FOUNDER
Malika Begin
Malika has worked in organization development partnering with startups and established brands in tech, marketing, and entertainment to create award-winning culture. Her company, Begin Development, creates transformational learning opportunities, builds integrated leadership and manager programs, facilitates all company learning and development and coaches professionals with a strengths-based approach. Her passion is working with teams to remove barriers between departments, and building organizational health and resilience. She designed the signature 8 month Leadership Development program (COLLAB) for leaders at all levels and loves to build programs to support mentorship and underrepresented leaders. She believes that empowering and growing talent is the ultimate advantage.
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Creedance Kresch
Principal Consultant
Creedance Kresch brings together real-world business experience with a creative mindset to build and lead teams that deliver best-in-class work through learning and development. With 20+ years of collaborative marketing and leadership experience across brands like AT&T, Disney, Sony, Suzuki, and Toyota, Creedance enjoys working with cross-functional teams to build relationships and create a shared purpose that increases personal drive to bring our best (ever-evolving) selves to work. B.A., Art, M.B.A., Leadership.
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Corrie Napier
Principal Consultant
Corrie Napier is a conflict consultant, trainer, mediator, and international education professional who specializes in helping individuals and organizations navigate conflict and enhance effective communication. She is trilingual and draws daily upon over a decade of experience living and working internationally, predominantly in China, Argentina and Israel. Corrie holds a Master of Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University’s Caruso School of Law, and currently serves as Managing Director of Pax Napier, a specialized, international consultancy and mediation firm focusing on conflict resolution, problem solving, and development.
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Bridgette Nelson
Principal Consultant
Bridgette Nelson has built a professional career in changing companies through its people. With a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, she has a unique ability to develop strategic organization and culture plans that speak to the business and bottom line. While navigating the corporate landscape as a Black woman, Bridgette developed a passion for incorporating more diversity, equity, inclusion and overall belonging into workspaces. Bridgette specializes in capacity building through participatory facilitation, leadership development, performance management, coaching, and organization culture, and design.
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Lynette Marroquin
Assistant
Lynette Marroquin is a Los Angeles based virtual assistant. She worked for several years in the non-profit sector at a private international school and is passionate about leadership development. In addition, she is a wife, mother, and low-waste living enthusiast. In her free time, you can find Lynette having picnics with her family, trying a new recipe in the kitchen, or watching one of her many favorite period dramas.
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Caitlin Robertson
Principal Consultant
Caitlin Robertson is an energetic leader with experience building and scaling teams that drive profitable growth, cultivate authentic relationships, and deliver best-in-class creative offerings for brands like Disney, Google, Amazon, NBC, Warner Brothers, Timberland, Mary Kay and more. She is passionate about equipping managers to lead engaged, innovative and effective teams. Caitlin graduated from Pepperdine University with an MS in Integrated Marketing Communications. Caitlin has been honored as a Cynopsis Media Top Woman in Digital.
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Cecily Breeding
Principal Consultant
Through the experience of starting her own business in her twenties, Cecily Breeding learned firsthand that without crystal clear goals, nothing gets done. She believes that everyone—even an individual in a thousand-person workforce—is an entrepreneur because we are all in charge of our work ethic and our ongoing development. Cecily helps our clients increase emotional intelligence and motivation and decrease conflict through DiSC and 5 Behaviors assessments and workshops. She loves creating an atmosphere of energy and possibility in the sessions she leads.
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Melissa Bruna
Accounting
Melissa specializes in payroll, sales tax, income tax and we are thankful she works her numbers magic to keep everything running smoothly. She earned both her BA and her MA from Kansas State University in accounting. Melissa is currently involved as a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Kansas Society of Certified Public Accountants. She is a current member of the Waterville Chamber of Commerce and serves as the Board Treasurer. Melissa was recently elected to serve as a Greenleaf City Council member.
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Kate Pauley
Events
Kate Pauley comes to us in a magical partnership, bringing together her company, Create Dinners and Begin Development, to offer best-in-class, thoughtful experiences, events, and production. This partnership will allow Begin Development to offer you well-curated and meaningful moments in your organization to inspire, create and unite, in ways your team will be talking about for years to come. Kate herself brings a wealth of experience from the world of marketing and an unparalleled eye for design. Most importantly, she leads with heart, wisdom, and a drive to see the best in people.
