Navigating your career path can be challenging, but having the right mentor or coach can make all the difference. Washington, DC is home to a diverse group of professionals dedicated to helping individuals achieve their career goals. Whether you’re seeking guidance on career transitions, leadership development, or personal growth, this comprehensive list of 32 top career mentors, coaches, counselors, and influencers in DC has you covered.
1. Jim Weinstein
Jim Weinstein is a Life and Career Consultant based in Washington, DC. With over 25 years of experience, he specializes in career counseling, executive coaching, and psychotherapy. Jim helps clients navigate career transitions, improve work performance, and achieve better work-life balance. His approach combines practical career advice with psychological insights to address both professional and personal challenges.
2. Anna Rappaport
Anna Rappaport is the founder of Excelleration Coaching in Washington, DC. She specializes in coaching lawyers and other professionals to enhance their careers and personal lives. With over 20 years of experience as an attorney and coach, Anna focuses on helping clients improve their business development skills, leadership abilities, and work-life integration. She is also a mentor coach, training other coaches in the field.
3. Laura Koepsell
Laura Koepsell is a Career Counselor and Coach based in Washington, DC. She offers personalized career guidance to help clients find fulfilling work and navigate career transitions. Laura’s approach emphasizes self-discovery and aligning career choices with personal values and strengths. She provides services such as career assessments, job search strategies, and interview preparation.
4. Eric Woodard
Eric Woodard is a Career Coach and Author in the Washington, DC area. He specializes in helping young professionals and recent graduates launch their careers, particularly in the fields of international affairs and public service. Eric has extensive experience in career development, having worked with various educational institutions and non-profit organizations. He offers coaching services, workshops, and has authored books on career strategies.
5. Chrissy at Blueprintgreen
Chrissy Macken is the founder of Blueprintgreen, a career coaching and consulting firm in Washington, DC. She specializes in helping professionals find meaningful work aligned with their values, particularly in sustainability and social impact fields. Chrissy offers career transition support, job search strategies, and personal branding services. Her approach focuses on empowering clients to create careers that contribute to positive social and environmental change.
6. Sarah Brooks
Sarah Brooks is an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) based in Washington, DC. She specializes in leadership coaching and career development. Sarah works with clients to help them navigate career transitions, develop leadership skills, and achieve their professional goals. Her approach focuses on helping individuals align their careers with their values and strengths.
7. Grace Albinson
Grace Albinson is a Certified Coach and Attorney based in Washington, DC. She combines her legal background with coaching expertise to provide career guidance, particularly for professionals in the legal field. Grace offers services such as career transition support, leadership development, and professional growth strategies. Her unique perspective allows her to understand the challenges faced by legal professionals and help them navigate their careers effectively.
8. Eloise Russo
Eloise Russo is an Executive Coach and Leadership Consultant in the Washington, DC area. She specializes in helping leaders and professionals develop their skills, navigate career transitions, and improve their overall performance. Eloise’s approach incorporates elements of mindfulness and emotional intelligence in her coaching practice. She has training in conflict management and negotiation, which she applies to help clients overcome workplace challenges and advance their careers.
9. Erica Buchholz, Ph.D.
Erica Buchholz is a Career Coach and Consultant based in Washington, DC. She specializes in helping individuals navigate career transitions and find fulfilling work. Her background in applied developmental psychology informs her coaching approach. Erica offers services such as career exploration, job search strategy development, and interview preparation.
10. Michelle Bracy
Michelle Bracy is a certified Executive Leadership and Development Coach. She is also certified in Emotional Intelligence coaching (EQi 2.0) and is a Myers Briggs Type Indicator practitioner. Michelle’s focus appears to be on leadership development and career advancement, helping professionals enhance their skills and reach their career goals.
11. Paula Castillo
Paula Castillo is a Somatic Coach and Gallup Strengths Coach. She holds multiple degrees (BA, BS, MS) and appears to focus on holistic career development, incorporating both mental and physical aspects into her coaching approach. Paula likely helps clients align their strengths with their career aspirations and develop strategies for professional growth.
12. Sara Oliveri
Sara Oliveri is a Career and Life Coach based in Washington, DC. She is the founder of Sara Oliveri Coaching, where she offers personalized coaching services to help clients achieve their personal and professional goals. Sara’s approach focuses on career transitions, work-life balance, personal growth, and goal setting. She has a background in positive psychology and applies evidence-based techniques in her coaching practice.
