Aki Jamal Durham’s uncanny ability to decipher and then provide insightful direction to executive and management teams that are struggling to navigate their growing pains makes him a game changer for our clients. The challenge so many organizations face when trying to scale — or go through a succession — is tension among their own senior people and teams. It’s very similar to in-fighting within a family. This is where Aki’s extensive background in executive coaching and his advanced degrees in business, counseling and family therapy make a huge impact. Aki’s career has successfully been built on being able to recognize what’s holding an organization back, why a team is struggling to push forward and what “elephants” are not being addressed in the room that will hurt and haunt the organization’s ability to scale with speed. A trained therapist from Liberty University — steeped in business management (Hampton University) — Aki’s transforms organizations that are struggling due to stand-alone superstars and exceptional — but siloed — departments into high-performing, synchronized teams that move the organizational forward as one. His 25 years of experience span the globe and ranges across numerous industries. Outside of his professional life, Aki enjoys spending time with his family, engaging in sports, and creative endeavors that include writing and acting. He also contributes his time to many community-based volunteer activities.

In his role as a performance coach, Aki specializes in:

• Executive Development
• Emotional Intelligence
• Executive Team Dynamics
• Conflict Resolution and Team Cohesion
• Strategic Relationship Management
• Organizational Scaling
• Enterprise Succession
• Mental Wellness Restoration

Internationally recognized among the top 1% of performance consultants, Chris leads our organization to push, scale and accelerate clients through growing pains, so they won’t have to accept the pains and frustrations of not growing. The success of his vision to drive businesses forward spans across the United States and across industries. For two decades, Chris has delivered results and exponential growth for companies that don’t want to become stuck or comfortable in their current positions. This charge has expanded from a single consultant’s mission to building a renowned firm of the most skilled, respected and sought-after performance coaches in the country.

Interestingly, Performance Science, Organizational Psychology and Management Consulting was not Chris’s intended path. A younger version of our founder and CEO graduated Summa Cum Laude from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. Fast forwarding to today, his unique background includes the Fox News Channel (NYC & DC), Dale Carnegie, Psycho-Metric Analysis, Positive Psychology under the guidance of world-renowned professors at Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania as well as Negotiation Science from M.I.T.’s Sloan School of Management.

Although extremely skilled and well educated, it’s Chris’s ability to connect with clients that wins the day. In fact, he ensures this unique dynamic of expertise and engagement translates into everything we do. As Chris says, “From our experts to the client experience — you can expect a personalized process, fueled by science and proven in practice that will scale and transform your enterprise into the organization you need it to become. That’s what we do!”

Chris’s early success came from working with Fortune 500 companies, professional athletes and family-owned businesses. As the firm grew, he noticed mid-cap companies are where growing pains are felt the strongest and the rate of stagnation happens the most. So, today, our firm’s focus is among these mid-cap organizations that have seen success, are primed to grow, fueling for the future but need help to… perform, transform and blast-off.

Holly Lewis, a US Navy Veteran and Performance Coach, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, an MBA in Technology Management, and boasts 30+ years of executive experience — namely with the McKesson Corporation (Fortune 100). With a track record of launching three successful nationwide commercial software packages and leading numerous high-performing teams, her reputation as a corporate intrapreneur is well established. With a career built on driving and delivering results on a deadline, Holly not only knows how to accelerate an organization forward, she also knows the importance of executive health. With numerous advanced certifications under her belt, she is skilled in providing practical solutions that help leaders avoid and overcome executive burnout while transforming their businesses. In her free time, she actively supports The American Legion’s advocacy for veterans, enjoys family time, vegetable gardening, and exploring historic West Virginia with her husband.

Holly specializes in:

 

• Process Improvement & Efficiency
• Organizational Scaling
• Individual Executive Performance
• Accelerating and Elevating Executive Teams
• Management Development
• Psycho-Metric Analysis
• Leadership Life Balance & Executive Health

Alex, a performance coach with elite experience, has provided cognitive training to the U.S. Military, including the U.S. Army Sniper School and Air Force Special Operations. She has also coached top Division I athletes who transitioned to the pros. With a master’s degree in performance psychology from Springfield College, Alex specializes in coaching leaders facing complex challenges and excels in strategic planning, tactical execution, and decision-making under pressure.A New Hampshire native, Alex now calls Colorado Springs home, where she enjoys the outdoors and the comforts of home with her husband Raz, twin boys Luca and Nico, and their pup Max.

