“I was shaped by my immigrant upbringing in the culturally turbulent 1970s in a small, progressive Wisconsin town. I felt like a misfit heretic everywhere: at school, at home, when visiting relatives in India. Meanwhile, my atheist pacifist mathematician father taught me to question everything, and my household was learned, scholarly, and cultured. This combination of factors politicized me as a teenager. I became involved in organizing work the minute I entered college, came out, and learned a vocabulary to describe my ideals of justice, environmentalism, and pacifism.”

 

As a professional coach, I specialize in intentional life planning, productivity, time management, and career transition. I work primarily with highly motivated, creative, thoughtful social change activists and nonprofit staff. In addition to one-on-one coaching, I offer group workshops and trainings in these areas.

I have more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit and community organizations as a staff member, board member, executive director, volunteer, and most importantly,  as an involved community member.

I also am a  social scientist and academic, with 13 years of experience teaching sociology and advising low-income college students and students of color. In that time, I led student service programs at universities and foundations designed to increase access to higher education for low-income and underrepresented students. I also created and shaped social change projects and programs in a variety of issue areas since the 1980s.

The common thread that runs through all of these experiences is my love of working with brilliant people who find themselves feeling stuck in some way. My gift is to offer a judgment-free, empowering space to nurture your internal spark and clear a path to your goals. Because of my decades-long passion for figuring out how to help people meet their potential, I have accumulated an comprehensive arsenal of resources, exercises, and tools to support you on your journey.

Vega lives in Rockville, MD.