When life’s not a bowl of cherries, you may still find some joy in the pits
I didn’t come to coaching to teach leadership. I came to it to heal, reflect, and redefine what leadership truly means.
As a woman who has navigated STEM, law, policymaking, administration, and now AI ethics, I have found myself in rooms where logic was valued above compassion and certainty over courage. However, I have come to realize that authentic leadership isn’t about possessing all the answers; it’s about learning to pause, reflect, and act in a manner that aligns with one’s values.
By transforming obstacles into opportunities, I aligned my actions with my highest aspirations and discovered my ability to inspire others. This transformative journey taught me that my legacy isn’t measured by the accolades I have achieved, but by the positive impact I can make by guiding others to overcome challenges with courage and determination. I have been there, I have done that, and I have found a way forward. I want to share this gift with YOU! This is WHY I do what I do.
Life, to me, is like a bowl of cherries - the pits, often seen as obstacles, are seeds of growth and transformation. When planted with care and intention, they grow into thriving cherry trees, bearing fruit to relish and share. I am that cultivator, who levels your field, nurtures your potential, helps you to plant the seeds of your success, and inspires you to grow a legacy of abundance and impact!
Sunaina Sharma, PhD (SFU), LLM (Berkeley), LLB (UBC), ECPC (Erickson), ICF MCC
Leading in an AI-Driven World Demands Mastery of Personal Resilience, Agility, and Purposeful Leadership
Hello, I am Sunaina Sharma, Founder & CEO of Silverlinings Strategy & Leadership Coaching & Consulting. As a Transformative Leadership Coach, I empower leaders to navigate the unprecedented scale and pace of change with resilience, purpose, and strategic insight. My approach integrates deep self-awareness, evidence-based coaching, and emerging AI technologies to foster sustainable leadership growth.
My Clientele
Women in STEM, Law, medicine & Leadership Roles: Individuals navigating high-performance environments in these fields.
Leaders Seeking to Integrate AI into Their Leadership Practice: Leaders who aim to leverage AI while maintaining the human element.
Professionals Undergoing Career Transitions or Seeking Alignment: Professionals transitioning careers or seeking to align their personal values with their professional impact.
My Distinct Advantage
I possess a unique ability to facilitate transformative change. My diverse background, encompassing STEM, law, administration, coaching & leadership development, has allowed me to personally navigate career shifts and leadership transformations.
I am committed to challenging conventional leadership practices. My Catalytic Leadership Framework integrates resilience, emotional intelligence, and AI-driven insights, providing a novel and adaptable approach to leadership development.
I am dedicated to demystifying AI and ensuring its accessibility rather than intimidation. I assist leaders in redefining AI as a valuable ally, empowering them to utilize it for self-coaching, reflection, and strategic decision-making, rather than viewing it as a threat to human intuition and empathy.
My Approach to Leadership Development
Resilience as a Leadership Enabler: Cultivating self-trust empowers leaders to adapt, innovate, and lead with a profound impact.
AI as a Collaborative Partner, Not a Substitute: AI augments reflection, decision-making, and leadership precision, complementing human connection rather than replacing it.
Purpose-Driven Leadership: Leadership is not solely about performance metrics but rather about alignment, influence, and meaningful action.
Strategic Insight through Self-Mastery: Leaders who master their inner game possess the confidence and clarity to navigate uncertainty effectively.
Catalytic Leadership: My Catalytic Leadership Framework integrates AI-enhanced insights with human intuition to illuminate leaders who possess adaptability, strategic thinking, and a clear purpose. AI serves as a catalyst for deeper self-reflection, accelerating leadership development while maintaining human connection at its core.
Programs and Offerings
Master Your Inner Game as a Leader: A structured coaching framework that integrates self-awareness, mindset transformations, and AI-driven leadership development.
AI-Powered Leadership Tools: Curated AI journaling, reframing, and self-coaching tools designed to enhance decision-making and adaptability.
Leadership Development Programs and Speaking Engagements: Workshops, keynotes, and executive coaching programs that combine neuroscience, leadership psychology, and AI-enhanced insights.
Ethics in AI: AI is not merely a technical challenge – it’s a leadership dilemma influenced by the values, biases, and decisions of those responsible for its creation and deployment.
Let’s connect and explore how AI-enhanced leadership can empower your journey!
