Our Story

Coach to Lead was founded in 2018 by Dr. Denise Snowden to help leaders achieve their vision through practical, personalized support. Having served on the faculty at The Ohio State University and partnered with organizations nationwide for nearly 30 years, Denise saw firsthand how complex and context-specific leadership challenges can stifle both individual growth and innovative organizational change. Coach to Lead was created in response to these realities.

We anchor our work in the core values of commitment, collaboration, and care. By combining clarity with a human-centered, iterative approach, we help leaders and teams navigate change with confidence. Whether guiding a school district through strategic planning or helping an executive refine leadership practices or a team strengthen its culture, Coach to Lead focuses on delivering high-quality leadership development that sparks growth and impact.

Our philosophy blends the practical and the transformative: leadership requires both managing complexity and growing the human capacity to respond. We believe that growth is essential, self-awareness is transformative, and reflective practice drives sustainable change. Guided by our values of commitment, collaboration, and care, we partner with leaders to help them Lead from the Inside Out.

Coach to Lead by the Numbers

25+ years of designing, researching, and leading adult learning and leadership development.
700+ facilitation and speaking engagements.
10,000+ employees impacted in organizations we've supported.

250,000+ stakeholders impacted through facilitated strategic planning and organizational design initiatives.
100% client satisfaction record - consistently meeting or exceeding expectations.

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Denise A. Snowden, Ph.D.

Meet the Founder & CEO

Leadership Strategist | Executive Coach | Vistage Chair

Dr. Denise Snowden is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and educator with nearly 30 years of experience helping leaders strengthen their organizations from the inside out. As the founder of Coach to Lead, she partners with executives, teams, and boards to navigate complexity, align vision with action, and lead meaningful, sustained change so they can find greater clarity, purpose, and joy in their leadership.

Denise also serves as a Vistage Chair in Columbus, Ohio, where she leads a confidential peer advisory group for CEOs and Presidents. In this role, she brings leaders together across industries to think more clearly, challenge assumptions, and make better, more confident decisions in high-stakes environments. Through a combination of facilitated peer learning and one-to-one executive coaching, she supports leaders in carrying the weight of leadership with greater perspective, confidence, and accountability.

A Certified Practitioner of the Leadership Circle Profile®, Denise integrates one of the most trusted and research-based leadership assessments into her coaching. This work helps leaders deepen self-awareness by examining both their leadership behaviors and the underlying beliefs that drive them. By connecting internal mindset shifts to external effectiveness, she supports leaders in making lasting, measurable changes in how they lead.

Denise’s journey began in the classroom, where she achieved National Board Certification, the most rigorous credential for educators, and experienced firsthand how leadership transforms lives. She later advanced into executive leadership roles in nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, where she designed large-scale learning systems, led national initiatives, and championed equity and social impact.

A former faculty member at The Ohio State University, Denise prepared future leaders through graduate-level teaching and mentorship. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership, with expertise in strategic change, educational psychology, executive coaching, and collaborative leadership development.

Her portfolio spans both education and business. Denise has partnered with organizations across the country, supporting leaders across organizations ranging from small teams to large, complex systems. Her work has connected her with nationally recognized organizations such as the U.S. Department of Education, KnowledgeWorks, Battelle for Kids, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

At Coach to Lead, Denise brings together deep technical expertise and human-centered leadership. Her approach blends research-based insight with practical application, empowering leaders to build strong teams, lead with intention, and create lasting impact in their organizations and communities.

For more detailed information about Denise's experiences, visit her LinkedIn page.