Northstar Thinktank and The Business Coaching Team

Northstar Thinktank is an exclusive team of business experts who have guided the success of more than 2,500 companies throughout the world. We are an international leader in providing customized business programs for entrepreneurs and small enterprises. Current clients include entrepreneurs and business owners throughout the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, UK, Germany, and elsewhere.

Everyday the Thinktank team scours the world marketplace for valuable information and emerging business trends. This information is summarized, distilled and then delivered in such a way that small enterprises can quickly put it to work, keeping them far ahead of the curve.

Using a collaborative, customized approach, we move clients forward in every part of their businesses; from strategic planning to day-to-day operations.

As an organization who thrives on the process of building great companies—and in a world of business challenges, our clients depend on us for world-class direction, for performance breakthroughs, and for the inspiration to take their businesses to the next level.

JEFF CHAVEZ
President and CEO

Jeff is a seasoned entrepreneur who knows something about the process of building successful companies. Over the last 15 years, he's raised millions from investors and has been directly responsible for the creation of several multi-million dollar organizations.

Jeff began his entrepreneurial career in 1992, as the Founder of Foothill Fire Safety Co. (FFSC), an industrial service organization with over 12,000 clients throughout Southern California. He continued to manage FFSC while forming a second company, Home Healthcare Direct, which distributed medical supplies within “assisted living” environments. Both companies were successfully acquired in 1997. Click for more about Jeff Chavez.

JAY VAN SICKLE
VP of Project Management

Jay joined the Northstar team in 2004 as Sales Director and General Manager. His excellent communication skills and an amazing ability to motivate and manage our successful sales team puts him head and shoulders above his industry peers.

Jay is a successful Project Manager, Business Analyst, and Consultant, having previously managed various projects for international companies such as Mercer, Hitachi, Arthur Andersen, and KPMG Peat Marwick. Jay's broad expertise extends to assisting professional teams to work cohesively together, enabling them to produce outstanding results.

He's been involved in managing Enterprise Management application implementations for (Arthur Andersen), managed client projects for fully integrated Human Resource Outsourcing with Mercer, and facilitated strategic company-wide assessments for Hitachi. Jay, combining his extensive direct sales experience with his detailed consulting background, facilitates the consultative selling approach of Northstar Thinktank.

As a goal focused, detail oriented, manager, Jay is a talented self-starter, who effectively produces results while maintaining his strong work ethic and compassion for his associates. He holds a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Utah and lives with his wife and two children.

ANYA HANSON WENDT
VP of Education and Curriculum

Anya is responsible for the ongoing development of curriculum and the effectiveness of the mentoring and training team. She is a powerful and dynamic coach and trainer, who has worked with thousands of individuals and organizations over the past 10 years - from entrepreneurs to executives – to remove barriers to performance and accomplish their objectives. Her extensive background in interpersonal communications make her a highly sought after ally for entrepreneurs and executives alike.

Anya's professional passion is inquiring with business people, at all levels, into how to distinguish the thought processes that limit their power and effectiveness, both on a personal and organizational level. In doing so, she is able to contribute to their growth and development, watching them accomplish results beyond their own imagination.

Prior to joining Northstar, Anya served as Vice President and General Manager of Valeo Consulting Group, an executive coaching and consulting firm. In addition to management consulting, Anya facilitated productivity management and leadership programs, executive work-sessions, and retreats for a wide range of clients.

She holds a B.S. in Public Relations from the University of Texas at Austin, School of Communications, including Graduate Studies, Social Development in Children at the University of Texas at Austin. She also holds Coach training certificates from Coach University, Corporate Coach University, and Leadership Coaching and Facilitation training from Landmark Education Corporation.

Anya lives with her two children in Austin, TX.

GIORGIO NALLIRA
Controller

Giorgio is a highly successful Financial Director, Small Business Consultant, and Accountant, who formerly worked with National Corporations such as: Fidelity National Financial, American National Financial, Ticor Title, Inc., and American Document Services, Inc.

Giorgio is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has established himself as a Financial Business specialist for the past 11 years. With extensive and broad-based knowledge in project management, departmental development, and financial growth planning, Giorgio's expertise has been to help organizations in the development of financial policies and procedures, company-wide financial assessment, as well as general accounting principles.

Specifically, he has been involved in the merging and creating of financial departments for ADS and Ticor Title, developing accounting software packages for ADS, and controlling all aspects of the financial cycle for growing organizations.

Giorgio brings a commitment to excellence to the Northstar organization and has been extremely effective in the past in helping organizations maintain a high standard of ethics and profitability throughout his tenure. Giorgio lives in Austin, TX with his family.

Business and Personal Development Coach

Lee, having a background in Leadership and Management training, brings a high level of communication skills and business acumen to her position as Senior Coach with
Northstar. Her ability to both create and deliver curriculum adds to her valued position on the team. Along with her one on one coaching responsibilities, she develops new
curriculum, and manages and supports several Group Coaching programs as well as management’s commitment to customer service excellence.
 
