AI & Coaching: From Shock to Possibility Recently, I had coffee with a colleague who was previously the director of a credentialed coaching program, training hundreds of individuals to become International Coaching Federation (ICF)-credentialed coaches. I was a mentor coach in the program, reviewing coaching sessions to verify that students were demonstrating the required eight competencies. She left the role to take a position with a biotech company to strengthen their coaching and professional development function. During our conversation, she shared with me how she was incorporating AI into the coaching process, developing a proprietary AI-platform to deliver coaching. I was stunned. I couldn’t understand how she transitioned from training humans to be coaches to building technology to replace the human-to-human contact that is at the heart of coaching. Needless to say, it was a very thought-provoking conversation. I challenged her with many questions. “How can an avatar evoke the human connection?” “Doesn’t technology come with the bias of those who developed it?” “Isn’t there a risk that AI will provide ill-advised solutions, instead of allowing the client to generate the solutions from within?” “What about the confidentiality of information that is shared in coaching sessions?” With each question I asked, she offered a response that reduced my concerns (a little bit). I acknowledge that I am a bit of an “AI-resister” in general, which impacted my reaction to the use of AI in leadership coaching. I view the coaching relationship as a deep partnership fostered by trust and vulnerability, a safe and courageous space for leaders to examine and develop their inner landscape. How can leaders who strive for personal transformation rely on an external technology for internal development? How can the level of trust that is necessary to explore vulnerable areas of personal development be established with a machine? How can technology demonstrate the superpower of empathy that coaches possess? This conversation with a trusted colleague forced me to explore how AI has impacted the coaching profession and industry. Could I lean into curiosity to examine how AI might enhance but not replace human-to-human coaching? With the advent of AI in the coaching industry, coaching will become more accessible and increase its impact on society. The use of this technology is on the rise, raising the importance of guidance to coaches to leverage its value for human-to-human coaching while maintaining client trust. How AI can support Human-to-Human Coaching To generate metaphors, analogies, or visual aids that support the client’s understanding of complex ideas To draft generalized coaching tools to support the coaching experience (goal-setting templates, visioning worksheets, etc.) To expand the options for thought-provoking coaching questions and reflection prompts, and generate a list of resources to share with clients To draft follow-up coach notes, coaching session outlines, and refine goal statements Slowly, I am shifting my perspective from shock to possibility about how AI can enhance the transformation that leaders seek through coaching. I also find comfort in knowing that the International Coaching Federation tackled this topic by establishing a working group to develop the Artificial Intelligence Coaching Framework and Standards, published in 2024. These standards provide guardrails to protect those aspects of coaching that only humans can provide: empathy, trust, and physical presence.
AI & Coaching: From Shock to Possibility Recently, I had coffee with a colleague who was previously the director of a credentialed coaching program, training hundreds of individuals to become International Coaching Federation (ICF)-credentialed coaches. I was a mentor coach in the program, reviewing coaching sessions to verify that students were demonstrating the required eight competencies. She left the role to take a position with a biotech company to strengthen their coaching and professional development function. During our conversation, she shared with me how she was incorporating AI into the coaching process, developing a proprietary AI-platform to deliver coaching. I was stunned. I couldn’t understand how she transitioned from training humans to be coaches to building technology to replace the human-to-human contact that is at the heart of coaching. Needless to say, it was a very thought-provoking conversation. I challenged her with many questions. “How can an avatar evoke the human connection?” “Doesn’t technology come with the bias of those who developed it?” “Isn’t there a risk that AI will provide ill-advised solutions, instead of allowing the client to generate the solutions from within?” “What about the confidentiality of information that is shared in coaching sessions?” With each question I asked, she offered a response that reduced my concerns (a little bit). I acknowledge that I am a bit of an “AI-resister” in general, which impacted my reaction to the use of AI in leadership coaching. I view the coaching relationship as a deep partnership fostered by trust and vulnerability, a safe and courageous space for leaders to examine and develop their inner landscape. How can leaders who strive for personal transformation rely on an external technology for internal development? How can the level of trust that is necessary to explore vulnerable areas of personal development be established with a machine? How can technology demonstrate the superpower of empathy that coaches possess? This conversation with a trusted colleague forced me to explore how AI has impacted the coaching profession and industry. Could I lean into curiosity to examine how AI might enhance but not replace human-to-human coaching? With the advent of AI in the coaching industry, coaching will become more accessible and increase its impact on society. The use of this technology is on the rise, raising the importance of guidance to coaches to leverage its value for human-to-human coaching while maintaining client trust. How AI can support Human-to-Human Coaching To generate metaphors, analogies, or visual aids that support the client’s understanding of complex ideas To draft generalized coaching tools to support the coaching experience (goal-setting templates, visioning worksheets, etc.) To expand the options for thought-provoking coaching questions and reflection prompts, and generate a list of resources to share with clients To draft follow-up coach notes, coaching session outlines, and refine goal statements Slowly, I am shifting my perspective from shock to possibility about how AI can enhance the transformation that leaders seek through coaching. I also find comfort in knowing that the International Coaching Federation tackled this topic by establishing a working group to develop the Artificial Intelligence Coaching Framework and Standards, published in 2024. These standards provide guardrails to protect those aspects of coaching that only humans can provide: empathy, trust, and physical presence.
