Ziksana Consulting

Bios

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  Akshay Sateesh

  Founder & President

  Experience Akshay started his career as a Business Development & Project Leader at DuPont’s BioMedical, where he led product development teams to launch medical device implants for surgeries. During his career at DuPont, he led two product development teams through Phase I and II animal studies and developed collaborative partnerships to take the medical devices to market. His passion for leading others jump-started his innovative approach to leadership development. He has facilitated programs in leadership development, innovation, and team dynamics for adults and children in the U.S., Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, India, and South Africa. His experiences have included a wide variety of industries like healthcare companies, hi-tech organizations, hospital systems, consulting firms, universities, and non-profit organizations. He served as an Adjunct Faculty member for the Center for Creative Leadership in San Diego for over 5 years as well as a Consultant for the Centre for Organization Effectiveness in San Diego. Akshay Sateesh was born in India, was raised in Malaysia, and now lives in San Diego. Akshay holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master’s of Arts in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego’s Leadership Studies program, focusing on Organization Development and Group Dynamics. He also holds certifications in Stakeholder-Centric coaching from Marshall Goldsmith and Gamification from the University of Pennsylvania. What I Do At Ziksana In 2009, Akshay founded Ziksana Consulting. He is currently the President and works on Client relationships, Design, and Delivery of programs. How I Like To Play Akshay cares about spending time with his young family and is known for his play versatility (he can play almost any sport and give you a run for your money). Apart from dancing in the car, playing a clown at his kids’ schools, and playing with strangers on his Nintendo Switch Akshay loves photography, playing tennis, and diving with his wife, Brooke. He would like to spend more time developing his ukelele and magic skills.

  Link: Akshay Sateesh

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  Courtney Hale

  Experience Designer & Play Producer

  Experience Courtney started her career in television production and development in Los Angeles. During her 10+ year career, she worked for networks such as NBC, CBS, and ABC Disney. Courtney then focused her career in the nonprofit sector to help animals. While there, she and her team were responsible for launching the first ever free, nation-wide microchip registry to help return lost pets to their homes. In her spare time, Courtney created an improv theatre company with her close friends where they played to sold-out crowds every weekend. Wanting to settle down and start a family, Courtney and her husband moved to San Diego in 2014 and were blessed with a beautiful baby girl the very next year. What I Do At Ziksana Courtney is the “producer of play” and likes to wear many hats. Some of her daily activities include designing innovative and impactful experiences for clients, helping lead internal culture initiatives, and producing company events & videos. How I Like To Play Courtney feels lucky to be a part of the San Diego Improv community where she gets to perform regularly. Courtney also enjoys exploring lesser-known festivals (avocado/margarita festival, anyone?), discovering new vacation spots with her family, trying out new dinner recipes, and writing Hallmark Holiday movie scripts just for the fun of it.

  Link: Courtney Hale

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  Chris Pizarro

  Playful Project Manager

  Experience With three years of experience in the event project management/coordinating profession, Chris excels in filling a critical operations gap in the field of Leadership Development. He was hired by the Center for Creative Leadership in 2012 as a Program Coordinator, delivering programs throughout the United States and in Latin America for non-profit and Fortune 500 clients. In this role Chris was responsible for all program logistics, serving as the primary point of contact for the delivery team and participants. He was later promoted to Sr. Program Coordinator role, overseeing the San Diego campus’ Open Enrollment product line and the operations of a number of global programs. What I Do At Ziksana Chris primarily provides operational, communications, and business process support to Ziksana Consulting in delivering engaging programs that make learning stick. Chris also collaborates with the marketing department to create and develop new business opportunities. How I Like To Play Chris enjoys living locally in his hometown of San Diego, CA. He takes pride in his city and enjoys attending and supporting local sporting events. On his time off Chris enjoys spending quality family time with his wife, daughter, and two lovable dogs.

  Link: Chris Pizarro

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  Kane Luong

  Graphic Designer & Website Developer

  Experience Born and raised in San Diego, California, Kane received his B.A in Graphic Design from San Diego State University. He began his career with San Diego State University and then started his own design studio. He has worked with many local clients which include, Goal Success, Pho Ca Dao, Zeroline Golf, Solarflexion, and Therapies For Success. He is an individual who has the passion to solve complex business problems through design thinking, and who consistently strives for the continuous betterment of their work. What I Do At Ziksana Kane is the graphic/web developer who handles all the design materials such as marketing collateral, workbooks, website, and presentations. How I Like To Play One of Kane’s favorite activities is playing badminton. He also enjoys trying out new food, exploring new places around San Diego, and finding new trails to hike.

