Conference 2025 – ICF Oregon

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PRO BONO
COACHING

2025 SPRING CONFERENCE

Navigating Complex Change; Harnessing the Human Connection in Turbulent Times

We invite you to join fellow coaches and thought leaders for a full day of inspiration, learning, and meaningful connection. Together, we’ll explore how to deepen the human connection in coaching and beyond, as we navigate an ever-changing world.

Gain fresh insights, earn those valuable recertification credits and network with peers both old and new. The Spring Conference program is designed to refresh your perspective and enrich your practice through engaging keynote speakers and Ted-style talks as well as valuable practical practice in breakout groups.

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CONFERENCE DETAILS

Date and Time: May 6, 2025 from 8:30a.m through 5:00p.m.

Location: U&I Event Center: 11905 SW 69th Ave, Portland, OR 97223

Free parking is available at the hotel just one block North of the event center or on both sides of the street in front of the event center

Keynote Speakers include Cathy Bernatt, Executive Coach, MCC, IAC Professional Facilitator, O.D. Consultant and Nir Megnazi, with breakout room tracks focused on growing your Self, your Tools, or your Impact.

View the full conference agenda here!

Depending on breakout session choices, attendees can earn up to 3 Core Competency and 2.25 Resource Development CCEs.

Tickets are priced at $150; Gold Members and Students are eligible for a discount

Meals provided.

For additional questions, contact marcom@icforegon.org.

Meet Our Talented Speakers:

Cathy Bernatt, Executive Coach, MCC, IAC Professional Facilitator, O.D. Consultant

Transforming Triggers: How Irritation Became the Doorway to Discovery (Morning Keynote)

What if a client’s behavior triggers something within us—not because of them, but because of our own unresolved issues? This interactive session invites coaches to explore that question through a powerful personal story, guided inner work, and community dialogue. By turning triggers into opportunities for self-awareness and growth, coaches can build deeper connections, enhance emotional intelligence, and improve client outcomes.

Cathy Bernatt, President of Creating…™, is a transformative Executive Coach with over 40 years working across cultures. She has a rare gift for surfacing “undiscussables,” creating breakthrough moments in leadership teams.

Her approach helps leaders “hunt from within” to turn challenges into opportunities. Living in Japan for 22 years gives her unique perspective working with organizations from NASA and Apple to Goldman Sachs and Doctors Without Borders.

With three Master’s degrees and advanced coaching certifications (ICF Master Certified Coach, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator, Diamond Power Index (DPI)), Cathy helps leaders and teams harness their power, transform conflict, and lead with purpose. She shows executives how their relationship with power shapes their organizations, creating workplaces where people and systems thrive from the inside out.

Elia Paz

Set Life-serving Boundaries that Call Us In to Collaboration and Community (Morning Session: Grow Self Track)

Learning to set life-serving boundaries empowers individuals to make authentic decisions and engage in respectful, collaborative relationships. Rather than reacting against what’s unwanted, this approach focuses on identifying shared needs and values, opening the door to meaningful connections and creative solutions. Participants will explore how to say “no” by honoring deeper “yeses,” using language that maintains the connection and shifting limiting beliefs that hinder effective boundary setting.

If you know Elia, you know this is coming from the heart! I founded Wise Heart because I believe the way we connect—with ourselves and with each other—is the key to a thriving life. I dream of a world where deep, authentic relationships are at the core of how we live, work, and grow together.

This passion isn’t just theoretical—it’s personal. I grew up in a family that was full of love but also full of big emotions, loud arguments, and moments of chaos. That contrast lit a fire in me to seek clarity and understanding. Even as a kid, I was drawn to wisdom traditions, reading about the Buddha, the New Testament, and even quantum physics before I hit my teens.

That journey led me to study psychology, work in schools, and support at-risk youth, always searching for what truly helps people connect and heal. When I found Compassionate Communication (NVC), everything clicked—it was the missing piece. Here was a way to not just understand connection but to live it. I became a certified NVC trainer in 2006, and ever since, I’ve been helping people cultivate clarity, compassion, and the kind of relationships that make life truly rich.

Denise Gaskin, M.S., PhD, PCC

AIC (AI in coaching) – Will it Replace the Human Connection in Coaching? (Morning Session: Grow Tools Track)

The rise of AI is prompting coaching professionals to clarify what makes coaching distinct from other interpersonal interventions like consulting or training. Coaching is not simply the application of models or behaviors—it’s a personalized, one-on-one process that helps clients feel deeply understood in the context of their unique values, personality, and challenges. This human-centered connection is what sets coaching apart and preserves its value in the age of AI.

Denise holds a Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee in Educational Psychology focused on dialogue, collaboration, communication, multiple ways of knowing, reflective practice and culture. She has an M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Indiana University, and a B.S. in Exercise Science from Ball State University. Denise is a certified integral coach (PCC), credentialed by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She has conducted original research with introverted female leaders and developed training and coaching materials based on her research. She is currently writing a book on how to work more effectively with introverted clients, to be published by Routledge.

Her formative professional years were spent developing and implementing health promotion programs in several industries including healthcare, manufacturing, and for-profit businesses. She then served as Operations Director for a multi-county behavioral health organization, before joining a law firm as its Chief Operating Officer. Today, Denise has a successful coaching and consulting business, where she balances her time between working with individuals and organizations to achieve next level goals in performance and business outcomes.

Dr. Richard Osibanjo

The Power of Influence: Building Meaningful Connections in a Polarized World (Morning Session: Grow Impact Track)

In a world marked by increasing division, leaders and coaches play a critical role in fostering trust, collaboration, and belonging through meaningful connections. This session explores how authentic relationships—built through intentional conversations and the 4Cs of Connection, Culture, Community, and Citizenship—can move teams from hesitation to innovation. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to influence differently, build psychological safety, and lead thriving, inclusive organizations.

