Testimonials

“Prescient. Insightful. Magnetic. Dara is that rare leader who blends strength and humility, deep-rooted knowledge of the social sector with insatiable curiosity, and sharp analysis with the capacity to listen and learn.

As a facilitator, she cultivates the conditions for presence and courage, enabling groups to wade through complexity to get to the heart of the matter. As a strategist, she operates in the space between vision and pragmatism, deftly modelling relational approaches to deep change. Dara is a formidable force to have at your side!”

— Dr. Sarah Schulman, Co-Founder & Lead Partner, InWithForward

“Dara brings a deeply personal approach and from our very first session, I knew we would establish a high degree of trust and safety.

She has a unique ability to see the big picture, and offers practical navigation of stakeholders, issues and complexity of human relationships.  Her guidance pulled me through some hard leadership moments and allowed me to find my own personal integrity through it all.  For anyone trying to have an impact in the world and community, Dara is an incredible person to work with her wealth of experience and deep care.”

— Heather Deeth, Chief Product Officer, Hollyhock

“Having Dara as a strategic thought partner pushes you to be bolder, and equips you with essential problem-solving skills.

Through guiding questions and practical suggestions, Dara enables you to address both current and future challenges. Her thoughtful approach prevents you from falling in love with your initial ideas too quickly, as she directs your focus to understanding the root of the problem, the context you’re operating in, and your role in it. I would highly recommend partnering with Dara to navigate complex people dynamics.”

— Liban Abokor, Co-Founder, Foundation for Black Communities

“I have had the great pleasure of working with Dara as a thought partner, a coach, and as a collaborator since 2023.

I have always appreciated Dara’s relational and strategic approach to navigating complex issues/topics in philanthropy, while offering practical tools to strengthen my leadership and management skills.

Dara is an amazing professional who has consistently demonstrated remarkable expertise in the field of Philanthropy.”

— Sandeep Bikram Shah, Director of Community Engagement, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation

“Dara's coaching has transformed my approach to my work. Her sessions are both uplifting and affirming, providing a crucial perspective and enabling me to recognize my own strengths.

She has a unique ability to inspire confidence during moments of uncertainty, which has been a game-changer for me. With her guidance, I have confidently faced challenges that once seemed daunting and stepped into my role with greater purpose. I highly recommend Dara to anyone in leadership roles seeking support.”

— Eden Fineday, Publisher, Indiginews

“Dara is an incredible leader: insightful, strategic, and always with justice as her north star.

She's a deep listener, who, despite the fact that the world is dark and full of terrors, is full of hope and commitment to a flourishing future for all of us. I can't recommend working with her highly enough.”

— Carmen Lansdowne, 44th Moderator, The United Church of Canada 

“Dara is the kind of person who wakes up every day thinking about how to reimagine philanthropy as a tool for justice. She approaches her work with deep respect and care for people, and has incredible diagnostic skills to get to the root of a problem.

What I appreciate most about Dara are her questions - she has a way of knowing what to ask, how to listen, and then how to synthesize back what's been shared as needed.

Dara is who you want to work with when navigating complexity!”

— Danya Pastuszek, Co-CEO, Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement

“Dara acted as my executive coach at a crucial juncture in my career. Having spent the better part of twenty years in the engineering, procurement and construction space, my experience was primarily in the hard sciences. Dara was able to take that experience, work on my soft skills, and provide the guidance to work more effectively with my company’s Indigenous partnerships.

I am a much more authentic – and better – leader within my organization thanks to her coaching. Dara should be “required reading” for anyone coming from a technical role in STEM industries.

She forces you to confront bias common in our sector and commit to being a more authentic person in the workplace, something that is lacking in the hard sciences and has gotten worse with remote work options.”

— Jesse Dirom, Director Indigenous Relationships & Partnerships, Vertex Resource Group

Get in touch.

Let’s start a conversation! Send me a message with your questions or to book a 15-minute discovery call to see if we should work together.