  Link: Kane Luong

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  Chris Watz

  Ziksana Facilitator

  Experience Chris has influenced senior leaders to achieve a greater impact in rapid growth organizations for over 15 years. He has experience leading a variety of change initiatives including leadership development, culture change, and end-to-end business process improvement. For 10 years, Chris managed continuous improvement efforts at World Vision International. He led projects to enhance collaboration, develop leadership bench strength, and streamline resources and information flow across 90 countries. In partnership with McKinsey, Accenture, and Booz Allen Hamilton, Chris’s leadership and evaluation expertise helped two industry pioneering projects make critical adjustments to achieve greater return on investment. As a result, World Vision began operating more effectively at a global scale, during a time of rapid organizational growth. Chris received his M.A. from Claremont Graduate University in Organizational Behavior Psychology and Program Evaluation. He also holds certificates in Project Management, Lean /Six Sigma (Green Belt), and Structured Behavioral Interviewing. What I Do At Ziksana Chris is a Facilitator and Consultant to Ziksana Consulting and is a full-time Faculty member at the Center for Creative Leadership. He is an expert in the field of program evaluation, maximizing return on investment of change initiatives, and leveraging strengths to enhance leadership impact. How I Like To Play Chris has worked and traveled in 44 countries and loves rock climbing and photography while visiting new places. He is passionate about helping people find fulfilling careers that help them do the things they love most in and out of work.

  Link: Chris Watz

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  Michael Vargas

  Ziksana Facilitator

  Experience Michael has over eight years of group facilitation experience, beginning with leading groups at substance abuse and mental health facilities. In 2013 Michael began facilitating at Leela, an improv theatre company in San Francisco which eventually led him to work with teams within large organizations. A few include Kaiser Permanente, Dropbox, Salesforce, Genetech. Utilizing his Master’s degree and improv background he is able to create a fun, informative, and impactful experience. What I Do At Ziksana Michael is a trainer and facilitator for Ziksana’s creative workshops. Bringing people and teams together to learn and have fun in the process. He also is the marketing coordinator, helping to spread the message of Ziksanas services. How I Like To Play Michael enjoys going out dancing with friends, practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, playing improv games, and having dinner parties with close friends. He also likes to experience and learn new cultures through their food, art, and people.

  Link: Michael Vargas

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  Laura Fleig

  Ziksana Facilitator

  Experience Laura is a New-York native with a degree in Criminal Justice & Psychology from the University of Albany. She moved to San Diego in 2014 and began working as a residential counselor for youth in the foster-care system. During this time, Laura became deeply interested in how to create a therapeutic group environment where people could heal and grow. She’s continued this exploration in her current work as a group facilitator for both children and adults at UCSD, Positive Adventures, and Ziksana. Laura works regularly as a facilitator in wilderness settings, using the challenges of the outdoors as a vehicle for learning about overcoming obstacles and supporting one another. What I Do At Ziksana Laura joined the Ziksana team in 2019 as a Facilitator at Francis Parker School where she led classes on leadership and collaboration skills. She currently facilitates a leadership class for adults who have developmental and intellectual disabilities. How I Like To Play Laura loves all things outdoor adventure! She enjoys hiking, running, rock climbing, and horseback riding. She also loves facilitating groups and considers it a form of play! Laura is also part of an improvisational rap team that performs freestyle shows.

  Link: Laura Fleig

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  James Cruzen

  Ziksana Facilitator

  Experience James has been teaching and facilitating for over two decades. Graduating from UCSD with a philosophy degree, he followed the obvious career path of professional swing dancer – for 15+ years he traveled the world to teach American swing dance. This passion led him to found two companies: one that helps couples improve their relationship through authentic relating and another that coaches business professionals on how to lead powerfully with body presence. What I Do At Ziksana James is a facilitator for Ziksana’s creative workshops. He has a natural way of putting a room at ease and drawing out possibilities through play. How I like To Play James enjoys partner dancing with his sweetheart, listening to great jazz, dinner parties with friends, relay races, board games, and geeking out on philosophy. He also loves visiting France (where he lived as a kid) and Germany (where his partner is from) every year.

  Link: James Cruzen