Work Experience
With deep experience in the trenches of government, academia, private, and the not-for-profit sectors, I have steered my professional path and curiosity towards empowering leaders and teams navigate and grow within existing structures and push through status quo to make meaningful change.
Notable appointments are:
As a Strategy & Leadership Expert, Executive & Leadership Coach
Northwestern University ASCEND - A Faculty Excellence Initiative (Evanston, IL);
University of Illinois Engineering Faculty Leadership Forum (Urbana-Champaign IL);
University of Illinois Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (Urbana-Champaign IL);
University of Illinois Information Trust Institute (Urbana-Champaign IL);
BC Cancer Medical Staff Society - Heal the Healers Program (BC Cancer Agency)
Provincial (BC) Health Services Authority: Leadership Coach (Vancouver BC);
Drs. of BC: Leadership Coach (Vancouver BC);
Lady Justice Initiative: Leadership Coach (Washington DC);
Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation: Leadership Coach; Becoming an Ally to Racialized People (Ottawa ON);
Big 10+ [US East Coast Universities] Women's Workshop 2016 (Milwaukee WI);
TrostCon 2016, Stanford University (Stanford CA);
Backpack to Briefcase, Simon Fraser University (Burnaby BC);
Erickson Coaching International Teaching Assistant (Vancouver BC);
Vantage Point (Vancouver BC): Coach for the Governance Academy; Board Fundamentals Knowledge Philanthropist; Strategic Planning Knowledge Philanthropist; Governance Academy Knowledge Philanthropist;
Powell River Division of Family Practice (Powell River BC);
BC Children’s Hospital Foundation (Vancouver BC);
BC Centre for Disease Control Foundation (Vancouver BC);
David Suzuki Foundation (Vancouver BC).
As an Executive
Board Member, Pacific Immigrant Resources Society (Vancouver BC);
Board Member, Director, ICF Vancouver Charter Chapter Coach Giving Portfolio (Vancouver BC);
Executive Director, Patients In Action Together Society (Vancouver BC);
Executive Director, Community of Federal Regulators, Government of Canada (Ottawa ON);
Director, Policy, Planning & International Affairs, Health Canada (Ottawa ON);
Head, Policy, Planning & Outreach, Health Canada Western Region (Burnaby BC);
Chief, Manufacturing & Chemical Evaluation Division, Health Canada (Ottawa ON).
As a Lawyer
Church & Co. Barristers & Solicitors (Vancouver BC);
Davis & Co. Barristers & Solicitors (Vancouver BC).
As an Academician
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Western University (London ON);
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada Women’s Faculty Award Recipient, Department of Chemistry, Western University (London ON);
NSERC of Canada Visiting Research Scholar, Department of Chemistry, Stanford University (Stanford CA);
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Chemistry, University of California at Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara CA).
Volunteer Activities
With a philosophy of giving back at the core of my being, I maximize the potential of children, youth-at-risk, women, disabled persons, and healthcare systems, to reach higher and dream bigger by sharing my expertise in my various volunteer roles, such as with:
3D-Systems Sculpting: ICF Vancouver Chapter Board (Vancouver BC);
3D-Systems Sculpting: Canuck Place - The Children’s Hospice (Vancouver BC);
3D-Systems Sculpting: YWCA (Metro Vancouver BC);
3D-Systems Sculpting: Atira Women’s Resources Society (Metro Vancouver BC);
3D-Systems Sculpting: SUCCESS BC (Vancouver BC);
3D-Systems Sculpting: The John Howard Society (Vancouver BC);
3D-Systems Sculpting: TruShield Insurance (Vancouver BC);
Co-Chair, City of Port Coquitlam BC Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Round Table (Port Coquitlam BC);
Mount Pleasant Family Centre Society (Vancouver BC);
NatureKids BC (Vancouver BC);
BC Children's Hospital Foundation (Vancouver BC);
YWCA Metro Vancouver, WorkBC Employment Services Centre - Career Zone Youth Satellite (Vancouver BC);
Chinese Community Policing Centre (Vancouver BC);
Dress for Success Professional Women’s Working Group (Seattle WA);
Women Against Violence Against Women (Vancouver BC);
PosAbilities Association of BC (Vancouver BC);
Renton Veterans Centre (Seattle WA);
BC Cancer, Performance Management Advisory Committee;
BC Patients Safety & Quality Council: BC Patients’ Voices Network, Oversight & Advisory Committee;
BC Ministry of Health, Primary and Community Care Advisory Forum;
Canadian Institute for Health Research: Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (SPOR), BC SUPPORT Unit Fraser Health, Core Oversight Committee;
International Society for Quality in Health Care, Person Centred Care Advisory Group;
Fraser Health Authority, Regional Patient Advisory Council.
