Graduate and Professional Students

Nicolette Johnson M.B.A. ’00

Are you doing work that sets your heart on fire? As the founder of Welcome Passion, I can help you unearth your passions and discover your unique talents – so that you can build a life that you love.

With career coaching expertise built at Duke, Indiana University, and Thrive Scholars, in addition to Human Resources leadership experience at GE, The Home Depot, and JCPenney, I have 18+ years of coaching people across a variety of levels and contexts.

Let’s discover your passions and welcome them in! Join me in a judgment-free zone where you can dream big, and your passions can take flight.

In addition to passion, I can help you discover your unique talents through CliftonStrengths as well as provide tips to help you become an interviewing star.

Certifications: Co-active Coaching (CTI), Gallup CliftonStrengths, Myers Briggs (MBTI), DDI Facilitation

Education: MBA, Duke; JD, Vanderbilt; BA, DePauw.

Kelly Brown (Sanchez), '06

Whether you’re switching careers, trying to find greater balance in your current career, or not sure what you’d like to do next, I specialize in helping people move forward with clarity and confidence. Clients describe our sessions as effective, warm, and inspiring and our conversations often lead to immediate and meaningful change. 

I’ve been coaching for over ten years and hold certifications from the University of California Berkeley, and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. In addition to my private practice, I’m currently a Faculty Coach at UC Berkeley and a Career Coach at Parentaly.

Prior to becoming a coach, I worked at Google and Duke Corporate Education. My knowledge of the corporate world helps me understand the nuances and rewards of building a career while juggling a personal and family life. 

On a personal note, I’m a mother of three, a lover of RV camping trips with my family, and a frequenter of coffee shops. I’ve called many places home including Chicago, Durham, and currently, San Rafael, California.

Andrea Crane ’08

Andrea is the founder and CEO of Bigwin Talent, an executive recruiting firm focused on operator roles at PE, VC, Search fund and family office backed companies.  Bigwin focuses on middle marketing and lower middle marketing companies looking for either generalist "Swiss Army Knife" operators or functional leaders.  Prior to starting Bigwin, Andrea was an operating executive for several private equity backed portfolio companies backed by Alpine Investors and Pacific Lake Partners.  Andrea holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BA in Public Policy Studies from Duke University, where she was a member of the Varsity Soccer team.  

Anna Mann, '12

Anna Mann is the Senior Vice President of Talent and Culture at GovExec. Anna Is responsible for leading the company’s talent and employee engagement strategy. She has extensive experience in talent acquisition, talent management, benefit plan design, and compliance. Before joining GovExec, Anna served as the Director of Talent and Culture at Atlantic Media. Anna earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Duke University.

Deanna Molina, A.B.'01

People professional with deep business partner experience. Career experience has spanned recruitment, generalist, and internal communications responsibilities within fashion, sports, and non-profit organizations. 

Jessica Efird, '05

Jessica Efird (A.B. '05, Psychology and History double major, English minor) has over 10 years of experience as an HR Generalist and holds PHR, SHRM-CP, and PHR-CA certifications. Her career has included roles in HR, academic editing, and account management, so she has personal experience in making career transitions. Jessica is currently self-employed/an independent contractor in both HR and editing roles. 

Dana Feller, A.B.'95

Dana founded Hudson Gate Partners in 2010. Hudson Gate is a 100% female owned, New York based, boutique executive search firm with deep expertise in placing talent at leading private equity firms, hedge funds, VC firms, investment managers, fintechs and banks. Before founding Hudson Gate, Dana previously spent over ten years at Lehman Brothers, in both New York and London, where she served as a senior strategic business partner to both the Investment Management and Investment Banking divisions. Dana has an MBA from Stanford University and a BA from Duke University.

Alexandria Smith, B.A.'03

Alex Smith is head of Strategy and Execution HCM Public Sector at Oracle. Nationally Recognized Cross-Industry HR Innovator. 2019 TN SHRM  HR Management Excellence Award Recipient. Business leader with public and private sector HR experience, who has demonstrated the ability to transform the diversity composition of top senior leadership teams, develop strategies to hire 1000s of employees, drive HR transformation and culture change.

Amarie Claire Bremel, '17

I am currently an analyst in the Industrial Practice at Spencer Stuart, meaning I mainly serve clients in the Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Manufacturing, and Chemicals industries. I am passionate about finding the right executives to improve organizations as they address important issues like diversity and sustainability.

Greg Janicik, Ph.D., '88

Greg Janicik founded Viest Consulting in 2020 to help leaders navigate the paradigm shifts in business (e.g., COVID19) that emerge in a constantly evolving environment. As an organizational consultant and leadership advisor with over twenty years of experience helping both start-ups and Fortune 500 companies manage change effectively, I currently work with CEOs, senior teams, and various business and non-profit executives to improve performance and achieve quantifiable outcomes.

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