13. Beverly Roberts
Beverly Roberts is a Career Development Coach operating in the Washington, DC area. She provides career coaching services to professionals seeking to advance their careers or make career transitions. Beverly likely offers guidance on job search strategies, resume writing, interview preparation, and professional development.
14. Kevin Katindig
Kevin Katindig is a Career Coach based in Washington, DC. He specializes in helping professionals navigate career transitions and develop strategies for career advancement. While specific details about his coaching methods are not provided in the search results, his LinkedIn profile suggests that he offers services related to career development and guidance.
15. David Meece
David Meece, known as “CyberTech Dave,” is a cybersecurity professional who has contributed to career development in the field. He has served as a Cybersecurity Mentor at Cyber Mentor DoJo, helping aspiring professionals develop skills and knowledge in cybersecurity. David has also authored the “Red Team Operator’s Handbook,” providing valuable resources for those pursuing careers in this area. His efforts in career development and community building have been recognized with the SANS Cyber Community of the Year Award.
16. Tamara King, MSHR
Tamara King, MSHR, is a professional with expertise in Human Resources, as indicated by her MSHR (likely Master of Science in Human Resources) title. While her LinkedIn profile is accessible, the search results don’t provide specific information about her career development work. Her background in HR suggests she may be involved in areas such as talent management, employee development, and potentially career coaching, but without more details, I can’t provide specific information about how she has helped people build careers.
17. Patricia DiVecchio – Career Coach and CEO of “International Purpose”
Patricia DiVecchio is the CEO and Founder of International Purpose LLC, a consulting firm and social enterprise. She partners with international development organizations and small business owners to evolve their mindset and approach to work. Patricia uses her “Seven EVOLUTIONARY Tools” to help clients overcome personal and institutional resistance, develop problem-solving skills, and think more proactively and strategically. Her work focuses on implementing a new paradigm of work and business that addresses deeper human and planetary needs.
18. Elena Agaragimova – Talent Development Expert and Career Coach
Elena Agaragimova is a Talent Development Expert and Career Coach based in Washington, DC. She has experience working with individuals across different generations, supporting them in achieving their career goals. Elena provides career and talent development coaching services, offering support in areas such as career transitions, skill development, and professional growth. Her work focuses on helping professionals advance in their careers and navigate the evolving professional landscape.
19. Carla Bass – Career Coach, Author, and Speaker on Writing and Communication in Careers
Carla Bass is a Career Coach, Author, and Speaker specializing in writing and communication in careers. While specific details about her coaching work are not provided in the search results, her focus on writing and communication suggests she helps professionals improve their career prospects through enhanced communication skills.
20. Jennifer Landis-Santos – Career Wellness Checkup
Jennifer Landis-Santos is a retirement coach working at Cassaday & Co., Inc., a financial management firm. She supports clients in envisioning their next phase post full-time employment and guides individuals in career launches and transitions towards more fulfilling paths. Jennifer also contributes to Georgetown’s Institute for Transformational Leadership and is the founder of Career Wellness, a platform that aids clients in contemplating work, life, and well-being.
21. Lauren Laitin – Parachute Coaching
Lauren Laitin is the Founder and Principal of Parachute Coaching. She designs custom experiences to help individuals and organizations expand their leadership capabilities, redefine team culture, and navigate their evolving professional landscape. Lauren offers small group workshops, company-wide trainings, and one-on-one coaching sessions. Her work focuses on leadership visioning, cultivating workforce culture, effective communications, career development strategies, strategic planning, and change management.
22. Barbara Herzog – Herzog Career Consulting
Barbara Herzog is a career counselor and personal coach with over 19 years of experience. She helps clients gain clarity and self-understanding, teaches new techniques and resources, and provides support for career transitions. Barbara’s approach involves paying close attention to clients’ goals, asking probing questions, and offering suggestions to help them navigate career changes. She has assisted a diverse group of clients from various fields and cultural backgrounds.
23. Marcus Webster – Independent Career Development Professional
Marcus Webster is a recruiter and professional services consultant specializing in technology fields like IoT, cybersecurity, and embedded systems. He helps professionals in these areas find career opportunities and advance their careers. Marcus uses a “Talented Tenth” philosophy to connect clients with top talent in the market. His experience includes managing business development, talent acquisition, and relationship management for various industries.
