Thinking People Collective

The Thinking People Collective is a different type of “team”. We are a network of experienced consultants, who have been carefully selected, to ensure that each consultant brings a unique, meaningful perspective when engaging with you, each with a commitment to meet your short-term and long-term needs.

We know it can be challenging when various consultants come in without common ground or consistent language. Realizing that sometimes programs require multiple consultants to solve various organizational needs – we bring the right experts, in at the right time, through a flexible, scalable, single-vendor solution.

We all have executive level experience at some of the world’s leading companies from retail, to high-tech, to financial institutions, and non-profit organizations. We partner together to understand how each piece of work ties into your overall strategic learning plan, organizational needs, and connects to your business results. 

Our solutions may incorporate some of today’s leading tools: 

​Insights Discovery™
The Leadership Circle™
Myers Briggs Type Indicator™
Franklin Covey’s Speed of Trust™
Strengths Deployment Inventory™

DISC™ Assessment
EQ In Action™
Strengthscope™​
SDI Core Strength™.
Crucial Conversations™

​Ready to engage with us?
It’s easy, email us or fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page.

Amber Wendover
Strategist | Leadership Expert | Professional & Student Coach

​Amber brings 20 years of strategic and operational experience to her role as president of Thinking People. Throughout her career, Amber has gained deep strategic-consultation experience in a range of sectors. She has advised several of the world’s leading corporations, including Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, Nike, Intel, Google, and eBay.

As a part of the Whole Foods Market leadership team, Amber led the centralization of the Pacific Northwest regional training staff, improving product-training effectiveness and developing a more mission-based onboarding program. While at Microsoft she found a niche being the generational bridge for professional coaching. She spent five years at Insights Learning & Development , becoming one of the company’s top coaches and facilitators, to include being a member of the internal faculty of Training-the-Trainers. 

Amber is practiced in evaluating, developing and implementing a broad range of talent development solutions such as product training, competency development, leadership framework, talent review, succession planning and individual leadership coaching. This diverse experience allows her to solve problems, build programs, provide coaching and facilitating, and engage in dialogue with clients from many different perspectives.

​Kathy Clifford
Team Relationship Expert | Executive Coach 

​Kathy brings a strong record of direct leadership, executive coaching, and team relationship expertise to her consulting practice. She is renowned for her candid yet compassionate communication methodology, which cultivates safe and trusting environments for building greater transparency and effectiveness within organizational teams. 
 
​She uses best-in-class tools to lay a foundation of understanding and builds upon the strengths of team members, coaching them to develop healthier relationships that lead directly to high-performance results. ​Kathy’s clients range from the most senior leadership teams of Fortune 50 companies to startup partnerships. ​Kathy is the founder of Kathy Clifford & Associates. 

Kelli Hildebrand
​Team Development | Executive Presence | Leadership

Kelli specializes in the design and facilitation of workshops, leadership-team strategic offsites, and award-winning onboarding programs. She also excels in helping professionals refine their presentation skills and executive presence.
 
Kelli has worked with such innovation leaders as Microsoft, Google, Starwood Hotels, and Four Seasons Hotels – as well as nonprofit boards and startups. In addition, she successfully implemented a year-long cohort design for Women in Leadership and Influence. Kelli has brought her expertise to business capitals worldwide, from Brussels to Singapore. 

Julie Knox
Director, Customer Experience & Events

Julie’s background in Event Project Management brings together a full range of expertise in design, planning, and staging of both small and large-scale world-class conferences and events. She is adept at navigating complex event challenges by working closely with stakeholders across marketing, partners, sponsors and vendors.

​Julie's recent experience working for the Special Olympics USA Games and the Honored Guest Program provided her the opportunity to work with a diverse group of guests who rated the USA Games in Seattle, “world-class”.

Tom Perry
Employee Engagement | Leadership | Coach

​Clients benefit from Tom’s experience at top-tier tech organizations, where he has built and managed global teams; interviewed thousands of candidates; and hired hundreds of full-time employees.
 
From this background in the ever-evolving tech sector, Tom understands just how important it is for professionals to find the right role in the right company. He guides each client through the development of a Professional Dashboard, a Professional Story/Elevator Pitch, and a detailed near-term Career Plan. Tom built his company, Engaged Pursuit, because he saw the need for a new kind of service – one that builds employee engagement through career clarity. 

Kirsten Smith
Executive Certified Coach | Communication Expert

​​​For more than 25 years, Kirsten Smith has worked with leaders across industries to expand their sphere of influence and provide authentic leadership through a strong presence and powerful communication. 
 
Kirsten is a Hudson Institute and ICF Certified Coach who works one-on-one to help leaders see possibilities in the challenges they face every day. She is the founder of True Warrior Way, and is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and the Filipino martial art Arnis. 

Interested in joining our team?
Contact Amber to discuss potential opportunities.