About Us

Founder and Principal Consultant of The People Tree Company LLC and The Renewal Experience, where she helps leaders and organizations bloom to their full potential. With over 30 years of experience in leadership development, talent strategy, change management and organizational transformation, she is a trusted thought partner to leaders across Fortune 50 and Fortune 500 companies.

A gifted facilitator and coach, Joanna designs transformative learning experiences that ignite self-awareness, insight, and growth. Her innovative work in leadership development earned national recognition through the HR Excellence Award for program design and impact.

Her passion for travel and cultural immersion fuels her belief that transformation begins when leaders step outside their comfort zones. “Something powerful happens when a leader steps back, views their world through a different lens, and reconnects with their purpose.” Through immersive, cross-cultural experiences, Joanna helps leaders return renewed, grounded, and inspired to lead with greater clarity and heart.

Rooted in both practice and research, Joanna’s approach draws from her degrees in Education (specializing in adult learning) and Industrial/Organizational Psychology. She holds certifications in world-class leadership content including FranklinCovey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Leading at the Speed of Trust, and Multipliers, as well as Blanchard’s Situational Leadership® II, Coaching Essentials®, Conversational Capacity®, and Courageous Inclusion®.

Based in North Carolina with her husband, Lonny, and their three daughters—Chloe, Brittany, and Alexis—Joanna continues to explore the world, collecting stories and lessons in leadership from every culture she encounters. She invites you to join her on this ongoing journey of growth and renewal.

Ben’s journey began in culinary school, where he discovered a love for creativity, experimentation, and bringing people together through shared experiences. Though his career ultimately led him into Leadership and Organizational Development, his time in the kitchen continues to shape his approach to learning and leadership. He sees every leader as a chef of culture—blending ingredients of trust, authenticity, and collaboration to help teams thrive.

As Senior Manager of Enterprise Leadership and Talent Strategy, Ben leads initiatives in leadership development, performance management, and talent optimization. He partners with organizations to create brave spaces where leaders and teams can flourish, emphasizing cultures of psychological safety, authenticity, and inclusion that drive innovation and business success.

Ben is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Business Psychology (Industrial/Organizational Psychology) at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, where his research explores psychological safety as a catalyst for innovation—particularly at the intersection of social identity, marginalized groups, and workplace inclusion. His passion for this work is deeply personal, informed by his lived experience as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and his commitment to helping individuals bring their authentic selves to work.

A certified facilitator of multiple FranklinCovey workshops, Situational Leadership® II (Blanchard), and a Prosci Change Practitioner, Ben delivers sessions on authentic leadership, change management, and psychological safety as a driver of performance and innovation. He combines corporate expertise, consulting practice, and academic insight to make complex concepts practical and actionable for leaders.

Outside of work, Ben is a passionate writer and lifelong learner. He lives in Joliet, IL, with his husband and two daughters, and together they love traveling, exploring new cultures, and discovering great food.

A bilingual Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC), Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist (LCAS), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) based in North Carolina. As the founder of Tanama Integrative Wellness, LLC, she blends evidence-based counseling with somatic, mindful, and culturally responsive practices to support holistic healing and growth.

Chloe holds a Master of Arts in Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation Services with a minor in Alcohol and Drug Studies from East Carolina University. She completed her yoga teacher training through Nexus Yoga Institute in Nosara, Costa Rica, and is registered as a 200-hour yoga teacher through Yoga Alliance.

A proud Afro-Latina, Chloe integrates her heritage and lived experience into her work, creating spaces that honor identity, community, and inner balance. Her sessions in yin yoga, yoga nidra, mindfulness, and self-regulation invite participants to slow down, listen inward, and cultivate calm awareness, skills essential for resilient, heart-centered leadership.

Through her integrative approach, Chloe helps leaders reconnect with their breath, body, and purpose, restoring the alignment between self-awareness, compassion, and action that defines mindful leadership.

Outside of work, Chloe enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her pets. She also loves cooking and baking in her spare time, finding creativity and mindfulness in the simple joy of preparing and sharing good food.

Coming from a background across diverse fields, Alex is dedicated to helping people deepen their journey to themselves, cultivating clarity, creativity, and connection in both personal and professional life. 

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Arizona State University and is a certified yoga teacher (RYT-200) through Yoga Alliance. From a love of learning and exploring self-awareness, Alex is currently pursuing continued education in Ayurveda wellness, yin yoga, and somatics facilitation. 

Bridging leadership, organizational growth, and personal development, she brings a compassionate and curious approach to supporting others through notable transitions and self-discovery. She believes that lasting impact begins with an open heart and connection—to ourselves, within and across teams, and within our communities, and this connection allows us to pursue worthwhile action.  

Her work explores how mindful practices, creative expression, and authentic collaboration intersect to infuse meaning and expansion. To her, personal growth and professional intent are inseparable, and it’s often the small, steady choices that create the most profound transformations.  

Outside of work, she finds joy and balance in the slow pleasures of everyday life—reading widely, practicing yoga and meditation, hiking, exploring cultures through travel and food, and baking bread from scratch. These rhythms of curiosity and care shape the way she lives and works, reminding her that how we tend to ourselves influences how we tend to others. 

She is based in Austin, TX, where she shares life with her husband and a thriving collection of houseplants. 

coming soon