About FounderForward — FounderForward Coaching & Consulting

OUR MISSION

FounderForward helps business leaders cultivate the exceptional within themselves and their teams. We work with leaders who understand that today’s world calls for a new type of leader, one who leads differently (and in many cases looks differently) than those that have come before.

These exceptional, next-generation leaders are committed to leading with compassion and openness over fear and ego. They practice presence, allowing them to connect authentically, listen with empathy, and lead with responsiveness, resourcefulness, and inspiration. They are co-creators, collaborators, and coaches committed to helping their teams uplevel and perform at their peak.

These leaders are able to lead others exceptionally because they have prioritized wholeness and well-being and are committed to growth. They seek awareness not just of their superpowers, but also of their saboteurs and shadows. They want to go beyond the intellect (and chatter) of the mind and tap into the wisdom of the body and the heart. They want to learn new ways of being and are also committed to unlearning old ways of being that no longer serve them.

We believe that leaders committed to this work will build and scale the next generation of exceptional teams, cultures, and organizations - ones that are healthy, compassionate, and inclusive, as well as high-performing. In this way, exceptional leaders serve as consciousness accelerators impacting real change throughout the world.

FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES

Our work is based upon the following 5 foundational principles of leadership.

1.) Leadership starts with SELF (we call it best-self leadership)

2.) Leadership is a practice (not a position).

3.) Leadership is as much about psychology as it is about business.

4.) The less leaders NEED to be successful, the more successful they will be.

5.) PRESENCE is foundational to exceptional leadership.

OUR FOUNDER

FOUNDER BIO

Robyn Ward is a 20+ year veteran of the technology industry, having served as both an operator and an investor. In 2017, she started FounderForward to help founders and executives uplevel themselves as leaders and build high-performing teams, cultures, and companies. To date, FounderForward has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs and executives at companies like Ritual, Alloy Financial, Tala, ZenBusiness, and Care Academy, among others. As a coach and facilitator, Robyn combines her business expertise with extensive studies in psychology, neuro and performance science, Eastern philosophy, and presence-based and conscious leadership frameworks. Robyn is a frequent speaker and panelist on the topics of best self-leadership, entrepreneurial mindset, and high-performing teams and cultures. She also co-teaches a “Performance Mindset for Business” course at her alma mater USC and is a certified Spin and Intensati instructor. Full bio at Linkedin

FOUNDER STORY

I grew up in a family that didn’t discuss emotions. We loved each other, but feelings weren’t shown or discussed. Sports and school were emphasized and became my lens to value my worthiness. Early on, I developed a worldview that was very black-and-white (win vs. lose, success vs. failure, good vs bad).

I spent the first decade-plus of my career launching and growing companies in the late 90s/early aughts tech ecosystem. It was a world that emphasized intellectual smarts and one’s capacity to hustle 24/7. There was no discussion of EQ or vulnerability or well-being and that suited me just fine. Being a fast-paced, hard-charging executive became my entire identity and life.

It wasn’t until I moved out of company-building and into Venture Capital that I began to solidify my perspective on what makes an exceptional leader. And it was quite different than what the technology ecosystem had advertised. I also got my first coach around this same time. I worked on (and still work on) emotional regulation, somatic intelligence, work/life harmony, flexible thinking, equanimity, and more.

In 2017, I got certified as a coach and launched FounderForward. It has been my privilege to work with over 200 founders and executives taking steps forward to realize the full potential and impact of themselves and their companies. This is my calling and I find nothing more rewarding.

OUR MISSION

FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES

OUR FOUNDER

FOUNDER BIO

FOUNDER STORY

COACHING NETWORK

COACHING PARTNERS