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Jackie is known for her ability to align and mobilize organizations to accomplish their most demanding objectives. She guides leaders through the challenges of influencing complex systems and diverse stakeholders. Her signature work integrates expertise in the dynamics of change and effective organization design. She’s a master at developing processes that engage the wisdom of all constituents to achieve an organization’s most important goals – leaving it with genuinely increased capacity and ability to deliver.

As an Executive Coach, Jackie has worked with Senior Executives, Managers of Corporation, Executive Directors and Board Chairs of Non-profits and National Associations. While focusing on the client’s desired outcomes, she coaches the whole person, enabling change based on expanded awareness, increased choice and commitment.

Before starting her own consulting firm, Jackie held consulting positions with two Fortune 50 companies. As Principal Consultant with Digital Equipment Corporation, she designed and implemented an integrated reengineering and change management service which drove profitability, quality, and customer/employees satisfaction. As a Senior Consultant with the Organization Capability Group of BP-Amoco Corporation, she was responsible for organization development consulting and training services which enabled her client divisions to achieve their strategic objectives. By spearheading the use of large group interventions, Jackie accelerated implementation of strategy, new organization design, and the design and implementation of new business processes.

Jackie holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in economics from the University of Michigan, a B.S., magna cum laude, from Tufts University, a Certificate in Business from New York University, and certificates in Organization Systems Development, Group Process, and Consulting with Small Systems from the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland. She has additional specialized training in socio-technical system design, change management, strategic planning, redesign of business processes, large group interventions, appreciative inquiry, and coaching. Jackie has a certificate in ontological coaching from the Newfield Network, and is an ICF Professional Certified Coach. Jackie has taught in the HROD program at the University of Georgia and is adjunct faculty at the Gestalt International Studies Center.

Having lived and worked in Europe and Africa, and North America, Jackie now calls Atlanta home.

For Alan Schaefer the rock star dream began years ago when his older brother took him to see a stadium concert featuring “The Who” as a birthday present.  While his interest in music remained strong, he temporarily shelved his childhood dream and by the time he went to college, he was more interested in the hotel industry than in the music business. 

While pursuing a degree in Hotel Restaurant Management he suddenly found himself battling a still unexplained life-threatening illness, which in turn made him rethink exactly what he wanted to do with his life.  After recovering, he quit his job at a local hotel, started playing guitar and writing songs eight hours a day and joined his first “real” gigging rock band.  He earned his BS in Communications at Florida International University, and then promptly moved to Atlanta to start a band with his twin brother. 

After working at WEA Distribution, Alan was promoted to assist in managing up to thirteen label radio reps. Elektra Records then hired him to do radio promotion for heavyweight artists such as AC/DC, Metallica, Tracy Chapman, and Phish.

In 1994 he left Elektra and co-founded Tourdates.com with his twin brother. This was an online music resource for bands and fans that was successfully sold to Launch Media (now Yahoo Music) in early 2000.  He stayed on for a year as VP while continuing his musical pursuits.  In 2004 he founded the band Five Star Iris and has since performed in 16 countries (including Iraq for U.S. troops), received national airplay, been interviewed in Spin and Billboard, worked with Grammy Award-winning producers, written with hit songwriters and toured with platinum acts.

Alan realized that the valuable lessons he learned from playing in bands could be applied to teams in a number of different environments, including the corporate world.  His fascination with why certain bands had success and longevity while others fell apart turned him into a student of collaboration and group dynamics which ultimately led him to create Banding People Together, a dynamic musically themed corporate team building event and workshop.

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Donna Lang is a Professional Business Coach and Business Skills Trainer. Her sweet spot is Social Media Training. Donna Empowers Entrepreneurs and Small Business Professionals to accelerate success in business and life with her wonderful mix of strategic focus, compassion, creativity and Smart Tools Model for Success.

In 2004 Donna decided to pursue a Coaching Career. Her 15 years of Corporate Sales success and natural Leadership abilities represented a bridge that led Donna to Inspire and Coach others to live their best lives. In fact, she lives and breathes Smart Coaching Tools in her own life by “Winning the Inner Game to produce Extraordinary Outer Results” from the inside out.

Donna Lang’s Coaching Career has been built upon her B.A. Degree in Psychology and her training with world class co-active coaching school, The Coach Training Institute, (CTI).  She is a DiSC Facilitator and views this assessment as a value to her clients  and teams who want to better understand how to leverage their communication styles for greater success in life and business.

