Testimonials
StrivEquity's Past & Current Engagements
My journey with coaching with David at StrivEquity has been a transformative experience that catalyzed my decision to run for Congress. His unique approach to leadership coaching pushed me to reconcile my personal aspirations with my professional identity, inspiring a renewed sense of purpose. The introspective exercises and empathetic guidance helped me articulate my vision and values more clearly, propelling me to step into the political arena with confidence and clarity. I was impressed with the range of knowledge and resources he possessed, as well as the connections he was willing and able to provide. In addition to coaching, I opted for strategy sessions, which helped me put theory into practice. David’s coaching was a key factor in helping me harness my potential and run at full speed towards my goals.
Ron Harris
Minnesota State Campaign Director, Harris for President
I don’t say this lightly: my coaching experience with David DeVaughn has been one of the most significant personal and professional experiences of my life. I began working with David in June of 2021, just as I completed my first academic year on the tenure-track after being in a full-time contingent role since September 14, just after I earned by doctorate. In addition to my tenure-track role, I am holding a number of other pressing responsibilities: completing a book manuscript under contract with an academic press; serving in various volunteer leadership capacities; and, working to maintain being a whole, community-grounded human being.
Initially, I intended for my work with David to primarily be in supporting me with incremental deadlines towards completion of my book manuscript. He continues to do that; being able to send him chapter drafts as a measure of accountability (and not pressure) has been very helpful. Yet, early on it became clear that David was not only interested in the content of my work, but was an incredibly valuable thought partner as I was: analyzing the data; reading literature and research to interpret the data; and, grappling with how to write about the honesty and complexities of my situatedness in the research. My coaching with David centers my whole self so instead of viewing my various responsibilities as competing, his work helps me to see (and work towards) them being intersecting and in alignment. His coaching has also helped me to determine what I need and desire to feel, and be, my best self. This kind of clarity and intention helps me produce the kind of work and be the kind of human I wish to be in the world.
David will certainly be acknowledged in my book, but his impact on my personal and professional life is much more expansive.
Keisha L. Goode, PhD
Assistant Professor, Sociology The State University of New York
I started coaching with David at exactly the right time that I needed someone to reflect and connect the dots with, between my professional and personal lives. I reached out when I was reassessing how I wanted to show up to work at my current organization, but knew it required some sensitive excavation. David and I had worked together previously as colleagues, and I already knew of his gifts of making people feel heard and held and his integrity left an impression on me, which allowed me to trust him and the process deeply and without skepticism.
In this new relationship as coach and client, what struck me was that there wasn’t a power dynamic that included a presumption of knowledge. Indeed, his work is called coaching, but it entails much more than directing in a prescribed manner. Rather, what was obvious from the outset was that he was committed to understanding all my selves: neurodivergent cis Asian-American woman working in a transformative non-profit organization, with a desire to allow more time for creative pursuits. He has been instrumental in my ever-evolving healing, helping me make the shift from deriving self-worth/value through productivity, to that of feeling worthy of rest and holding myself in esteem as someone with a rich inner and outer life.
My personal journey these past six months has included major health challenges that tested my physical and mental health. I had been bringing elements of non-western healing into my concept of self and how I show up, and David always embraced with curiosity these modalities that I knew were affecting how I wanted to be in the world. Ultimately, he was supportive of how I viewed the world and my desire to transform, while being able to suggest tools that would be complementary to my worldview, with care and intuition. The effectiveness of his coaching and tools is apparent when I have been able to integrate them into my everyday practice and the grace which I know how to give myself. This ability not only has redefined my view on how I get things done, but also my personal framework of understanding where these views are coming from: my motivations, values, and who will help me get there.
Ramy Kim
Public Health Practitioner & Social Activist for Equity in the Built Environment, Health, Design, Place, and Open Knowledge
David and I met about every two weeks over a period of five months. During that time, David identified guides and tools that were very helpful in developing my awareness related to race and other equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) issues. The coaching experience provided a different way to explore EDI that was complimentary to but very different than other EDI resources. The one-on-one, non-rushed experience allowed thoughts and feelings to surface in a way the other EDI trainings and events did not. David is a very good listener, empathetic, insightful, and dedicated to this work. I would highly recommend David as a coach to others who are interested in exploring this work.
Tom Andruszewski
Records Manager, Information Center Coordinator, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
David’s approach to leadership coaching truly challenged me to confront the dichotomy (and synergies) between my personal goals, voice and values versus the ways I navigate the professional sphere. Through a series of powerful and introspective exercises and thoughtful discussion, I felt myself being better grounded in my personal aspirations, and by extension, more equipped to articulate what professional dynamics and spaces did and didn’t make me full. The balance of better understanding self and building a forward-looking vision has added new energy and thoughtfulness for how I can set boundaries and make career decisions that will fulfill me in the long term. I credit David’s gift for active listening and empathy for being able to thoughtfully guide me through the process.
Jerome Nathaniel
Director of Policy and Government Relations at City Harvest and City Planning Graduate Student at Pratt Institute