Facilitator Bios

Michael Schiesser
Neelama Eyres
Howard Ross
Leslie Traub

spiritual teacher michael schiesser

Michael Schiesser

Michael’s facilitation career spans 32 years in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. He is a spiritual teacher and co-founder of the Inner Journey Institute and of Healing Divorce LLC. Michael has created and facilitated a vast number of workshop intensives and seminars for individuals and for organizational leaders.

Michael studied under many renowned spiritual teachers of our time, such as Osho and Sri H.L. Poonja, the last living disciple of the Indian saint, Sri Ramana Maharshi. Michael went on to explore and train in therapeutic modalities of the Human Potential Movement, Transpersonal Psychology, aspects of Gestalt therapy, bioenergetics, rebirthing, and the healing arts. He also trained as an acupuncturist under Professor J.R. Worsley, who introduced Chinese Five Elements acupuncture to England and the United States.  More about Michael »

Neelama Eyres

Neelama’s vision, passion, and joy revolve around assisting people on their journeys of “remembering who they are.” Her background includes a B.A. in Comparative Religion, the study of Eastern spirituality and Western psychology, leading meditation and yoga retreats, facilitating seminars and training workshops, counseling homeless people, teaching children, coaching men, women, and couples, and authoring a book.

Since 1998, Neelama has worked in the field of personal transformation in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, as a life coach, facilitator, and trainer in transformational workshops—now under the umbrella of Inner Journey Seminars, a not-for-profit organization of which she is co-founder.  More about Neelama »

howard-rossHoward Ross

Howard J. Ross is one of the nation’s leading diversity consultants and a nationally recognized expert on diversity, leadership, and organizational change. He is the author of Everyday Bias: Identifying and Navigating Unconscious Judgments in Our Daily Lives (Rowman & Littlefield, 2014) and ReInventing Diversity: Transforming Organizational Community to Strengthen People, Purpose, and Performance (Rowman & Littlefield, 2011).

Howard received his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland and pursued postgraduate studies in administration, management, and organizational development at Wheelock College in Boston. He can be heard on NPR on the first Monday of every month at noon, as a regular guest on the Kojo Nnamdi Show.

leslie-traubLeslie Traub

With more than 25 years of experience leading gender programs, diversity, inclusion, cultural competence and change management initiatives, Leslie Traub creates sustainable systems of change that yield greater performance, profit, and possibility. Leslie is especially interested in building gender equity in global corporations through full engagement of women, men and organizational structures and systems.

Leslie is a Fellow in Change Management from Johns Hopkins University, and holds a Masters in Biostatistics and Epidemiology from Tulane University, a B.A. in economics and history from Wheaton College in Massachusetts, and a Certificate in Training and Development from the University of Maryland.

“I’ve worked with Michaal and Neelama over the last 5 years, and working with them is like a psychological and spiritual tune up! I always come away with practical steps to address issues in my life, which has helped me achieve my goals and feel happier and healthier in the process. Their work has had a cumulative effect that has greatly enhanced my life skills and capabilities.”
Kevin F. - Management Consultant - Washington, DC