Leadership Coaching, Events, and Resources

I have spent over 20 years in start-up and technology industries across fin-tech, wealth-tech and space-tech. I had founder and executive roles that exposed me to many meaningful experiences. I have gone through a lot of personal growth that helped me sort and format the knowledge so I can share it with you. I have coached 150+ individuals and 30+ companies. I am a regular mentor at Techstars, Columbia Startup Works and NSF. Recently I have become an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Cornell. I am able to back up my experiences with academic theories that I have learned from my MBA and professional coaching training. My clients have described me as an insightful, practical, emotionally intelligent, and a results-focused coach. I like to take mixed approach to mentoring where I mix a series of questions with details from my actual start-up and executive experience. This helps you develop your decisions skills further, than just me sharing my story. You can read more about my story here - https://www.humaninterfaces.co/my-story

With over a decade of experience across various industries, from fast-paced startups to Fortune 100 companies, I bring a wealth of knowledge in leadership development. I’ve successfully transitioned from individual contributor to managing diverse teams, building departments from the ground up, and driving strategic initiatives. My approach to leadership coaching focuses on helping professionals navigate the challenges of leadership, build confidence, and lead with authenticity. I specialize in coaching individuals to step into their leadership roles with clarity and purpose, leveraging a values-driven framework that emphasizes self-awareness, empathy, and sustainable success. Whether you're looking to refine your leadership style, grow into a managerial position, or lead more effectively, I offer personalized, actionable guidance to help you lead with impact.

Welcome to my profile! With a robust background in leadership and real estate, I am passionate about helping individuals develop their leadership skills to excel in their careers. As an Arbuckle Leadership Fellow at the Stanford GSB, a the former head coach of the Polish National Lacrosse Team, and a former D1 athlete at the University of Pennsylvania, I have honed my ability to guide and mentor emerging leaders. My professional journey includes key roles in private equity (Storage Star, Brookfield Asset Management), real estate development (White Star Real Estate), and corporate strategy (The Walt Disney Company), where I have built and led teams as well as driven growth initiatives. Whether you're looking to enhance your leadership capabilities or navigate complex business environments, I'm here to support your journey. Let's connect and unlock your leadership potential together!

Maya Niksic is a Belgrade-born, Harvard-educated Serbian-American visionary reshaping the contours of women’s leadership. As the Founder and CEO of Adaptive Leadership Atelier, Maya has created a sanctuary where leadership meets artistry and style. Her journey from navigating the chaotic world of Wall Street during the global financial crisis to launching her Atelier highlights her commitment to being at the forefront of women’s leadership coaching. Since 2019, Maya has taught and supported senior military leaders, public officials, and students at Harvard Kennedy School in transforming complex challenges into opportunities for extraordinary growth. As a Leadership Coach and Trainer, she blends her expertise in adult development psychology, adaptive leadership, and vertical development, challenging clients to embrace contradictions and rewrite their narratives. She invites them to confront their loyalties, embrace vulnerabilities, and emerge not just as leaders but as artisans of their destinies. Maya’s clients learn to truly understand the landscapes of their organizations and the people who inhabit them. Her methodical yet daring approach, rooted in a deep understanding of the human condition, reflects her philosophy: the smallest shift in perspective can ignite profound transformations. Maya’s global perspective, honed through experiences in New York, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, enables her to connect with leaders across diverse cultures and professions. In Maya’s world, leadership becomes an art form—each decision a brushstroke, each challenge a canvas. Her Atelier is where leaders come to construct something entirely new that reflects the complexity, paradoxes, and beauty of the world they wish to lead. A passionate stylist since her days at Ann Taylor, Maya views fashion as a powerful medium for self-expression. Beyond her work at the Atelier, she is an executive contributor and columnist for international magazines, sharing insights on life, leadership, and legacy—with style.

With over 24 years in the Supply Chain Corporate world, including 16 years in leadership roles, I bring a wealth of experience in coaching, mentoring, and guiding teams to success. Alongside this, I’ve spent more than a decade immersed in spiritual and self-development practices, blending corporate expertise with deep personal growth methodologies. My qualifications include: a degree in Mathematics and an MBA, Certified Transformational Coach, Corporate " Train the Trainer", Expertise in Energy Work, Breathwork Coach and a Master Practitioner in Hypnosis, Integrative Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), and Mental & Emotional Release. This unique combination of strategic leadership and holistic transformation allows me to empower others to align their professional success with personal fulfillment.

I help make leaders great. I bring my leadership development skills and decades of experience from the tech industry to help those in leadership roles mobilize change in their organizations. I work 1:1 with talented managers and senior ICs who want to strengthen their leadership muscle. Leaders who feel stuck, are struggling to find their purpose, or have work/life balance issues can benefit by working with me. I also work with companies, am available for short- and long-term contracts, and relish working with intact teams.

I believe the challenges we experience internally are mirrors for the challenges we experience externally—I'll help you make progress on both through deep inner work, sharp systems analysis, and creative, practical strategizing. I've coached professionals across sectors who wanted to make a bigger impact in their context—but were struggling to make it happen amidst complexity, conflict, and power dynamics: entrepreneurs navigating interpersonal challenges with their investors, attorneys negotiating creative settlements outside of court, victim advocates seeking restorative justice, medical practitioners looking for more sustainable work cultures, and more.

Your Goals: As a new leader, you may want to move from task manager to people leader, prepare to take on a new team or responsibilities, or shift from tactical to strategic leadership. Additionally, you may want to conquer imposter syndrome, identify and navigate your blind spots, or act on specific feedback to enhance your leadership strengths. Our Work Together: Our work together will provide you with the opportunity to develop self-awareness, recognize your strengths, address your weaknesses, and empower you to make informed decisions and lead with confidence. Through this process, you’ll be equipped to overcome obstacles, build resilience, and capitalize on opportunities for growth, enabling you to lead with clarity, purpose, and effectiveness.

Engineering leader with over 20 years of experience leading teams at start ups (like Opendoor, Headspace) and large enterprises like IBM and Opentext has taught me some tough lessons where I came across opportunities that allowed to scale, fail, learn and grow from those opportunities. I have built teams, strategies and instituted cultural changes within organizations. I don't like to be fuzzy with my coaching but like to be very specific and tactical when it comes to achieving goals we set out for each other. Some topics that you might find helpful in connecting with me are: - how to institute a culture of accountability and growth mindset - how to draft a product or engineering strategy - how to motivate my team members to do their best work, especially when the company is going through some challenges - how do I promote my team members - how to provide feedback as leader and how to work on feedback given to you - how to continue to stay technical (assuming you are in tech) when you are a leader

Hello, and welcome to my profile! With over two decades of experience in leadership roles at top financial institutions like Capital One and JPMorgan Chase, I bring a wealth of knowledge in management consulting and leadership development. As a Certified Professional Coach since 2019, I've coached over 100 individuals, helping them unlock their leadership potential and achieve their career goals. I currently coach a roster of professionals who help refine my coaching skills and stay at the forefront of leadership development practices. Whether you're looking to enhance your leadership skills or navigate complex career challenges, I'm here to guide you every step of the way. Let's connect and start your journey to success!