Celebrating 20 Years of the B Corp Movement May 2026 marked the 20th anniversary of the B Corp movement. It’s hard to believe it’s been two decades since the movement first challenged the status quo and began redefining corporate success. What started as a small, hopeful idea has grown into a global network of over 10,000 businesses, building a more fair and equitable economy for all. In 2012, Vista Global took a significant step toward becoming a Certified B Corporation, solidifying our commitment to social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. This certification reflects our ongoing dedication to upholding the highest standards in policies and practices. Fourteen years later, I am proud that Vista Global is Wisconsin’s longest-running Certified B Corp. Since its founding, Vista Global’s mission has been to partner with individuals and organizations to create the world we want to live in. Aligning practice with this mission, I have played an active role in the movement, serving as co-founder of B Local Wisconsin, which has grown from seven Certified B Corps in 2017 to 25 in 2025. This deep commitment and collaboration among the B Local Wisconsin businesses resulted in Wisconsin hosting the B Corp Champions Retreat in 2026. In addition to co-founding B Local Wisconsin, I served on the Leadership Circle for WeTheChange, founded in 2019 to advance opportunity, prosperity, and well-being for women leaders; modeling business as a force for good; and building a world where businesses generate shared prosperity and operate in harmony with nature, enabling all life to thrive. Today, this network represents the voices of more than 880 women-owned certified B Corps. As the movement enters its third decade, Vista Global remains a proud supporter of this global vision. The complex challenges facing our communities today require the thoughtful, holistic leadership that B Corps stand for. To learn more about this movement and how businesses are shifting the global economy, visit bcorporation.net.
Ripples to Waves: YWCA Madison Big Share Case Study A couple of months ago, I wrote a blog post titled, “How do I get my Board to Fundraise?” I am back to share some of the keys to the success from the YWCA Madison Big Share Campaign and its journey from limited board fundraising participation to raising nearly $50,000 in its first campaign. The Ripple Where it began…as a board member, I keep my eyes open for opportunities that will support the work of the YWCA Madison. I have been a donor to several community-based organizations in Madison through the Big Share campaign. The Big Share is an annual online day of giving that supports the 82 nonprofit members of Community Shares Wisconsin (CSW). To participate in The Big Share, you have to be a member. When I saw the call for new members, I shared the application with the YWCA Madison CEO and the Development Director. I encouraged them to consider applying because of the mission alignment with the campaign. They acted on this suggestion, and the application was accepted! What next? The Collective Preparation: Training & Support The Big Share provides resources to create organizational donor pages and individual donor pages on behalf of an organization. YWCA Madison created a theme to anchor the campaign, “Activating the Gift of Shared Abundance.” This theme was drawn from the teachings of Robin Wall Kimmerer, one of the keynote speakers at the YWCA Madison Racial Justice Summit. To support board members in developing their personal stories and preparing their donor pages, the CEO collaborated with the development team and board leadership to design and facilitate a training and a working session during a board meeting. Board members as Ambassadors and Fundraisers The training reviewed the board member responsibilities of serving as an ambassador for the organization and participating in fund development. The Marketing & Communications Manager prepared a comprehensive fundraising communication toolkit that provided language and facts about YWCA Madison’s programs for board members to use in developing their 2-minute elevator pitch. We spent time during the training drafting our elevator pitches and practicing with other board members. Following the training, board members were asked to identify a list of 20 people to engage as potential donors and create their personal Big Share pages. If board members were unable to generate a list of 20 people, they could contact past donors from the YWCA list. Ongoing Support for the Campaign To continue preparing for the campaign launch, a portion of the next board meeting was a working session to support board members in refining their elevator pitches, developing their donor pages, and crafting their outreach messages. This fostered collective engagement to move toward the campaign goal. Staff also offered scheduled “office hours” for board members to connect if they needed additional one-on-one support. Creativity in Campaign Design The CEO secured a match grant of $25,000, which provided a great leverage point in designing the outreach message. Every dollar raised would contribute two dollars to the goal. In addition, the YWCA Madison secured one of the “Power Hours” during the event. The “Power Hour” provided a bonus contribution of $2,000 to the organizations that raised the largest amount of funds