Your Partner in Leadership Excellence
The TLI Leadership Team
TLI Leadership Team
Athena Williams
CEO | Founder | Executive Coach | Facilitator
Athena Williams brings passion and commitment to professional development with over 18 years experience working with leaders, managers, employees, educators, and entrepreneurs across diverse fields including technology, financial services, consumer goods and government. Athena assists her clients to engage in the right actions to generate long-term impact for their own organizations as well as their community and society as a whole.
Her expertise spans leadership development, employee development, large-scale organizational change, culture, change, employee engagement, talent management, and collaborative innovation. She has developed and directed a variety of programs covering leadership resilience, personal resilience, leadership development, strategic thinking, stakeholder engagement, leading change, solution-focused coaching, building high performing teams, working across generations, working across cultures, and managing a diverse workforce.
The focus of her work with individuals and organizations is to develop a foundation of resilience to bring clarity to goals, processes and business decisions. Most recently she has created and implemented several training and coaching programs in the US, Europe, Asia, New Zealand, and Australia that integrate on-site training, e-learning, podcasting, blogs, webinars, and action planning. Her programs incorporate experiential learning, neuroscience, bio-psychology, mindfulness, resilience, and mind-body practices.
Her clients include professionals at Adobe, Cisco, DHL, Datacom, eBay, Fujitsu, HP, Microsoft, AMP Financial Services, Bank of America, Bayer Healthcare, Scientific Atlanta, PricewaterhouseCoopers, PowerTV, Siemens, Simco Electronics, Stanford University, Sun Microsystems, Wells Fargo Bank, Xerox PARC, NASA, Lockheed Martin, City of Palo Alto, County of Santa Clara, East Bay Municipal Utilities District, State of Texas Comptroller, Santa Clara Office of Education, New Zealand Earthquake Commission, Auckland City Council, Waitemata District Health Board, Fletcher Building, NZ AID, and NZ Inland Revenue Service.
Athena has spoken globally at dozens of conferences and events across several industries, including business, non-profit, and academia. She has written articles, e-publications and training material used by universities, hundreds of companies and over 30,000 individuals across the globe. She has held the position of Director of the Leadership and Management Program at the UCSC. She has taught at Stanford University, UCSC and Simmons College.
Athena has a B.A. in Economics from Bentley College, an M.A. in Organizational Sociology from Simmons College, and a Training and Human Resource Development Certificate from University of California Extension. She has also completed a two-year coaching program at Coach University and is currently integrating neuroscience into her work via her past studies with the Mind-Body Institute at Harvard University.
She is a member of Harvard Business Review Advisory Board, Center for Creative Leadership Advisory Board, Network of Executive Women, Association of Talent Development, International Coach Federation and National Speakers Association.
Athena and her global team of leadership practitioners look forward to helping you increase your leadership capacity.
Marcus Garcia
Chief Sales Officer
Marcus Garcia is a highly accomplished and results-oriented sales leader with over 15 years of experience focused on building strategic relationships in leading global companies including Cisco, DHL, Salesforce and between TLI and world class companies in the technology, consumer goods and financial services industries.
As Chief Sales Officer at Tenacious Leadership Institute, he is responsible for leading the company's global sales organization and driving revenue growth. Marcus has a proven track record of success in building and scaling high-performing sales teams, developing and executing winning sales strategies, and exceeding revenue targets. He is a strategic thinker with a deep understanding of the technology landscape and a passion for building strong customer relationships.
Marcus is a strong leader and mentor who is committed to developing and empowering his team. He is also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Jennifer Shoal
Chief Operating Officer
Jennifer has over 15 years of experience managing operations in leading professional services firms and technology companies. She works closely with the Tenacious Leadership Institute Team to execute our vision and strategy.
Her vast expertise allows her to bridge our internal and external operational strategy to provide the best service to each of our clients.
She is passionate about customer experience, leadership development, operational efficiency, organizational change and the power of learning to create sustainable transformation.
She has worked with companies such as Adobe, Cisco, FDA, Siemens and Stanford University to implement their leadership learning development strategies.
Jennifer enjoys developing processes that allow everyone to work with more ease.
Monica Covarrubias
Chief Design Officer
As Chief Design Officer, Monica's vision shapes the entire Tenacious Leadership Institute experience. Her designs aren't just visually stunning—they're strategically crafted to elevate every touchpoint, from our leadership development programs to our brand identity.
With over a decade of international experience collaborating with top design firms, Monica brings a sharp eye, a passion for visual storytelling, and a deep understanding of how design can drive impact. Her creative problem-solving translates complex concepts into impactful graphics that resonate with our audience.
In 2024, she spearheaded the revitalization of our visual identity, leaving a lasting impression. Monica's leadership extends beyond aesthetics; she fosters a culture of creativity and innovation within the design team, ensuring TLI remains at the forefront of visual communication.
Growing up surrounded by artists and designers in Mexico, Monica's passion for design is in her DNA. She holds a degree in Graphic Design from Mexico and continues to expand her expertise through ongoing studies and leadership development programs.