Marla Teyolia the Founder and CEO of Culture Shift Agency, a consulting and coaching firm whose mission is to advance the holistic leadership development of Women of Color and their allies. In this capacity, she functions as a highly sought after workplace strategist and transformational leadership coach who mentors high-achieving executives to lead from their most deeply held values while maximizing their potential to create inclusive and liberatory environments for individuals from under-represented groups. She is a seasoned practitioner with over 20 years of leadership development and group facilitation experience.
Marla’s greatest talent and passion lies in her ability to help others to unlock their individual power and voice, while transforming limiting mindsets. She specializes in working with individuals who want to develop their executive presence, build inclusive teams, overcome limiting conversational patterns and gracefully navigate difficult conversations while identifying and maintaining their personal authenticity and values. She utilizes a systems-frame approach in her coaching practice, supporting leaders to disrupt bias and activate their personal agency to create inclusive systems and elevate the leadership of individuals from under-represented groups.
Marla’s background includes a Masters of Science in Social Work from Columbia University with a focus on the intersection of organizational development and individual clinical practice. This frame has informed her belief that individual and organizational wellness are inextricably linked. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley graduating magna cum laude and is a Certified Empowerment Facilitator and Conversational Intelligence® (C-IQ) Enhanced Skill Practitioner. Marla is a 20+ year student of yoga, mindfulness, and meditation, integrating these practices with leadership development tools to support radically authentic, empowered, and equity-minded leaders to show up as their best selves in the workplace.
Previous clients have included Facebook, Google, Pfizer, McDermott, Will & Emery, Prudential, Mars, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Southern Methodist University, NYC Department of Education, C. Moore Media International Public Relations, and the Youth Development Institute, among many others.