Christina Schlachter

Athlete, Educator/Teacher, Entrepreneur, Explorer, Global soul, Idea generator, Job-seeker, Parent, Philanthropist, Writer/Editor

How can information spark action? Some people watch the news, take a class, or read an email and use the information to make a change. Others passively sit by and do nothing. Why the difference? I lead research-based communication programs for companies, community groups, and school districts that help leaders and teachers inspire positive action (rather than leave it sitting on a virtual bookshelf) after an audience hears a message (an email, a lesson, news, or any other information). Over the first twenty years of my career, I have been an executive leadership coach and created the Organizational Excellence program at Capital Group. In the far past, I was the Organizational Effectiveness Director at Hewitt Associates and a Managing Principal at Oracle, leading multiple change management consulting engagements in Asia, and a graduate of the Financial Management Program at General Electric. I wrote Critical Conversations for Dummies and Leading Business Change for Dummies, and am an Institute for Social Innovation fellow with Fielding University. I have been honored with the Denver Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award, recognizing the most accomplished and community-focused young professionals in the Denver-metro area. When not coaching, writing, or speaking with leaders in the community, I love the outdoors and anything athletic. I split my time between Fair Haven, New Jersey and Boulder, Colorado and am a two-time Ironman triathlete (slow but steady is my motto) and a 9-mile Maui Channel Swim individual finisher. I love to bike, ski, and swim with my husband and our two young sons, with my trusty Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever at our side. I think one of the greatest challenges facing our society is being able to create an environment that values each individual, gives every person a chance to create their own future, and discovers how we can best work together to make positive change. After traveling to Ethiopia to adopt our second son and seeing real poverty, every day I try to do what I can to make sure every child has a chance to have a bright future. Right now, I am working with my literacy and action based non-profit (Junior Journalists) and race for the Water.org triathlon team. And I am always looking for more ways to give back!

Anything that inspires me to get out and think, read, and sweat!

Does constant crisis-positioning news cause the same reaction in our brains as a real crisis would? If we watch a newscast with multiple sources of news popping-up on the screen, do our brains react the same way as when we are faced with real threats? If our brain reacts the same to these on-screen threats as it would to real threats, can we really process that information? Who can think logically when faced with the threat of everything we hear and read on the news every day?

Board and Committee Leadership, Communicating Complex Ideas, Idea Creation & Brainstorming, Leadership, Media impact & analytics, Neuro Coaching, Neuro-based Research, published author, Writing

This is my first one. After 20 years, I have decided to shift my career. I love Brené Brown. Her talk has given me the courage to open up and just do what I love. No hiding behind an office in some building with really bad lighting. TedWomen is my launching ground for the future.

Walking across the stage in fitness gear & 5 inch heals while I was working towards my Certificate in NeuroLeadership with a PhD in hand....