Education

Laura is ICF (PCC) and EMCC (in Europe) certified, with a Bachelor’s degree in Business from the Syracuse University Whitman School of Management and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from the University at Redlands School of Business and Society. Laura combines leadership theory with practical, experiential implementation, gained from thousands of hours coaching leaders and teams on their strategic business challenges. Her work has been recognized in Culture Amp, First Round Capital’s First Round Review, and Simon Sinek’s book "The Infinite Game".

Career

Laura is President of Gates Group Consulting, LLC. As a trusted advisor, she provides leadership coaching and team facilitation to executives at the world’s most successful organizations, including Silicon Valley giants such as Google and LinkedIn, researchers and leaders in traditional companies such as Shell, Visa, and NASA, as well as tech and biotech startups with VC funding (such as Protocol Labs, Nice, Donut, Tonal, Avails Medical). She also works with Stanford, the University of Central Florida, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense.

Before Gates Group, Laura helped a Paris-based leadership training company expand their US market while providing large-scale culture change and leadership development initiatives. She previously ran a marketing consulting business during San Francisco’s dot.com boom. She started her career on Wall Street in Citibank’s management training program and was the top salesperson for Citibank’s Direct Access, the first-ever home banking technology. Laura is trained in CBT, non-violent communication, adult development and complexity theory, David Allen’s Getting Things Done, Marshall Goldsmith’s Stakeholder Centered Coaching, Korn Ferry Traits and Drivers, EQ360, and various assessment instruments.

Personal

With a love of travel and a global mindset, Laura has lived in London (twice) and Uruguay. She coaches clients in Europe, the UK, India (formerly for Mahindra BT, and in China for the Director of Quaker Chemical, China), and advises leaders managing global manufacturing and service divisions from Asia to India to South America. Laura recently relocated to Central New York from the San Francisco Bay Area to pursue her dream of building a leadership retreat center.

What participants say about Laura

 “Laura is the most adept facilitator I’ve ever worked with. She has incredible tact and an uncanny ability to cut through difficult situations to get to the root cause of what’s going on.” -VC-backed startup tech Founder & CEO

“Laura’s skills in feedback and team facilitation helped me build a high-performing executive-level team at NASA Headquarters. One of the more sceptical members of our team even commented that Laura was the most impactful and effective facilitator he had ever encountered.” -Senior Executive, NASA

“Laura has an uncanny ability to use the collective group to help each individual unlock their unique and intuitive leadership qualities. Laura’s group facilitation has helped me better understand and deepen my leadership qualities and identify opportunities for development in a safe and supportive environment.” –Female VP, Shell

“I’ve worked with other coaches, but Laura was the first who listened for what I really needed (even if I didn’t know myself). Laura never forces textbook guidance on me; she makes having a coach easy.”— CEO, Venture-backed e-commerce Company.

“Laura is an amazing talent and intuitive coach. She seems to have a sixth sense of knowing what to say at just the right time. Working with Laura dramatically changed my professional and personal life for the better. She helped me recognize my inherent ability to create and embrace positive change in my life. Through our work together, I can now look inside to find my authenticity and appreciate it. I consider myself fortunate to know and work with Laura.”— Startup CEO/Founder