Skill Builder Leaders

President/CEO and Co-Founder of Peppershock Media (est. 2003), is known for her story-telling passion and extreme diligence in obtaining effective media campaign results by planning and crafting relevant and compelling messaging. Also an in-demand integrative marketing consultant, national presenter, adjunct marketing professor at Boise State University, keynote speaker, and the host of a popular podcast that ranks in the top 10% globally. Rhea emphasizes team building and creating a culture that empowers her team to produce superb work for their clients, time and time again.

Rhea has over 20 years of experience in the industry, including a television news & promotions background in the Treasure Valley, as well as experience working in the top-12 market in Seattle. She provides investigative, documentary, testimonial and “edutainment” style to her celebrated work, and has performed professional marketing and creative production services all over the world.

Peppershock is headquartered in Nampa, Idaho, but works with fortune none, to Fortune 100 companies across the globe, building brands, and bottom lines. Rhea and her husband Drew Allen, Co-Founder/ COO of Peppershock have two boys Emerson and Kaden, they enjoy spending time in the great outdoors, serving their community, and everything that life has to offer.

Through workshops and skills training, Michelle works with organizations as they build and foster a culture of psychological/emotional safety and wellbeing.

Michelle is a WellCoaches® Certified Lifestyle Medicine Health and Wellbeing Coach. She is an Instructor for the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation for Critical Incident Stress Management and De-Escalation Techniques for the Frontline. She is also trained in Suicide Awareness and Prevention through the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. Michelle obtained her Master of Health Science degree through Boise State where she also worked as a Research Associate in the Center for the Study of Aging. When she is not working, you can find her hiking in the hills and mountains, cycling, skiing or whatever fun outdoor adventure awaits.

Nancy Buffington is an English professor turned public speaking trainer and coach. She uses psychological, physical and practical approaches she developed at Stanford to help people find their voices and share their stories. She was TEDxBoise’s speaker coach for five years and has coached TED speakers around the world. As speaker coach for Idaho Listens, she travels around Idaho helping community members develop talks about their deepest values. She has published in Forbes.com, Sheryl Sandberg’s OptionB.org, and an anthology of women’s resilience stories. She lives in Boise with her husband Ben and two of their five sons, two old cats and a snake named Junior. She’s the lead singer in a Boise-based soul band, The Soulmates.

Michelle Choate MA CTC CEC is a keynote speaker, leadership coach, executive team coach, and organization development consultant with 25 years of experience in organizational culture, individual, and leadership development.

Michelle helps people master their self-leadership, effectively taking back their power and maximizing their influence in complex, volatile work environments.  Emotional Intelligence is the foundation of Michelle’s approach, to increase self-compassion, self-awareness, and impact.

 Healthcare, nonprofits, technology, government, and higher education clients seek out Michelle to conceptualize solutions that build on strengths and develop skills that reflect individual and team purpose. She facilitates a collaborative process that enables individuals and teams to lead themselves and others with increased focus, clarity, and confidence.

Katie Dow is a partner and lead advisor at Aspen Capital Management. She serves clients in holistic wealth management, which includes comprehensive financial planning and investment solutions. Her Boise firm serves over 300 clients, in more than 30 states, with over $1Billion in assets.

Previously, she spent a decade in the banking industry. Katie was a top achiever, ranking in the top 2% of her peers nationally. In 2019, she was named an “Excellence in Finance Award” recipient by the Idaho Business Review.

Katie earned her Master’s degree in Financial Planning and a Graduate Certificate in Financial Therapy from Kansas State University.  In addition, she is a Certified Financial Behavior Specialist®, the only professional in Idaho who holds this designation.Katie lives in Boise with her husband, Colin Dow.  They have two beautiful girls, Locksley and Everly, along with their beloved dog, Gus.

Once upon a time, Cece thought that if she did all the things – said yes to all the invitations, all the work assignments, and all the volunteer opportunities that were presented – she’d be a happy super-woman. She discovered, though, that we all have the same twenty-four hours in a day, and by spending all her time doing what everyone else really wanted her to do and spending time with people she may not have liked very much, she was miserable. When she learned how to set and keep boundaries, she gained back time, love and peace. Cece is an attorney, and has also worked as a non-attorney in local government and higher education administration, and now has her own coaching and consulting firm. She loves spending time with her husband and daughter, as well as reading, lifting weights, and cooking

Susan Goodwin has been a Facilitator, Mediator, and Trainer for the DOI Office of Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution since 2006. She manages a Community of Practice on External Collaboration and Conflict Resolution and the ONE-DOI Facilitation Roster.  She serves as a technical representative on a department wide contract that procures third-party neutral services and she also provides direct service as a third-party neutral facilitator or mediator when appropriate.

Susan began her career as a Presidential Management Intern 30 years ago as the US-Mexico Border Coordinator for DOI.  In this position, she helped implement NAFTA’s side agreements on the environment and assisted in negotiations on binational projects addressing transboundary natural resources protection. She then worked in DOI’s policy analysis office on issues ranging from water management to endangered species act effectiveness to tribal issues.

