The Work
I help founders navigate the difficult parts of building and scaling businesses, using both a psychological and a tactical approach.
Coaching sessions are confidential, judgment-free spaces where you can bring thoughts and challenges that you might not feel comfortable sharing with investors, colleagues, or even close friends and family. All our work together is protected by confidentiality agreements.
Clients often come in thinking they need only tactical solutions, but the deeper shifts we create together impact leadership, decision-making, and overall performance—both professionally and personally. My role is to help you see the bigger picture, identify hidden patterns, and create breakthroughs that can be difficult to achieve on your own.
I bring 15 years as an operator in Silicon Valley, my Master's Degree in Psychology, and my own lived experience navigating high-pressure leadership situations to this work. I have walked the walk and can hold space accordingly for whatever you are going through.
The Logistics
I start my clients at two 50-minute sessions per month. A few of my clients have upgraded to weekly work, and some of my clients simply add additional sessions as needed when dealing with an emergency or in a particularly dense work cycle (fundraising, etc).
Clients also receive unlimited ongoing support between sessions. You can email/text me anytime about anything, and I will always respond within 24 hours.
We'd kick off our work with a 90-minute introductory session, where I get to know your background, work history, family history, etc. I'd send you an onboarding questionnaire prior. In this initial work, I will get a good idea of how your past impacts your present, as well as a good idea of where you'd like to go.
If you’re interested in learning more, get in touch.
Endorsements
“When I started working with Helena, I was a seasoned founder of a pioneering creative studio and an unseasoned, naïve founder of a venture startup, and I didn’t know what I didn’t know. And it turned out to be a whole different set of problems that I wasn’t prepared to solve on my own. Helena has been both, and brings every hard-won battle-scarred lesson and insight to the conversation, to make the very long loops a lot shorter and less painful for someone like me.
Here’s the thing about Helena: she’s fun to talk to and she’s brilliant. So a session’s worth of your time hits all the notes. I had known her to be good communicator but I hadn’t known until we started working together (on literally the first session) that she had some sort of magic key.
One of her very particular set of skills is knowing how people work—all people, but a particular kind of person that’s easy to assume the best of but also you should be careful around. What I learned early on about Helena is that she feels a responsibility to protect her clients from these people. It’s almost a life mission for her now. And I think that’s noble, it’s cool like Liam Neeson or Harvey Keitel, and it’s extremely fucking valuable.
And the returns are real. Having gone from totally blocked up and unable to move forward in multiple ventures, I now have clarity to scale, unencumbered by shitheads, because Helena helped me see the world how it is, not how they want you to see it.
I’ve set three strong, brilliant friends up with Helena and each one of them has come away from their work together feeling what I feel. If you’re like me, do your future self a big favor.“
- Adam Lisagor, Founder of Sandwich, Portable, Theatre, and Hovercraft
“Before working with Helena, I felt completely stuck. I knew I needed a mentor, but the path forward felt intimidating and unclear. I was at a true impasse—trying to run an agency while navigating personal challenges that felt crushing. My nervous system was fried after years of neglect, and imposter syndrome was running the show.
I chose Helena because I needed a very specific "unicorn' mentor": an entrepreneur, a creative and a woman. She didn't just check those boxes; she also brought a badass energy and cool visual aesthetic that perfectly matched the vibe I was looking for.
The process was revelatory. She helped me uncover the blind spots fueling my frustration and guided me through the shadow work necessary to reset my system. I expected strict business strategy, but it turned out to be therapy on steroids. Since our sessions, the change has been profound. I have the confidence to pursue much larger pitches, clarity on my goals, and I’ve become a better leader for my team. Most importantly, I’ve gained a commitment to myself and the boundaries to protect it. If you are struggling with burnout, confidence, or that "what’s next" plateau, you need Helena in your corner.“
- Alexis Young, Co-Founder of Definitely Real
“Working with Helena has completely shifted how I see myself as a leader and as an entrepreneur. Before we started, I felt like I had stumbled into success. I was leading a growing agency, managing a team, and holding a lot of responsibility, but underneath it all I carried intense imposter syndrome and questioned whether I had truly earned my seat at the table.
My business partner began working with Helena first, and the impact was obvious almost immediately. Seeing that transformation made the decision easy for me to step into joint sessions together, and later into my own sessions later. Those conversations became some of the most powerful work we have done as partners.
Helena guided me toward owning my strengths, refining my communication, and developing an empathy that includes myself instead of leaving my own needs behind. That shift alone has made me a stronger leader and a more grounded business partner. She has supported me through both business challenges and some of the most difficult personal moments of my life, always meeting me with clarity, honesty, and genuine care.
I now see myself as the driver behind my work, not someone reacting to circumstances. My confidence, communication, and leadership presence have grown in ways that have strengthened our agency and business partnership.
I would recommend Helena to any entrepreneur or leader who wants to grow without burning themselves out or abandoning who they are. She has a rare ability to blend business strategy, psychology, nervous system awareness, and real world leadership support. If you are a high achiever who wants to move forward with clarity and sustainability, she is someone you want in your corner.
What surprised me most is how grounded and genuinely human everything about her process is. I expected to maybe feel intimidated or like the scope might be out of reach for me, and instead found a mentor who is down to earth, deeply relatable, and incredibly real. Working with her feels less like traditional coaching and more like having a trusted guide who sees both your potential and your humanity at the same time.”
- Danielle McNeill, Co-Founder, Definitely Real
“I was feeling overwhelmed, burned out, and unclear on what I was actually working toward. I’ve always been goal-oriented, but chasing specific numbers or milestones wasn’t working - and my traditional ‘manifest the next target’ approach wasn’t working.
Helena's experience as a founder stood out immediately. It’s rare to find an executive coach who truly understands the emotional and strategic weight of building something from scratch, while also navigating motherhood. That lived experience gave me confidence.
Helena helped me reframe how I think about success. Instead of anchoring goals to arbitrary numbers, we focused on how I wanted to feel and how I wanted my life to look. That shift in lens was powerful.
I now have a deeper sense of peace and clarity. Even when I’m not hitting a specific business metric, I feel like I’m making meaningful progress toward my broader life goals. That internal shift has been invaluable.
I’d recommend Helena to founders and entrepreneurs navigating a nonlinear, unconventional path — especially those who feel successful on paper but internally misaligned. If you’re building something meaningful and want your ambition to feel sustainable, this is the work.”
- Kate Flynn, Co-Founder of Sun & Swell
“Before working with Helena, I had a big vision but felt overwhelmed by how to make something that ambitious actually achievable. Helena helped me turn what felt like an impossible mountain into clear, actionable steps, and her guidance around communication and networking has been especially transformative.
She has shown me how to use language that genuinely reflects who I am, navigate introductions with confidence, and show up in a way that’s both authentic and grounded.
Working with her has helped me feel like I had a true strategic partner in moving my film and career forward. I would recommend Helena to anyone with a strong vision who needs both practical structure and honest, candid support.
She has a rare combination of sharp business clarity and emotional intelligence, and she’s exceptionally good at connecting personal patterns, like self-minimizing or over-formalizing, to how you show up professionally so you can operate as your best self.”