Dr. Richard Osibanjo is a leading expert in transformational leadership and senior team performance. He helps executives drive bold strategies that unlock human potential and market growth. As the Director of Transformation at Intel, he leads large-scale initiatives that align strategy, execution, and culture to accelerate organizational impact.

In addition to his corporate leadership, Dr. Osibanjo is an executive coach, Forbes columnist, keynote speaker, and trusted advisor to Fortune 500 leaders. His thought leadership has been featured on global stages, including keynotes at the Institute of Management Studies (IMS), the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and the World Business & Executive Coach Summit (WBECS).

He has also delivered transformational leadership sessions for organizations such as the Canadian Orthopedic Association Board and Kellogg School of Management. Passionate about creating workplaces where people bring their whole selves, do their best work, and thrive. Dr. Osibanjo continues to shape the future of leadership by bridging strategy with human connection.

Cai Delumpa and Monique Breault - PCC, CPCC, ORSCC, and Certified Enneagram Teachers

Coaching from the Inside Out (Afternoon Session: Grow Self Track)

This session guides coaches on a journey of self-awareness using the Enneagram as a powerful tool for insight and transformation. Participants will explore an overview of the nine types, uncover how their type shapes their coaching presence, and learn to leverage both strengths and growth areas. By understanding the Enneagram, coaches can deepen their self-connection and strengthen their impact with clients.

Cai and Monique are experienced, certified leadership and team effectiveness coaches and certified Enneagram teachers. They work together in their business called Hive, based in Portland, Oregon.

Life and business partners, they bring over 60 years of combined experience in coaching, training, and consulting for leaders and teams—helping them succeed by truly bringing better together.

With a partnering mindset, deep listening, and a creative, holistic approach (plus a spark of humor and electricity), they guide clients toward meaningful transformation. Passionate about the Enneagram, they have used it with hundreds of clients to unlock self-awareness and break free from the invisible box of personality.

Tiffany Grimes, CEO Empower Coaching and Training, PCC

Why Metacognition Matters (Afternoon Session: Grow Tools Track)

Metacognition—the ability to think about one’s thinking—is a powerful driver of transformation in coaching. In this engaging, neuroscience-informed session, brain-based coach Tiffany Grimes, PCC, explores how metacognition enhances self-awareness, emotional regulation, and decision-making, benefiting both clients and coaches. Tied closely to ICF core competencies, the session offers practical tools to help clients reflect, self-regulate, and take empowered action toward lasting change.

Tiffany Grimes is the visionary Founder & CEO of Empower Coaching and Training, with over 27 years of experience in workforce development, professional coaching, leadership, organizational development, and neuroscience.

A seasoned expert and published author, Tiffany, has built a reputation for delivering transformative trainings across the country. Her signature programs—Essential Coaching Skills, The Power of Intention, and The Mindfulness Broadcast—are widely recognized for their ability to drive real change by blending brain-based strategies with practical application.

Tiffany’s dynamic speaking style and deep industry knowledge make her a sought-after keynote speaker and trainer, known for her ability to engage and inspire diverse audiences. She also runs the Certified Professional Empower Coaching (CPEC) program, accredited through ICF. Whether she’s coaching executives, training teams, or empowering individuals, Tiffany’s approach is rooted in the power of human connection and neuroscience, helping clients unlock their potential and thrive in an ever-changing world.

Nir Megnazi

Emotions at Work: Awakening Calm Confident Leadership (Afternoon Keynote)

Leaders today juggle complex decisions, shifting workplace dynamics, and relentless pressure from all sides. Despite their expertise, many find themselves stuck—their teams aren’t fully engaged, tough conversations feel exhausting, and progress stalls. This transformative session reveals why intelligent leaders get stuck and how embracing emotions creates breakthrough leadership.

Nir has spent the last two decades learning how leadership really works – sometimes the hard way. After years as an engineering leader and military officer, he discovered that the most powerful leadership tool isn’t strategy but human connection. He realized that smart, experienced leaders were often stuck, not because they lacked skill, but because they hadn’t learned to work with emotions and were not skilled in human connection.

Alongside fantastic teams at companies like Intel, he developed leadership programs that focus on what truly matters: understanding ourselves and the people we work with. The International Coaching Federation recognized Intel Corporation for one of these programs with their Prism Award, but for Nir, the real reward is seeing leaders transform how they show up for their teams.

Today, he coaches leaders to do less managing and more connecting, helping them create workplaces where people can actually thrive.

Support Our ICF-Oregon Spring Conference: Sponsorship Opportunities Available!

We are excited to announce sponsorship opportunities for our upcoming inaugural Spring Conference on May 6th. We offer three levels of sponsorship: Gold, Silver, and Bronze, as well as in-kind donation opportunities.

Sponsorship is a fantastic way to support the ICF Oregon community while building positive brand recognition and advertising your services and organization.

Interested in learning more? Read about our sponsorship opportunities here.

Join us in making a difference and showcasing your commitment to the coaching profession!

2025 SPRING CONFERENCE

Navigating Complex Change; Harnessing the Human Connection in Turbulent Times

Join Us
May 6

CONFERENCE DETAILS

Meet Our Talented Speakers:

Support Our ICF-Oregon Spring Conference: Sponsorship Opportunities Available!

Thank You To Our Sponsors!

Categories

2025 SPRING CONFERENCE

Navigating Complex Change; Harnessing the Human Connection in Turbulent Times

Join UsMay 6

CONFERENCE DETAILS

Meet Our Talented Speakers:

Support Our ICF-Oregon Spring Conference: Sponsorship Opportunities Available!

Thank You To Our Sponsors!

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Join Us
May 6