during the hour or had the largest number of donors. Throughout the Big Share day, member organizations presented an ongoing livestream of various events and activities. Building on longstanding relationships with painter and past board member Monica Mims, and youth poet Maliha Nu’man, YWCA hosted an Interactive Art Experience during the live stream that included another matching grant opportunity of $500. The CEO also participated in a housing and community centers panel with other peer leaders from the Big Share. A multi-pronged social media strategy used videos, graphics, and photos to increase visibility of the campaign. There was a follow-up email and phone calls after the campaign thanking donors. The Wave: Results and Keys to Success The YWCA Madison raised a total of $46,792 from 223 donors. It was the second-highest amount raised by a member organization. We won the power hour bonus of $2,000 and the $500 match during the Interactive Live Art Stream. In the debrief session following the campaign, the team of staff and board identified the following elements as keys to success: The importance of a board member’s initiative to share opportunities that support the organization The board ambassador and fund development training focused on the components of individual peer-to-peer fundraising skills The working session during the board meeting strengthened the collective motivation for the campaign The campaign theme integrated the ongoing values and messaging of the YWCA Madison The matching grant was a compelling aspect of the messaging The communication toolkit and social media strategy offered multiple resources and channels for visibility of the campaign The importance of cultivating strong relationships with internal and external collaborators Various events during the Big Share allowed outreach to different audiences The Power Hour provided a targeted push to secure donations This campaign started with an engaged board member forwarding an email to the CEO and Development Director. A suggestion that was followed by collaborative action resulted in building the capacity of the board, fostering a collective fundraising partnership between board and staff, generating significant financial resources, and attracting hundreds of donors to support the change the YWCA Madison is making in the world. If you are exploring how to engage your board in fundraising, let’s chat. It only takes a ripple to create the wave you are seeking. This blog was written in collaboration with YWCA Madison CEO, Gery Paredes Vasquez.
A Call to be the Founders of the Nation Yet to be Realized I just returned from the B Corp Champions Retreat in Milwaukee. The theme was “Ripples to Waves”, elevating small actions in each of us to drive a collective, lasting impact. Spending five days with over 600 purpose-driven business leaders from around the world gives me hope and inspiration that this is our moment to build the nation of our founding. We are reminded every day that the current design does not create a just and fair society for ALL to reach their full potential. Nearly a quarter of the nation is trapped or on the edge of poverty. The opening keynote given by Dr. Michael McAfee, President & CEO of PolicyLink laid out the leadership needed in this moment to be nation-builders for ALL. This moment requires a different form of leadership with these capacities: Foresight: The belief in a thriving multiracial democracy that benefits from an equitable economy Radical Imagination: Expand the boundaries of creativity to deliver these results Audacity: Set a bold vision of the future and seek the collective ability to achieve it Humility: Embrace the power of the whole is stronger than the power of one Love: People and planet equally, and their interdependence Self-renewal: Lean into what brings you energy and let go of what no longer serves you The B Corp movement has been on a mission for 20 years, mobilizing business to create an economic system that benefits people and the planet. The “Built for All” partnership between PolicyLink and B Lab will strengthen this work of collective action through a common language and a clear roadmap. These leadership capacities were embodied by one of B Lab’s co-founders, Andrew Kassoy, who tragically died of illness in 2025. The community honored Andrew during the retreat. There is no better way to honor his legacy than for each B Corp leader to commit to the Built for All roadmap. Andrew Kassoy | Tribute | A Life Worth Living | B Lab – YouTube In a time when so many people are careless, and so many people lack moral courage, it’s up to us to double down on care and courage. And that’s a hell of a lot easier, and a hell of a lot more powerful, if we do it together. – Andrew Kassoy In alignment with Andrew’s vision, this is the call of our generation, as business leaders committed to both people and the planet. It is a time to double down on care and courage in building the nation that has yet to be realized, together. Join us as founders of a future that has not yet existed, a nation that delivers on the promise for all of its people to thrive. It will take the full force of our public, private, and civic resources to realize this future. To get started, visit the B Lab Collective Action website and the PolicyLink website for more information on what role you can play.
