International Consultants

MARKET ANALYSIS AND ENGAGEMENT

Richard-OSullivan

Richard O’Sullivan is the principal and founder of Change Management Solutions a consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations identify, understand, and harness the forces reshaping their markets by examining the economic, social, political, and technological “game changers” that are usually off most organizations’ radar. For a description of how Change Management Solutions’ services help organizations facing profound change visit www.harnesschange.net.

An economist and business environment analyst with 30 years experience in the public, private, and civil society sectors, O’Sullivan has worked with associations and other nonprofit organizations around the world. He is a recognized expert in the role and design of demand-driven and self-sustaining strategies to address social concerns. He has authored several journal articles on the role and design of demand-driven and self-sustaining association strategies to address social concerns and the chapter, “Sustainability – Associations as Agents of Change in the Collaborative Economy” in Professional Practices in Association Management, the required textbook for American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) professional certification. He is a frequent speaker on the forces of disruptive change to markets and businesses. From 2004 to 2006 as a special advisor to the U.S. Department of State project to promote associations to create more competitive business environments in post-communist governments in the Southeastern Europe, he developed Demand Network Mapping, the unique analytical tool that helps organizations determine why conventional market signals failed. This device is equally effective in developed economies.

O’Sullivan currently is one of 15 selected members of ASAE’s International Council. He also serves as vice-chairperson for the Healthcare Economics Roundtable for the National Association for Business Economics (NABE). He holds a BA in Foreign Affairs from Assumption College (Worcester, Massachusetts, USA) and an MA in Economics from George Mason University (Fairfax, Virginia, USA).

 

Sylvia Gonner, CAE, is a consultant, speaker, author, and trainer specialized in international management and cross-cultural relations. She’s truly a culture wiz who masters 6 languages, has worked on all continents, and has traveled to more than 70 countries. She’s a certified association executive (CAE) who holds a B.A. in Communication and M.A. in International Studies. She heads the consulting firm CultureWiz offering consulting services to any organization seeking to excel globally and blogs about international and cross-cultural management at www.theCultureWiz.com

Throughout her 30-year career, Sylvia has served as an executive in several global organizations and as an international consultant to association clients. She has a solid track-record of leading international growth strategies, driving revenue in a global marketplace, and spearheading innovative global operating models. She has structured and set up operations from the ground up in over 50 countries, led several global diversity and inclusion strategies, as well as capacity-building initiatives worldwide. She’s an expert advisor in building international partnerships and developing products and services for a multitude of markets around the world.

Sylvia Gonner authored the chapter “Defining and Nurturing Chapter and Affiliate Relations” in ASAE’s 4th edition of Professional Practices in Association Management textbook used by professionals to study for the Certified Association Executive exam.

 

Intercultural Communications

Viola-Stoehr

Viola Stoehr is an independent intercultural communications consultant originally from Munich, Germany. She earned her graduate degree in English and Sociology from the University of Stuttgart where she is now a PhD candidate. Her research revolves around cultural identity in Trinidad and Tobago.

From 2006 to 2009 she was employed in the international office of the University of Stuttgart as a coordinator for the project “Monitoring” funded by the Baden-Wuerttemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts. The program aimed at improving the performance of international students via intercultural advising, German/technical language courses and courses in scientific research methods, and was successful in helping the students improve their grades substantially and shortened the time they needed to graduate through a variety of measures. The program’s success led to its permanent adoption by the University of Stuttgart. Throughout the project, Viola gained extensive experience in working with varying learning styles across different cultures.

Viola Stoehr is also the co-founder of “S.cope” at www.scope-training.de, a Stuttgart –Germany based company that offers intercultural training and coaching to institutions of higher education. S.cope has conducted workshops for international and domestic students, faculty and staff at 12 German universities including University of Erlangen Nurnberg, University of Freiburg and Technical University of Ilmenau.

Viola Stoehr relocated to the United States in early 2009. In addition to collaborating with StrategicStraits to develop cultural competence in the education field Viola teaches German at George Washington University and conducts online seminars on “Intercultural Management” at the German Distance University of Europäische Fachhochschule Hamburg.

 

Bruce S. Burnside is a human-centered qualitative researcher and anthropologist who focuses on intercultural learning.

He received his doctorate degree from Columbia University’s Teachers College in May 2020. He earned his Masters of Arts at Columbia University and his Bachelors degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His international research projects have taken him from Germany to Turkey and he has explored a range of topics from immigration to education to media and museums.

Bruce is an instructor at The City College of New York where he teaches anthropology. He is also a New York City history enthusiast.

 

ENGAGING GLOBAL MINDSET SKILLS THROUGH YOGA

Lisa-Danahy

Lisa Danahy has been actively involved in building community and promoting cultural cohesion in schools and businesses throughout her professional career. She possesses a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology along with certifications in Hatha yoga and prenatal yoga instruction.  She is an Approved Trainer for the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Division of Early Childhood Education (OSSE/ECE) and has an extensive background in education, human resource management, training, and business administration.

For over 30 years, Lisa has dedicated herself to the social, emotional, and cognitive growth of individuals from large businesses to small schools, from infants to adults.  Lisa began her career as a successful human resource manager for a leading law firm in Washington, DC, and then turned her talents to strengthening the field of early childhood education through her development and expansion of a thriving, highly-regarded early childhood education program in northwest DC.

At the core of Lisa’s success is a rich and fulfilling yoga practice.  In 2011, recognizing the benefits of sharing her yoga practice with others, Lisa completed her 200-hour training in Pranakriya Yoga, a classic form of Hatha yoga taught in the tradition of Swami Kripalu. In 2012, she went on to complete her Prenatal Yoga Certification.

Lisa currently leads private and group yoga classes and conducts off-site yoga trainings and workshops for schools, businesses and organizations throughout the DC area.  She also provides professional development trainings for early childhood educators and school administrators, assists with teacher credentialing through the Council for Professional Recognition, and offers a variety of yoga-based instruction for teachers, students, and families.

As the founder and director of Dynamic Life Strategies, Lisa has developed a broad-reaching and comprehensive training and consultation program based in yoga practices to help individuals and businesses improve their health, balance, and well-being.

Lisa believes that yoga is a practice that brings strength, joy and richness to life and that yoga is a building block for creating a community of active, aware and compassionate citizens.