our founders.
Shari Simon
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former Senior Vice President Oracle Corp
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business strategist, board leader, social entrepreneur
Shari spent the early years of her career at Oracle where she rose from an entry-level sales position to a Senior Vice President, with global responsibilities spanning sales, marketing, partnerships, and consulting. At the height of her career, Shari’s sister was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. This was soon followed by the death of both of Shari’s parents. This combination of significant events caused Shari to pause, and think deeply about what mattered most to her. In 2006 she chose to leave Oracle to spend more time on the care of her sister (who passed away in 2007) and to launch a new phase of her career. Over the next decade, Shari took on strategic roles, serving on boards of public, nonprofit, & educational entities. In this capacity, Shari often found herself coaching executive team members and witnessed, first-hand, how the increase in complexity and uncertainty of our world was impacting them. Noting the high levels of overwhelm and low-grade anxiety that so many were experiencing brought Shari back to her childhood, a time of significant chaos and uncertainty. Shari thought about what got her through those heightened moments of uncertainty and onto a path of her choosing. The answer came quickly and it was simple: clarity and support.
Maura Wolf
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coach, author and educator
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program developer at Do Something, City Year, AmeriCorps, Points of Light, Saint Mary’s College
In her 20’s, Maura became fascinated with how people make decisions, shift habits and support each other to reach goals. Burnt-out from the sixty plus hour workweeks, at 27 she left a non-profit Executive Directorship, knowing she needed less stress in her life. She set out to write a book, based upon a year-long journey, interviewing women about their choices. After the book was completed, she continued her work as a social entrepreneur and consultant as she worked with dozens of nonprofits and colleges to design programs to help people expand their capacities both in their work and their life. Becoming a coach, and a teacher at Saint Mary’s College of California, she began to wonder how she could bring the practices of coaching and learning to more people. In 2014, she authored What Matters Most: Everyday Leadership at Home, at Work and in the World, a book that brings the complexities of managing work and care to life and links people to resources that can support the process.
In 2018, Shari and Maura brought together their unique set of experiences and skills -- and Next Move was born.
our advisors.
Kia Afcari
Jessica Burgos
Amber Childress
Leah Hendrix-Smith
Gary Hill
Anthony Jones
Liz Kline
Rodrigo Loera-Garcia
Isabel Lopez