She also holds a holds a CDC designation from Marcia Wieder’s Dream Coach University Program. This powerful workshop was designed for companies and business professionals who want to define their mission and discover their true life purpose. 

Drawing upon training with the Applied Neuroscience Institute, Donna utilizes and integrates the work of positive psychology leaders such as Dr Martin Seligman, Tom Rath, Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, etc. into her Coaching Practice.

Ray Barrett is an executive coach who helps decision-makers develop and effectively run their business while creating life balance.  Ray’s clients quickly go from being overwhelmed to having clarity, balance and success.  Ray holds Master degrees in Economics, Finance, Divinity, and Counseling and is a licensed therapist.  Ray is an expert at business effectiveness, the manifestation process, communication, systems theory, and the psychology of business. 

Since creating his business, Life’s Canvas, in 2007, Ray has helped many startup businesses create their own success, offered a range of trainings and seminars, corporate retreats, and audio training products.

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Smile Soap and Detergent is a family business, run by Brad and Marlis with help from their family. They make Risa Soap, and their motto is “Good, clean, fun”

Brad and Marlis strongly believe in conserving the environment, recycling, buying local and utilizing thingsthat can be found in nature; They also like to use good soap.  The result –  an all-natural, and in some cases, organic line of soap and detergents.  Risa soaps are hand made in the traditional cold-process method, are all-vegan, and retain the natural glycerin produced by a reaction called saponification. 

Marlis and Brad grew up together in Atlanta and now live in Decatur, GA with their daughter, Bea.  Brad received a BA in Chemistry and an MBA from Emory and worked as an Executive in the telecommunications industry for 13 years.  Marlis received her BA in Fine Art from Kenyon College and graduated from Portfolio Center in Atlanta with her concentration in Illustration. She runs a Freelance Illustration business focused on engraved glass, illustrating children’s books, painting, designing packaging and other creative pursuits.

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Robert E. (Bob) Hope is a 40-year veteran of the public relations and event marketing industry.  Bob’s extensive background includes a wide variety of experience.  He was the public relations director of the Atlanta Braves when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record. When Ted Turner purchased the Braves, he became vice president of both the Braves and the Atlanta Hawks teams, while also handling Ted Turner’s personal publicity.

After 14 years with the Braves and Turner, Bob left the organization for a stint at The Coca-Cola Company, and later as executive vice president in the New York headquarters of global public relations firm Burson-Marsteller. He left Burson-Marsteller after 10 years to become event division president of Whittle Communications.

In 1994, Bob co-founded Hope-Beckham with longtime friend Paul Beckham. 

Bob is active in the Atlanta community.  He is a trustee and on the executive committee of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.  He serves on the board of directors for the Atlanta Sports Council, is a trustee with the Women’s Sports Foundation and is vice president of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Georgia.  He is also on the advisory board for Baseball America and an annual team leader for Honduras Outreach Inc. 

Bob received a B.A. in journalism from Georgia State University.  He has written two books: “We Could Have Finished Last Without You” about his early years with the Braves and “Greater Late Than Never” about people who achieve success after 50.

Hughes came to Hope-Beckham in October 2007 from Atlanta Spirit LLC, parent company of the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Thrashers and Philips Arena, where he was senior vice president of communications. There, he led all communication and press outreach, and oversaw the two teams’ radio talent and production from the company’s March 2004 inception. While he was there, Hughes also helped form a group of public relations representatives from the Atlanta sports teams and organizations for networking and media relationship-building purposes. The group currently has 35 members and meets quarterly.

Prior to the Spirit, Hughes was senior director of media relations for the Thrashers leading up to and beginning with the team’s 1999-2000 inaugural season. He joined the Thrashers while working as director of public relations for Turner Sports, Inc. 

Hughes is responsible for new business development as well as Public and Media Relations strategy and execution for Hope-Beckham clients. His current client list includes Belk Inc., the Tour Championship by Coca-Cola, the Atlanta Sports Council, and others. He also works with a local non-profit organization called L.E.A.D. (Launch, Expose, Advise and Direct.)

Hughes is very active in the community.  He coaches youth basketball, sits on the board of directors for the First Tee of Atlanta, the Brookhaven Rotary club, and is on a Friends Committee for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Georgia.