Suzanne Rotondo

Executive Coach and Leadership Consultant

A senior coach at Seven Stones Leadership Group, Suzanne is also the founding Principal of Redshift Leadership, a consultancy that specializes in leadership and culture, with a deep expertise in the brain science research underlying emotional intelligence and organizational dynamics. As an experienced executive coach, leadership consultant, retreat session facilitator, and advisor to Boards of Directors and senior teams, Suzanne leads Redshift Leadership and personally commits herself to supporting both innovative for-profit clients and social justice organizations across a range of areas including human rights, gender/racial equity, access to economic opportunities, progressive policy/advocacy, sustainability, state/local government, and game-changing problem solvers.

In this work, the focus is to build high performing teams through not only what is done, but how it is done, often to lead and implement change across organizations undergoing enormous transformation due to both internal and external shifts.

Over the last 15 years, Suzanne has worked with a variety of social justice organizations and non-profits including the Obama Foundation, Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC), Open Society Foundation, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Georgie Badiel Foundation, Sierra Club, The Ad Council, Ford Foundation, Mosaic, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Healthcare without Harm, NYC LGBT Center, Philadelphia Mayor’s Office, City Manager’s Office City of Eugene, DOROT Elder Services, and Trauma Support Services for Refugees.

Suzanne draws upon extensive experience from her on-going work with select private sector companies, primarily in the media/entertainment sector, including Netflix, BuzzFeed, MTV, ASCAP, Disney, Paramount Studios, CBSViacom, NBCUniversal, Downtown Music, Apollo, and Spinmaster.

Prior to Redshift, Suzanne was Executive Director at Teleos Leadership Institute, and was a Senior Editor at Harvard Business Publishing. Suzanne holds a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and is an alum of the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland’s IOS program, as well as Robert Gass’s Art of Transformational Consulting program. Redshift Leadership makes annual donations of 5% of revenue to organizations that make a positive difference including Mijentes, Doctors Without Borders, Howard University’s Prince Jones’ Scholarship Fund, CARE International, God’s Love We Deliver (nutrition delivery), Philabundance, NY Lawyers for Public Interest, Healthcare for the Homeless Clinicians’ Network, UNHC for the Rights of Refugees, and Breast Cancer Research.

Suzanne lives with her spouse, Karima Zedan–who leads a large community investment program to close the digital divide for low-income Americans–and their teenager, in Philadelphia.

4 Virtual Learning Sessions plus 6-month Racial Affinity Group Experience

For this learning path, you will participate in the 4 virtual learning sessions and be enrolled in one of three Racial Affinity Groups:

1) People who identify as People of Color (Black, Indigenous, Asian, Hispanic)

2) People who identify as Bi-Racial or Multi-Racial

3) People who identify as White

*More specific affinity groups may be formed upon the completion of course registration

We believe that it is important to do our own work with people with similar racial experiences to build capacity for cross-race dialogue that supports authentic relationships and deep belonging for everyone. We will ask you to self-select into the group that best aligns with your racial identity. We recognize that for some this is not a simple choice and we are available to have a conversation with you to support your selection.

Together we will:

  • Reflect personally and collectively on the impact of embodied trauma, separation, scarcity and disconnection.
  • Work in learning partners and/or small groups for the sake of holding each other accountable and deepening our learning through multiple disciplines.
  • Engage in embodied practices for unwinding from the impact of racism in order to build stamina, capacity, and resilience.


Where:
Online Zoom Sessions

Time: 11am-12:30pm ET/8am PT/4pm GMT*

When: 5-Sessions scheduled between Sept 28, 2023 – Jan 26, 2024 (see below)

*All sessions will run from 11am-12:30pm ET.

Racial Affinity Group Schedule
Thurs, September 28, 2023 — 11am-12:30pm ET Kick-off/ Authentic Communication
Thurs, November 2, 2023 — 11am-12:30pm ET Unpacking Our Racial Autobiographies
Friday, November 17, 2023 — 11am-12:30pm ET Self-Compassion
Thurs, December 7, 2023 — 11am-12:30pm ET What is Sustainable Abundance?
Thurs, January 25, 2024 — 11am-12:30pm ET Inclusive Leadership

Course Registration

Upon registration, you will be directed to our online community space, where all aspects of your program will live, including: pre-work, event links, and a space to connect with fellow participants.

4 Virtual Learning Sessions Only

These four learning sessions will provide you with a new view and innovative framing of the problem as we see it. Below is a brief description of what will take place in each session:

  • Learning Session 1: Why Context Matters
    In session one, we look at our individualist narratives and the impact of not understanding the context in which we exist. 
  • Learning Session 2: Unpacking Trauma
    In session two, we discuss individual and collective trauma. We define trauma and look together about our current systems of inequality and how they evoke trauma-like responses in so many of us.
  • Learning Session 3: Global Anti-Black Racism: A History Lesson
    In session three, we get a history lesson like none other: we explore the global slave trade as the foundation for our current economic model.
  • Learning Session 4: Understanding Power
    In our last session, we examine power; power structures, our relationships with personal power; the importance of learning a healthy relationship with power when so many of us have had power abuse in our lives.


Where:
Online Zoom Learning Sessions

Time: 11am-1pm ET/8am PT/4pm GMT*

When: 4-sessions scheduled between Sept 21, 2023 – Jan 18, 2024 (see details below)

*All sessions will run from 11am-1pm ET.

Learning Session Schedule
Thurs, September 21, 2023 — 11 - 1pm ETWhy Context Matters
Thurs, October 26, 2023 — 11 - 1pm ET Unpacking Trauma
Thurs, November 16, 2023 — 11 - 1pm ET Global Anti-Black Racism: A History Lesson
Thurs, January 18, 2024 — 11 - 1pm ET Understanding Power

Course Registration

Upon registration, you will be directed to our online community space, where all aspects of your modular program will live, including: pre-work, event links, and a space to connect with fellow participants.