Board service with GirlVentures (youth leadership development in the SF Bay Area)

    • The Scandinavian School & Cultural Center (early childhood and community education)

    • Living Lands Agricultural Trust (ecological stewardship and organic farmland preservation)

    Personal: San Francisco resident, proud mom to 9-year-old twins

  • Katrina Steffek is a strategic consultant and executive coach who partners with mission-driven leaders to build thriving organizations where both people and impact flourish.

    With 20+ years of executive experience, Katrina brings a rare combination of strategic acumen and operational expertise. As COO and Head of People at RSF Social Finance, she led the organization through 3x growth, scaling from $60M to $200M in assets while building the systems, culture, and team infrastructure to sustain impact. As Senior Director of Talent Development at Venture Leadership Collective, she coached 25+ executives and organizations with annual budgets ranging from $1M to $50M+ through leadership transitions, team alignment challenges, and organizational transformation.

    Katrina's approach is grounded in a core belief: leaders already possess the insight and resilience needed to solve their toughest challenges. Through strategic questioning, data-driven assessment, and deep listening, she helps executives cut through noise to focus on what matters most—building trust, aligning teams, and creating sustainable impact.

    Her work spans executive coaching, organizational consulting, and strategic facilitation for leaders across sectors—from nonprofits and social enterprises to corporations and government agencies. Whether navigating a leadership transition, building high-performing teams, or transforming organizational culture, Katrina provides the partnership, tools, and accountability to create lasting change.

    Background & Credentials:

    • Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC)

    • M.A. in Nonprofit Administration (organizational development, finance, HR, strategy), University of San Francisco

    • B.A. in Urban Studies & Planning, UC San Diego

    • International Business Certification

    • Board service: GirlVentures, The Scandinavian School & Cultural Center, Living Lands Agricultural Trust

  • Getting Started:

    Initial discovery conversation (complimentary 30 minutes) to understand your organization's needs and challenges → Customized proposal outlining scope, timeline, and pricing → Engagement agreement → Work begins

    Engagement Options:

    • One-time consultations: Half-day to multi-day intensive sessions for specific challenges or assessments

    • Short-term projects: 1-3 months for focused organizational work like strategic planning, board development, or team offsites

    • Ongoing coaching relationships: 3-12 months for sustained leadership development and organizational support

    • Retainer arrangements: Consistent access and support for organizations navigating extended transitions or complex challenges

    What to Expect:

    • Clear communication about goals, process, and progress

    • Flexible, responsive approach that adapts to your organization's needs

    • Regular progress check-ins and outcome measurement

    • Practical tools and frameworks you can use long after our engagement ends

    • Follow-up support to ensure implementation and sustained impact

    • Confidentiality in coaching relationships; transparency in organizational consulting

    • Between-session support for time-sensitive questions

    • Direct, honest feedback and strategic perspective

    Pricing:
    Fee structures are customized based on organizational size, scope, and sector. Options include hourly rates, project-based pricing, or monthly retainers. Nonprofit and sliding scale options available.

Recent Client Highlights:

Corporate, Investment & Hospitality: boxIT | Gilero | Jubilee Railroad Wilderness Lodge | Nia Impact Capital | Raise for Good

Nonprofit & Social Impact: Access Institute for Psychological Services | New Energy Nexus | NoRegrets Initiative / Paicines Ranch Learning Center | Possibility Labs | School of Arts & Culture / Mexican Heritage Plaza | Tipping Point Community

Education: College Track | Jubilee College | Latino Education Advancement Foundation (LEAF) | Sacramento Waldorf School | Scandinavian School & Cultural Center | YMCA of the East Bay

Government & International Policy: California Partners Project | United Nations Development Program

CLIENT PORTFOLIO

I partner with leaders and organizations across sectors—from asset management investment firms and international development organizations to educational institutions and community-based nonprofits—all united by a commitment to meaningful impact.

As Senior Director of Talent Development at Venture Leadership Collective, a woman-owned and BIPOC-led organization dedicated to greater equity and justice through frontline nonprofit partnership, I delivered executive coaching, strategic planning, and organizational development to 25+ organizations, including:

American Leadership Forum (ALF) - Silicon Valley • City Year • Dependency Advocacy Center • First Place For Youth • Foster America • Fred Finch Youth & Family Services • Freedom Forward • Happy Hollow Foundation • HomeRise • Hope Solutions • Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay • Law Foundation of Silicon Valley • Life On Art • Mental Health Connections • Partnership for Children & Youth • Pesticide Action Network • Redwood City Education Foundation • SparkWheel • Teen Lifeline • Texas Trees Foundation • The Birthday Party Project • The Unity Council

WHAT CLIENTS SAY

  • “There are few individuals I would have as much confidence in running the 'people' side of a company. Katrina has a sharp intuition for organizational culture and a proven track record of maintaining culture through growth and change.