Through my own not-for-profit society, Patients In Action Together, I inspire people living with cancer to reclaim their “new” normal by embracing, and heroically moving forward through life’s transitions.
My this diverse experience adds a unique flavour to all I do now.
Education
I am a life-long learner. I hold a:
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Chemistry & Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University (Burnaby BC);
Master in Laws & Technology (LLM), University of California at Berkeley (Berkeley CA);
Bachelor in Laws (LLB), University of British Columbia (Vancouver BC);
Law Society of BC (admitted), May 23, 2001;
Bakau Consulting Inc. Certified Anti-Oppression Facilitator (Vancouver BC);
ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC), August 29, 2019;
ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC), February 1, 2016;
ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC), January 16. 2014;
Erickson Certified Professional Coach (ECPC), December 6, 2013.
In addition, I hold numerous certifications and qualifications in leadership, organizational and human development. For example:
Rochester Institute of Technology, (Rochester NY)
MicroMasters in Design Thinking (in progress)
Stanford University, Graduate School of Business, (Palo Alto CA)
Positive Intelligence (PQ) Coaching Program (in progress)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Presencing Institute (Cambridge MA)
Collective Leadership for Profound Innovation and Change;
Leading from the Emerging Future: Transforming Business, Society and Self;
Awareness-Based Systems Change with U. Lab - How to Sense and Actualize the Future: U.Lab.
Canadian Council for Management Development (Ottawa ON)
Leading in a Culture of Change;
Bluepoint Leadership Development (Vancouver BC)
The Marshall Goldsmith Leadership Workshop Breakout! … Become the Leader of the Future, Today!
Professional Development Institute (Ottawa ON)
Leadership Skills for 1st Time Managers & Supervisors
Erickson Coaching International
The Art and Science of Coaching;
Training for Trainers: Advanced Level Skills;
Standing in Contribution: A Trainers Training;
Corporate Mindfulness;
Trainer’s Assistant (2012-16)
Make Your Mark Training & Consulting Inc. (Surrey BC)
Yes To Success: The Effortless Path to True Success and Happiness (Debra Poneman, CA);
Get More from your Business.
Sounds True Inc. (Louisville CO)
The Neuroscience Training Summit: How to Change your Brain for Better Relationships, Accelerated Learning and Increased Happiness
World Business & Executive Coaching Summit Inc. (Buckinghamshire UK)
Coaching with Return on Investment 2017 (Lisa A. Edwards, Bloom Consulting Inc. USA);
The Coach Master Toolkit: Executive & Business Coaching (Andrew Neitlich, Centre for Executive Coaching, USA);
World Business & Executive Coach Summits (2014-17).
The Canadian Institute of Cultural Affairs, (Vancouver BC);
Group Facilitation: Powerful Methods for Facilitators
Emberin Inc. (QLD Australia)
my mentor:IGNITE - Career Mentoring Program for Women in Technology;
10,000 Women in Technology: APAC Virtual Conference.
Training and Development Canada (Ottawa ON)
Building Diversity at Work;
Creating a Respectful Workplace;
Feedback at Work: Yes it can Work.
The Continuing Legal Education Society (Vancouver BC)
Dispute Resolution Conferences (2012-2014);
Mediation Training.
Canada School of Public Service (Ottawa ON)
Labour Relations Training For Managers;
Staffing, Delegation & Bias Free Selection;
Me In Relationship with Others: How To Deal with Common Interpersonal Situations at Work;
Behind the Curtain to Centre Stage: The How, Now & Next in Policy;
Project Management Workshop for Associate Directors.
WordClass Communications Consultants Inc. (Ottawa ON)
Writing Effective Briefing Notes & Memoranda to Ministers
Health Canada Program Evaluation Division, (Ottawa ON)
Performance Measurement Frameworks: BMB Consulting Services Inc. (Ottawa ON);
Performance Measurement Training Series: Developing a Logic Model, Identifying Performance Indicators, Grappling with Attribution, Data Collection and Analysis.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University (Cambridge MA).
Improving Global Health: Focussing on Quality and Safety