Around the world, coaches with International Coaching Federation (ICF) Foundation’s Council of Ambassadors provide encouragement and support to ICF Members and Chapters who engage in pro bono work with Social Impact Organizations. These 18 volunteers answer questions, locate information, and collaborate as they share the vision thought of the Foundation’s question “What is Coaching’s Greatest Possibility?”  In today’s blog we introduce two additional Ambassadors who work in North America — Begum Verjee, ACC; and Karen Bychowski, PCC.

Begum Verjee:

With a doctorate in Educational Leadership and a master’s in Counselling Psychology, Begum has over 30 years of experience working in the fields of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in Canada.  Begum is the Provost and a faculty member at the Adler Graduate Professional School (ADLER) in Toronto, and is on faculty with the International Committee of Adlerian Summer Schools & Institutes (ICASSI).

Begum is committed to the role coaching can play in positive social impact locally, and globally.  “The ICF Foundation’s mission of ‘Accelerating and amplifying social system change through coaching’ speaks to me,” she explains.

While all of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals  (SDG’s) are of importance to Begum, she places priority on:  Quality Education; Gender Equality; No Poverty; Zero Hunger; Reducing Inequalities; Good Health & Well-being; and Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.  “It is my hope that the Foundation’s focus on connecting coaching to all 17 SDG’s, and especially educating and empowering women and girls, will strengthen our global village for sustainable development. I personally have seen the power of education in changing the world,” Begum explains.

She believes, “If we can apply coaching mindsets to address the world’s greatest challenges, such as the UN SDG’s, then coaching can contribute to thriving societies and have a global impact for positive change.”

Karen Bychowski:

Karen Bychowski, PCC, spent nearly 20 years at Accenture, a global management strategy and consulting organization.  With expertise in multiple aspects of change management, leadership development, and organization effectiveness, Karen has worked in more than a dozen countries, across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

In addition to her role as a PCC coach through ICF, Karen is a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths Coach. In late 2019 she evolved her career to focus more on coaching, starting her own organization – C2B Coaching and Consulting LLC. She is an advocate of coaching for social impact, and is Executive Director of To Africa with Love NFP. The flagship program — Pads with a Purpose — seeks to motivate and inspire young women, through the creation and discussion of individual vision boards. The program has reached over 3,800 young women. In January 2020, the organization launched Amka, which provides social support and skill development through a “Coaching Circles” approach, to girls who have recently finished secondary school.

Karen views the UN’s SDG’s as fundamental to the rights of all citizens of the world. Three of those 17 goals are of particular importance to her. “Good Health and Well-being, Quality Education,  and Gender Equality resonate the most with me, and I see coaching being an integral part at the intersection of these,” she states.  Also noteworthy in Karen’s view are the importance of emotional and mental health, the importance of making education available to all, and the necessity of eliminating the disparity of gender inequality.

All of the ICF Foundation Council of Ambassadors  are volunteers who seek to ignite a passion for social progress and to engage participation in our initiatives working alongside Members and Chapters.  To learn more about all of our Ambassadors visit our website page at https://foundationoficf.org/council-of-ambassadors/.