Here's what I believe: the future of social impact requires bold leaders who can create new approaches instead of following old playbooks.
Effective social impact leadership asks more of you than traditional authority. It takes the skill to navigate ambiguity, influence across layers and levels, and build solutions when the established path ends.
And if you’re a high-achiever with the expertise and passion to meet this moment, but you need support to shift from endless preparation to more decisive action… that’s exactly what I help leaders do.
I’m Caroline Ouwerkerk, your coach for strategic, sustainable, and satisfying social impact leadership
Also: community-builder, collector of resources and ideas, and connector of dots + people.
My Credentials
✓ Gallup-certified CliftonStrengths coach
✓ 100+ clients served over 7 years in my full-time coaching practice
✓ Master’s in Higher Education Administration from the University of Pennsylvania (my independent study focused on best practices of cohort-based leadership development programs!)
✓ University of Chicago Booth School of Business Executive Program for Emerging Leaders graduate (Proud UChicago alum, too!)
My Background
✓ Co-founder of Impact Coach and former Jobs Manager at Reconsidered, curating resources and opportunities for 325,000+ impact professionals globally
✓ Adjunct Professor of Leadership at Johns Hopkins University
✓ 20+ years working in leadership development across three top-10 research universities (UChicago, Penn, Hopkins)
Behind the Scenes
→ Mom of two small humans (daily practice in building consensus with two irrational stakeholders!)
→ Deeply curious lifelong learner with an 11-year daily streak (and counting!) learning Dutch on Duolingo
My Last Name
→ Think Happy Hour-kerk 🙂
I'm a Gallup-certified CliftonStrengths coach and recovering overachiever who helps mission-driven leaders stop waiting for permission and start creating the change they want to see.
I focus on strengths because the world of social impact needs yours. (Like, literally. Not in a Hallmark card kind of way.) The problems we're trying to solve need leaders operating at their natural best, not exhausted versions of themselves trying to be someone they're not.
When you understand what you're uncommonly good at and build your leadership approach around those capabilities, everything shifts. You make decisions faster, influence more effectively, and create impact that actually energizes you instead of depleting you.
And that’s why as your coach and facilitator, I leverage my own strengths (input, learner, strategic, activator, and focus, if you’re curious!) to have powerful coaching conversations, build life-changing leadership development experiences, and facilitate genuinely engaging workshops. (I’m allergic to boring trainings—you too?)
So if you're looking for someone who combines intellectual rigor with a bias toward action, who understands the specifics of social impact work, and who will help you trust your own expertise instead of endlessly researching your way to certainty, let's talk!
IMPACT FOR GOOD
As a social impact leadership coach and human, I believe in…
Focusing on Strengths
I've spent enough time watching brilliant people exhaust themselves trying to fix what's "wrong" with them instead of doubling down on what they're naturally great at. As a recovering overachiever myself, I know how seductive it is to focus on gaps and weaknesses, but I've learned there's so much more energy and joy in leveraging what you're already good at!
Being Bold
Leaning into what sets you apart is key to leadership that’s strategic, sustainable, and satisfying. I've seen how powerful it is when people stop trying to be palatable and start leveraging their unique combination of strengths, preferences, and quirks. The social impact problems we're solving are too urgent for anything less than bringing your full self to the table.
Iterating
Clarity comes from taking action and “making the road by walking.” I prioritize experiential learning and have seen the transformation that can happen when we test things out to see what works instead of continuing to overthink! Thoughtful experimentation wins over “perfection” every time.
Staying Curious
We never know when a flash of insight will strike. That's why I'm focused on asking powerful questions to prompt you to think differently, considering possibilities, and assuming I can always learn more. I never settle for the “That’s just the way things are” default—especially in social impact work, where that mindset often perpetuates the very systems we're trying to change. There's usually a better, more fulfilling way waiting to be uncovered.
Having Fun
I've spent enough time watching brilliant people exhaust themselves trying to fix what's "wrong" with them instead of doubling down on what they're naturally great at. As a recovering overachiever myself, I know how seductive it is to focus on gaps and weaknesses, but I've learned there's so much more energy and joy in leveraging what you're already good at!
Strengthen your skills and get the support to lead with confidence.
Cultivate your strategic, sustainable, and satisfying social impact career
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Leadership Coaching
Personalized support to help you leverage your strengths and lead boldly without the burnout.
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Impact Leaders Incubator
A cohort-based program to build leadership skills and genuine community with mission-driven professionals who get it.
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Impact Career Sprint
A hybrid course + coaching experience for accelerated career clarity through strategic action.
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Workshops + Resources
Practical tools and trainings for teams and individuals creating the future of social impact.