After a number of years working on natural resource management and environmental issues, Susan saw that trust and communication are the key to resolving disputes and found her niche in conflict management. Susan has a B.A. in Anthropology from Colorado College and an M.A. in International Studies and Environmental Policy from University of Miami.

Mike Krause is a mental performance strategist and coach with Global Bound LLC, where he works with nonprofit leaders, their talent, and boards to harness mental performance hurdles – enhancing psychological wellbeing in-and-out of the workplace. With over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Mike has held various executive leadership roles. He served 4 ½ years with the U.S. Department of State in Southern and Central Africa, focusing on public health initiatives. Additionally, Mike serves as a coach for the “Idaho Leads” program through the Idaho Nonprofit Center and coaches leaders across various industries. He co-hosts a weekly podcast and travels the region speaking about workplace wellbeing and the power of mental performance coaching as preventative maintenance for individuals and their businesses.

Hi, I’m Kim, and I’m in the business of transformation and disruption for good. I proudly wear the badges of certified contrarian, C-suite disruptor, digital strategist, storyteller, changemaker, and Founder. I’ve spent the last two decades shaking s&*t up in the workplace, including 7 years in the C-suite, crafting a career focused on driving transformation, digital innovation, and catalyzing growth from the inside out.

With a master’s degree in organizational communication, focusing on change, storytelling, and women’s experiences in the workplace, I am unapologetically committed to changing the future trajectory for women in and beyond the workplace.

To amplify my work, I started On Second Thought, a platform dedicated to facilitating our collective unlearning and the act of reclamation through the power of storytelling. If you see me around, come say hello and share some of your badges with me!

Nicole Oke is an award-winning children’s book author, dedicated professional, and advocate for emotional intelligence in both personal and professional settings. Based in Boise, Idaho, she brings her expertise to the National Interagency Fire Center, where she works alongside a dedicated team to manage and coordinate wildland firefighting efforts across the nation. In her spare time, Nicole is deeply committed to developing future leaders as a Girl Scout leader. With a passion for incorporating emotional intelligence into the workplace, Nicole understands the critical importance of teaching the skills for identifying, processing, and regulating emotions. She believes that fostering these skills is essential for creating more empathetic, resilient, and effective teams in professional environments. Nicole’s mission is to bridge the gap between personal emotional growth and professional development, ensuring that emotional intelligence becomes a cornerstone of leadership and teamwork in every workplace.

Kodi Romero is a consultant and facilitator with Strelo Group, driven by a passion for innovation and helping teams reach their full potential. She is renowned for designing spaces that encourage full and purposeful engagement, fostering better communication, collaboration, and work outcomes. Kodi’s human-centered approach emphasizes thinking and behavioral preferences, relationships, collective wisdom, and negotiation as key tools for achieving shared visions.

Kodi holds a B.S. from Colorado State University, an M.H.S. in Health Service Leadership from Boise State University, and is a certified Emergenetics Associate Trainer. She earned certifications in negotiation and influence from UC Berkeley, conflict management from Boise State, and leading complex change from Strelo Group. Based in Denver, CO, Kodi enjoys podcasts, high-alpine lakes, and boondocking adventures in her teardrop trailer with her family, reflecting her commitment to balance and well-being.

Dr. Gloria Totoricagüena, PhD London School of Economics, is a public policy and political consultant with bases in Boise, Idaho, and Bilbao, Basque Country (northern Spain).  She is the President of two woman-owned small-business consulting firms, Transnational Initiatives focusing on international politics and trade, and Idaho Policy and Consulting, where she specializes in both public and private sector project design and management in the USA. She works in government affairs, consulting in research, survey design, and data collection for policymaking and community outreach. A former professor at Stanford University, and the University of Nevada, Reno of political science, diaspora studies and Basque politics, she has transferred to the private sector and consulting.  Gloria is a board member of academic, business, and government-related institutions, working to create more opportunities for women in leadership positions.

Anca Platon Trifan, CMP, DES, WMEP, is the dynamic CEO of Tree-Fan Events LLC, Host of the “Events Demystified Podcast,” Founder of Fit Mindful Mavens, and Founder of Women BTS in Events (tech + prod). Recognized as a trailblazer in her industry, Anca has received numerous accolades, including the 2024 #empowerHERaccess Women in Cloud Award in the B2B Women Tech Entrepreneur of the Year Category, the 2023 Smart Woman in Meetings and Catalyst Quantum Leap Award by Smart Meetings, 2022’s “40 under 40” by BizBash+Connect Meetings, and the 2021 #womentowatch award by Meetings Today. With over 20 years of experience, Anca has been a leader in the AV and now AI industry, advocating for women in technology and inspiring others through her innovative approach and commitment to technological innovation, diversity and inclusion. https://treefanevents.com/about-anca-platon-trifan/