    At an individual level, Katrina has incredible mentorship and people development skills and a way of making people feel seen and heard. She is a phenomenal facilitator, listener, coach and leader.”

    - Managing Director, Environmental Venture Fund, Sacramento CA

  • “I chose Katrina as it was important to me to be able to connect with a coach personally and engage authentically.

    I have grown in my strategic leadership, board engagement and leadership of my team, which is critical to position our organization for long-term success."

    -Chief Financial & Operations Officer, San Francisco Bay Area

  • “Through Kat’s guidance and encouragement, I have been able to tackle challenges creatively, lead in new and innovative ways, and embrace the continuous learning journey of nonprofit executive leadership.”

    - Chief Philanthropy Officer, San Francisco Bay Area

  • “I always feel relieved when I hear that Kat will be the facilitator for our team summit. She keeps us focused and engaged over multiple days. Retreats with her are not boring! And I am impressed with how she thoughtfully weaves in her knowledge of non profit operations, HR, and strategy during the different sections of the time together.”

    -Talent Development Leader, Oakland, CA

  • "In my professional life I have met few people who have both the technical know how to accomplish complex tasks as well as the positive attitude and empathy to be a great leader. Katrina embodies all of these traits."

    - Product & Regulatory Attorney, San Francisco Bay Area

  • "I had the pleasure of working with Katrina for 15 years and got to experience first hand her unique gift for human-centered leadership and management.

    She led inclusive and engaging processes that supported individual and team growth and fostered a values-centered culture. She directly increased staff retention and brought staff a sense of grounding.

    She is a truly collaborative leader that has a gift for working with people."

    - Grantmaking Expert, Basel, Switzerland

  • “Working with Katrina has been an absolute pleasure!

    She helped us create a safe space where our team could engage in meaningful and creative activities, making collaboration both fun and productive.”

    -Nonprofit Operations Leader, San Francisco CA

  • “One of the most impactful aspects of our time with Katrina was the role clarity work.

    She guided us through thoughtful exercises that not only clarified our individual roles but also aligned us toward a shared purpose.”

    - Education Leader, San Francisco, CA

  • “Her ability to facilitate important discussions with both structure and warmth made a real difference in how we see ourselves as a team. Katrina brings insight, energy, and a deep commitment to helping teams grow.

    We’re grateful for her guidance and would highly recommend her to anyone looking to strengthen their team dynamics!”

    - Head of Operations, San Francisco, CA

  • “She worked with our needs and gave us new tools that helped us strengthen our connections and allow us to work more intentionally & effectively together.

    Katrina has a deep understanding of effective facilitation, differences in learning styles, and how to meaningfully involve all members of the team.”

    - School Administrator, San Francisco, CA

  • “My professional confidence was at an all-time low when I first started working with Katrina. I was wondering if I was too old, outdated, and small in what I could offer my colleagues and staff in terms of insights and leadership. However, after working with Katrina over the last six months on my executive presence, I have a renewed understanding of the value that I can offer to my organization and my community. I highly recommend Katrina as a coach for anyone seeking to realign their focus with their capacity and values.”

    -VP of Finance & Operations, Arts & Cultural Organization, San Jose, CA

  • “Kat is extremely effective and intuitive. She was a great support to our staff and organizational leaders. She really went above and beyond to ensure all of the expected topics were covered.

    We really could not have made the progress we made without Kat’s facilitation and time spent with the team, and having her as a facilitator has improved our internal communication and relationships exponentially.”

    -Executive Director, San Francisco Bay Area

MY METHOD

  • FOCUS

    We create space to slow down and take stock. Through data and reflection, leaders and teams gain clarity about where they are and where they want to go—enabling purposeful action aligned with core values.

  • REFLECT

    Together, we explore the patterns and dynamics shaping leadership and team culture. By identifying what's working and what's not, new perspectives emerge to navigate challenges and amplify strengths. This awareness shifts how people lead and enhances collective resilience.

  • REFINE

    This is where insight becomes impact. We develop strategies that stick, establish accountability structures that serve the whole team, and build confidence to lead authentically. Each step deepens your capacity to drive meaningful change and build a fulfilling career and work environment.

ARTICLES

READY TO AMPLIFY YOUR IMPACT?

It all begins with a conversation.

Schedule a complimentary 30-minute discovery call—I look forward to exploring how we can work together.