24. Lea Berry, PCC
Lea Berry is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) who has experience in managing interns and helping professionals transition into management roles. She coaches individuals who are managing employees or interns for the first time, focusing on self-awareness and identifying strengths and triggers to help new managers regulate themselves in high-stakes situations.
25. Chinazom Sunny Nwabueze
Chinazom Sunny Nwabueze is a high-performance leadership coach and behavioral science consultant. He is the founder of Dreamcatchers Performance and author of “Real Talk: A New Approach for Men’s Mental Fitness and Wellbeing.” Chinazom has over 2,000 hours of coaching experience, helping leaders improve their mental fitness and performance. He focuses on mental wellness, particularly for men, and has created online communities and video chat series to support career development. His work aims to redefine how professionals approach mental fitness in their careers, emphasizing its importance for sustainable high performance.
26. Ije Jemie Nwabueze
Ije Jemie Nwabueze is a Lean Six Sigma certified strategy execution expert and business transformation leader. She helps C-suite executives and business owners grow their businesses through intentional strategies that create measurable results. Ije’s approach includes balancing big-picture innovative thinking with efficient end-to-end planning to deliver on business priorities. She assists clients in areas such as vision clarification, prioritization, data-driven decision-making, talent assessment, and team building. With over 15 years of experience in growing businesses across U.S. and international markets, Ije helps professionals develop their careers by focusing on strategic thinking, process optimization, and leadership skills.
27. Amy Babish
Amy Babish is a coach, energy worker, somatic expert, and intuitive healer with 20 years of experience. Based in Washington, DC, she works with women who are leaders, visionaries, or healers, helping them reconnect with their life purpose. Amy offers coaching, mentoring, retreats, and women’s circles, focusing on supporting high-achieving women who seek authentic connection, vulnerability, and personal growth. Her approach combines elements of psychotherapy, art therapy, and various holistic practices to help clients overcome challenges and achieve fulfillment.
28. Ellen Frawley
Ellen Frawley is a Partner at GMMB with over 25 years of experience working on issues and causes across sectors. While not specifically a career coach, she has indirectly helped people build careers by designing and managing large-scale national communications efforts, providing leadership in challenging situations, guiding clients and teams toward new solutions, and mentoring talent within her organization. Ellen’s work focuses on advancing positive change in people’s lives through strategic communications and leadership.
29. Ayesha J. Whyte
Ayesha J. Whyte is a global executive with 20 years of experience in international expansion, business transformation, and M&A. As CEO of Dixon Whyte LLC, she provides specialized guidance to CEOs and Boards regarding potential acquisitions, executive compensation, and CEO succession. Ayesha has helped companies and executives navigate change, increase profitability, and position themselves for future success. Her experience includes integrating over eight M&A companies, resulting in increased revenue, profit, and talent retention. Ayesha has also founded Ellevator, a private membership organization focused on enhancing the skills and network of women of color.
30. Lisa Goldenthal
Lisa Goldenthal is a high-performance executive coach who works with CEOs and C-suite leaders. Named one of the top 15 executive coaches by CEO World Magazine, she specializes in helping ambitious leaders overcome challenges, achieve extraordinary results, and unlock their hidden potential. Lisa’s approach focuses on rewiring the brain for peak performance, building high-performing teams, and navigating organizational change. She offers personalized coaching, cutting-edge strategies, and expert guidance to help leaders achieve sustainable success and exponential growth.
31. Anne Genduso
Anne Genduso is a certified executive coach, career coach, and founder of MPWR Services. She specializes in helping women rediscover career happiness and enhance their leadership impact. Anne’s coaching approach focuses on aligning career decisions with strengths, values, and interests. She assists clients in setting bold goals, developing natural strengths, and overcoming fears to take bold actions in their careers. Anne’s background includes 16 years of experience counseling corporate and nonprofit executives on integrated communications strategies and leading high-performing teams.
Whether you’re just starting your career or looking to make a significant change, these 32 professionals in Washington, DC offer a wealth of knowledge and expertise to help you achieve your professional aspirations. Reach out to them to find the guidance and support you need to succeed in your career journey.