While Alex is an exceptional coach in all areas, she further specializes in:

 

• Organizational Scaling
• Executive Mindset
• New Executives
• Strategic and Tactical Decision Making
• Executive Team Dynamics
• Mid-Level Management
• Fatigue Science
• Well-Being

Shawn is internationally recognized as one of the premier executive coaches for scaling performance. His impact on successfully guided executives and teams includes companies such as Facebook, Deloitte, American Express, Macy’s, Warner Bros, Chevron and more. What gains Shawn his notoriety and sets him apart within a crowded world of consultants is his ability to challenge and push high-performing executives to find additional gears and multiple their impact within an organization. The speed and sophistication at which these leaders see results, learn to operate from a higher position and amplify growth is truly remarkable. Shawn’s methods are steeped in both performance science and first-hand experience. His advanced degrees in psychology allow him to better understand the mindsets and behaviors of high-performers. Additionally, Shawn has years of hands-on management experience where he developed his own teams, expanded practices and sat in the driver’s seat himself. Now, Shawn serves as our Director of Coaching where he ensures all of our performance experts demonstrate this same exceptional level of skill, precision and professional knack for pushing top performers and teams to the next level. Shawn lives in Pittsburgh, and beyond work, he enjoys outdoor recreation with his wife, Amanda, as well as coaching various sports for their two boys, Isaac and Reuben.

While Shawn is an exceptional coach in all areas, he further specializes in:

• Psychological Leadership
• Organization Scaling
• Enterprise Succession
• Executive Transition / Retirement
• Executive Leadership Development
• Performance Psychology
• Executive Team Dynamics
• Emotional Intelligence Mastery
• Performance Strategy and Design

Chelsea Lamping is a 21-year Air Force veteran and Executive Performance Coach with over 20 years of leadership experience, including as a Division 1 athlete, military officer, and combat airdrop pilot. She holds a B.S. in Psychology and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership. Chelsea specializes in helping professionals unlock their leadership potential by blending evidence-based strategies with her high-stakes experience in leadership and team dynamics.

Chelsea has worked with organizations like NASA and the Missile Defense Agency, where she has optimized individual strengths, built high-performing teams, and empowered leaders to excel in strategic planning, execution, and decision-making under pressure. Chelsea’s approach focuses on values-driven leadership, fostering cohesive teams that deliver sustainable results.

She specializes in Organizational Leadership and Design Thinking, integrating these methods to drive sustainable growth and development. Outside of her professional work, Chelsea lives in Pittsburgh and enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, daughter, son, and their spirited Great Dane. She’s passionate about skiing, traveling the world, and enthusiastically cheering on her kids from the sidelines.

While Chelsea excels in all areas of leadership development, she further specializes in:

• Executive Leadership Development
• High-Performing Team Dynamics
• Human Factors and Design Thinking
• Leadership Mindset and Resilience
• Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence
• Strategic Leadership Design and Organizational Change

Max has over a decade of experience across startups and businesses where his background was in growth strategy, operations, and talent development. To date, Max has coached hundreds of startup founders and CEOs. Max has worn many, many hats and blends his background as an accelerator director, business owner, and executive coach to help leaders unlock their potential through focused coaching and strategy frameworks that scale.  Max is based out of Pittsburgh, PA.

Max believes that leaders are one of two things for their organization:

1. A ceiling that caps their organization’s ability to drive impact.
2. A multiplier that brings out the best in the organization to maximize impact.

Max coaches leaders who aspire to be multipliers.

While Max is an exceptional coach in all areas, he further specializes in:

• Executive Coaching
• Leadership Development
• Career Development Coaching
• Negotiation
• Change Management
• Innovation Strategy

An Air Force veteran with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and extensive operational management experience in a variety of key sectors, Jen has led numerous high-profile projects across the globe. She’s worked closely with executives and business leaders in both the construction and agricultural industries, as well as leading special IT operations within active, international military combat zones. Her diverse background has set her up to excel as the Director of Operations and Finance.

As a key decision-maker for the business and responsible for running the day-to-day operations, Jen will ensure all your needs are met. Guaranteed.

Jen and her husband live in Ohio. They love to spend time with their four children and three grandchildren.

As an Administrative and Operations Specialist, Shelley has worked in the construction, automotive, and fashion industries across the U.S. Working in these sectors has allowed her to perfect managing chaos, containing it, and yielding results. Managing a house of all men (her husband and two sons), has only sharpened these skills.

Above all, Shelley has a strong voice for common sense and clarity of purpose. Something all need to be reminded of, particularly Chris.

She’s made stops in the Midwest and Rocky Mountains and now resides in Wintersville, Ohio, where she manages operations for New Image Remodeling and Repair, a company she and her husband own. The couple has two sons.

Betsy Moore

I/O Psychology Content Lead & Health Coach