Helping purpose-driven leaders to dream, build and invite radical collaboration
I have been supporting leaders at the frontline of global health and social justice for more than 25 years. I work as a leadership coach, team facilitator and strategic consultant. I’m passionate about helping people work together in radically inclusive, creative and collaborative ways.
Who I Work With
Most of my clients are leaders at global health, science and social justice organizations, but I’ve worked with purpose-driven teams in fields from construction to tech.
My clients have included Everytown for Gun Safety, International Planned Parenthood, Johns Hopkins University, Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, Vital Strategies, Save the Children International, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Open Society Foundations.
I have taught global health at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.
Advisory Roles
I serve on the advisory board of the Grammy-winning Orpheus Orchestra and am developing workshops with them on their radically collaborative way of working. I’m proud to be one the few people outside the orchestra who have been invited to study and teach their method to teams around the world.
I also serve on the Board of San Diego’s Museum of Us (formerly known as the Museum of Man). We are engaged in a massive decolonization of the museum and a redefinition of the role of the museums in shaping public awareness and discourse around human history.
Global Health and Human Rights Background
Prior to founding Sage Leadership, I criss-crossed the globe, advocating for health and human rights in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. I got my start with a Fulbright scholarship to study how microcredit banks could better serve women in West Africa.
In Egypt, I designed and managed a Female Genital Mutilation program which became a national model. I also worked to bring the HPV vaccine to Latin America and Africa.
Supporting Change Agents
Seeing firsthand the need to support nonprofit leaders so they could fulfill their mission, I founded The Global Action Network to engage and connect emerging leaders in global health. It was funded by the Gates and MacArthur Foundations.
Living My Dream
I live in San Diego, where I am active in humanitarian and human rights efforts along the US-Mexico border. I do my best to surf every day and adventure around California in my vintage VW camper, named “Vanna White.”
5 Principles That
Guide All My Work
Mission-Driven
Social justice is baked into everything I do. It’s where I come from, it’s why I’m here. Growing up in San Diego, 15 miles from the Mexican border, my everyday life and the lives of those I love are interwoven with the inequalities, racism, violence as well as the artistry and dreams that define the borderland. My passion for radical collaboration comes out of the idea that people are both the challenge and the answer.
Creativity
You are not going to get the same old, cookie-cutter, yadda-yadda kind of ideas and experiences with me. My work is founded on deep expertise, but everything I do is uniquely designed. It’s not only
Radical
Collaboration
I believe in people power. What if everyone’s full self were to be leveraged by your team — what could you accomplish?
Fierce Empathy
I care deeply about people and am attuned to what’s in the room. I don’t shy away from challenges or difficult conversation, but I take them on in a way that brings people together.
Joy
I believe that anything is possible and I revel in a mosaic of people. You can count on me to make our work together joyful, colorful and invigorating.
Some Recent Clients
Testimonials
“Sarah isn’t your typical coach and consultant. She shows up as a human being and holds space for you with humor and lightness. She’s a partner who cares for you and the whole team. ”
Jeanne Smith
Coaching Culture Architect | Procore
Partners
We partner with individuals, organizations and businesses to amplify their positive impact on the world with creativity and purpose.