How do I get my Board to Fundraise? Over the last three decades, this has been the million-dollar question! Whether I was an executive director, board member, or consultant. More often than not, this is an area where nonprofits have challenges. So where do you start? Know Board Roles and Responsibilities It begins with board members understanding their roles and responsibilities. BoardSource, the premier organization supporting nonprofit governance, offers many resources to guide boards to excellence. Here is a checklist to get started with Board Roles and Responsibilities. Nonprofit boards play both governance roles and support roles. Governance (fiduciary) roles include oversight of assets, legal compliance, hiring/evaluating the chief executive and making big decisions such as mission, purpose and strategic direction. The role can only be played by the board as a body when a quorum is present. Actions made by the full board have legal authority. An example, the Board Chair doesn’t hire the executive director; only the entire board can hire the executive director. Support roles are played by individual board members to support the organization. Board members act as individuals to offer advice, serve as ambassadors, volunteers, and support revenue strategy by fundraising, assisting with earned income, or identifying new sources of funding. In these important support roles, individual board members operate under the direction of staff. In a support role, individual board members have no legal authority. Who is the Boss of Fundraising? Often things get murky when it comes to fundraising because the board as a whole plays a governance role and individual board members play a support role. Clarifying staff roles and board roles in fundraising is the next step toward engaging the board in fundraising activities. In the governance role, the board approves gift acceptance policies and sets the expectations of board member participation in fundraising. In the support role, board members are often unclear about their responsibilities, and staff members are hesitant to provide guidance on how to fulfill them. Let’s be very clear, when it comes to the activity of fundraising, the staff is the boss of fundraising and board members play support roles in achieving the collective goal. Provide Board Members with the Tools to be Ambassadors For staff it is easy to talk about the mission and programs of the organization because they live and breathe these every day. Board members have varying levels of understanding of the organization and its accomplishments. It isn’t their day job, so setting them up for success by providing a communication toolkit increases board members’ comfort level to invite others to support the organization. Develop your Two-inute Elevator Pitch Now is the time for board members to roll up their sleeves and put down on paper their Why? Why do they support the organization? And why should someone else? Here is a great resource to walk you through the process of developing your elevator pitch. Explain the cause and mission Show your passion and emotion Give examples of impact Differentiate your organization from other similar organizations Keep it concise The elevator pitch is a tool for board members to become more comfortable as ambassadors for the organization. This takes practice! Practice speaking to other board members, family and friends. Now board members are ready for direction from staff! Set a Board Fundraising Campaign Goal Being mindful of equity in access to financial resources, if an organization sets a collective board fundraising goal, it allows each board member to participate within their means. For example, set a board fundraising goal of $25,000. Ask each board member to identify 20 individuals they can contact to support the organization. If a board member isn’t able to identify 20 individuals, provide a list of lapsed donors for board members to re-engage with the organization. Encourage and Celebrate Success Along the Way Having staff available to support board members as they begin the solicitation process is very important to build confidence and remind board members that this is a collective effort; they are not alone. Sharing frequent progress updates and offering encouragement to the entire board helps build momentum and enthusiasm. Checking in with each board member to ask how they are doing and what support they need can also provide the structure and guidance to achieve the goal. In a future blog post, we will present a case study of the YWCA Madison Big Share Campaign and its journey from limited board fundraising participation to raising nearly $50,000 in its first campaign.
Honoring International Women’s Day Through Local Leadership March 8th marks International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the success, leadership, and influence of women. It is a moment to intentionally recognize the women who are shaping our communities, strengthening organizations, and driving meaningful change through their expertise and determination. At Vista Global, we believe leadership development is intentional work. It requires clarity of purpose, alignment of values, and the courage to lead with both confidence and authenticity. Women across sectors are modeling this kind of leadership every day. They are building businesses, guiding teams through complexity, accelerating growth, and making strategic decisions that move organizations forward. If you are in Wisconsin, consider celebrating International Women’s Day locally by attending the Women in Sustainability Leadership Retreat event hosted on March 6, 2026 by the Sustainable Business Council. It is an opportunity to gather with other women business leaders to rest, renew and regenerate. You can learn more and register here. You can also continue the momentum in April with WeTheChange and their Women Make Waves Retreat, held on April 20, 2026 in Milwaukee before the B Corp Champions Retreat. This event creates space for connection, strategic insight, and renewed focus for women who are leading change in their fields. Details are available here.