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Christopher Collins
Assessment & Analytics
Christopher S. Collins has a PhD in Higher Education and Organizational Change from UCLA and is an Associate Professor at Azusa Pacific University. He has studied and consulted with a variety of organizations (e.g., the World Bank, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, and the US Agency for International Development) to develop a greater understanding of systemic problems about diversity in organizations. He recently finished his 10th book: White Evolution: The Constant Struggle for Racial Consciousness (2020, Peter Lang Publishers).
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Alexander Jun
Assessment & Analytics
Alexander Jun is a TEDx speaker and a scholar on matters of race, equity, and justice. He earned a PhD from the University of Southern California and is the author/ co-author of numerous books and articles, including: White Evolution: The Constant Struggle for Racial Consciousness (2020, Peter Lang Publishers). As a professor at Azusa Pacific University he advises doctoral students and leads seminars around the world.
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Emma Parkerson
Executive Consultant, SDI
Emma Parkerson is an organization development consultant, designer, and group facilitator with quiet confidence and a passion for building community and connection. For over 15 years, Emma has supported education systems across the country to solve complex problems by bridging research, practice, and policy. Most recently, she co-founded Systems Design Lab with Ke Wu, a consulting firm offering strategic partnership to social sector organizations. Emma brings to her clients an eye for process with attention to relationships. Her top three strengths are analytical, reserved, and inclusive.
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Ke Wu
Executive Consultant, SDI
Ke Wu is a continuous improvement advisor and group facilitator with a passion for deeply investigating systems to improve quality and performance. She has supported communities to navigate persistent challenges across both domestic and international social sector systems, helping them to leverage a combination of practical changes, research and community organizing. Most recently, she co-founded Systems Design Lab with Emma Parkerson to offer strategic partnership to social sector organizations looking to work on systemic problems and make an impact in their communities. Ke brings to her clients a keen focus on results paired with compassion and respect for the experiences of individuals and communities. Her top three strengths are analytical, adaptable, and option-oriented.
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Kailey Howell
Creative
Superstar Kailey Howell joins us with a B.A. in Television, Production, and Media Design from Pepperdine University. For over 10 years, Kailey has worked as a creative director in groundbreaking media. She is a forefront leader in visual storytelling and brand awareness. Her creative prowess infuses new energy into Begin Development through the strength of her creative vision. This collaboration will allow Begin Development to deliver motivating visuals, inspiring materials and clear messaging for transformational tools.
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Michael Fischer
Principal Consultant
Michael Fischer is the Vice President of Global Talent Management for Sysco, a purpose-driven company that is the global leader in food service distribution. His area of passion is increasing organization capability through the focus of strategic HR leadership, talent management, organization development, and large-scale change processes. Throughout his career, he has built successful teams that deliver practical and high-impact solutions.
Prior to joining Sysco, Michael led OD and talent management functions in multiple global companies and industries including energy, chemical manufacturing, and consumer products.
Michael has a Master’s Degree in Organization Development from Pepperdine University (Malibu, CA) and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Lawrence University (Appleton, WI).
Find Michael on LinkedIn >>
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Pilaar Terry
Strategic Communication Specialist
Pilaar Terry is managing partner for POV Agency, a boutique strategic communications agency that reimagines how PR and comms are done and who it’s done by to better resonate with an ever-evolving culture. She oversees Business Strategy, New Business Development, Operations and Client Management. Pilaar guided the business through COVID-19, growing it farther beyond her humble kitchen table than she could have ever dreamed. Her vision to build an agency powered by all types of diversity and her firm belief that representation truly matters filters through all aspects of the organization.
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Sunny Ziemer
Operations
Sunny Ziemer has a passion for operations that began over 20 years ago. Sunny’s greatest pleasure in work is to help colleagues and clients to have that lightbulb moment of understanding what it truly means and feels like to enjoy your job. Sunny has had the opportunity to play a key role in the success of numerous organizations. Throughout her career Sunny has implemented innovative processes and operations that resulted in improved productivity, communication, and employee satisfaction. Sunny loves spending time with her partner and son living life to the fullest. You can find her volunteering at her son's school, planning travel with family and friends, and hosting an epic BBQ in her backyard.
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Heather Sundell
Copywriter
With over 15 years of experience telling digital stories for brands and executive leaders, Heather is a sharp communicator and thought leadership facilitator who uses creative storytelling to meet business objectives.
Begin Development consultants bring certified expertise to the table.