Lee’s commitment to ongoing professional development and her passion for contribution strongly influence her ability to provide the highest level of coaching and contribution to the growth and development of her Northstar clients. As an insightful, empowering coach and trainer, she has consulted with thousands of individuals and organizations over the past 18 years. She has done so for her own consulting firm, coaching and training leaders of organizations like Time Warner Cable and Dell, as well as in one-on-one sessions with entrepreneurs, committed to breakthrough performance results for themselves or their staff.

Her training includes studies in Quality Systems with Edwards W. Deming and Marshall Thurber, Training and Organizational Development with PDI and Coach University, Landmark Education, and the New York School for Visual Arts.

Lee lives in Austin, Texas and is the mother of three sons. She paints and sculpts, is an avid reader, and the loving caretaker of a rambunctious little dog and very patient cat.

ROBYN JAMISON
Business and Personal Development Coach

Robyn has been coaching, teaching, and training individuals for over 20 years. Her background includes leading seminars and workshops for small and large groups of individuals seeking to fulfill their life’s dreams.

Prior to her work with Northstar, Robyn created and delivered coaching for effective executive recruiting and owned and operated an Executive Recruiting business called “The Perfect Match.” In addition, she had a fitness and well being coaching business called “Bodywise” in Dallas, TX.

She has long been a spiritual seeker, reading and studying many varied disciplines available in the world of spirituality today.

She has studied coaching extensively with one of the leading educational seminar organization in the world today, holds a Bachelor of Art in Education from the University of Kansas and a Masters in Fine Art from the University of North Texas. In addition to coaching, Robyn is an accomplished artist and musician, including having taught art classes at the University level, piano, and mandolin. She currently resides in Austin, Texas; where she still produces art and teaches piano to a small, select group of students.

ALAN RAY
Business and Personal Development Coach

Alan has been passionately involved with personal growth and transformational coaching for over ten years. His keen intuition and highly developed communication skills allow him
to be a powerful and effective coach for others. He has also been a professional actor for the last thirteen years and has coached and trained other actors, masterfully working
with his students to become powerfully self-expressed, clear, and present.
 
Alan’s abilities to coach and train others to fulfill their life’s dreams have made him an invaluable addition to the Northstar Coaching team. In addition to his experience as a coach and trainer, he is also an accomplished film and video professional. As a founding partner of Picture Box productions, he produced and created commercials, political ads, promotional and music videos and industrial presentations. In addition to his coaching duties, Alan also brings his creative vision and technical expertise to Northstar as audio/video consultant, cameraman, and editor.
 
Alan holds a B.A. degree in Communications from North Texas State University in Denton, Texas. He trained extensively and participated as a coach in various programs for a leading worldwide educational seminar organization. He was highly regarded by them as a course supervisor, responsible for organizing and managing teams, coaching and training others, and working hand in hand with the course leaders, supporting them to deliver powerful self development programs.
 
Alan currently lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Katrina and two children. In his spare time, Alan enjoys writing, painting and working on various creative film projects including his first feature length film.

KATHERINE WILLIS

Marketing Coordinator

Katherine brings 10 years of experience as a successful entrepreneur and consultant to Northstar Ventures.  As the owner of Forté Web Services, a search engine placement and web design company, Katherine was featured in Inc. Magazine and contributed various articles on web site usability. 

Her client-base of hundreds of businesses has included Fortune 500 companies as well as many sole proprietorships.  Her attention to detail, independent work ethic, and team attitude makes her a valuable asset to the Northstar team.  Katherine lives in Austin with her two children and loves any activity that involves water and a boat.  She is also a veteran television and film actress - see more at IMDb.
 

ELIZABETH CRINEJO
Business and Personal Development Coach

Elizabeth, a powerful and committed coach, brings an amazing, diverse set of skills and
past experiences to the Northstar Ventures Coaching team. As a practitioner of
organizational and human development for over 10 years, her love of business, human
development and interpersonal communication has supported individuals and groups to
grow and develop to new levels of performance and results.

In the work she does with business entrepreneurs at Northstar, Elizabeth can be counted on to support her clients to produce exponential results; stretching past their comfort zones; surpassing previous accomplishments and transforming them into unprecedented areas of growth. When working with clients on their personal development, Elizabeth brings experience, commitment, compassion and humor to her coaching. Her clients experience the freedom to fully explore and expand themselves and the world they live in.

Prior to her engagement with Northstar, Elizabeth mentored and coached individuals and large groups in their personal and professional development. These included leading seminars, causing breakthrough results for individuals and delivering leadership and personal empowerment training. She also worked with organizations like Apple, IBM, and a large semiconductor research consortium in the area of marketing and public relations.

She completed a Bachelors of Science in Communication, from the University of Texas in Austin. Her focus in organization and interpersonal communication gives her a unique perspective on interactions between people in day-to-day life and in the work place. Her background includes work in high-tech, with companies of varying sizes; from start-ups to large, international businesses, as well as small, entrepreneurial enterprises.

Elizabeth lives with her husband and step daughter in Austin, Texas. A former competitive ballroom dancer and professional chef she can sometimes be found dancing with her husband in the kitchen.