Athena
Williams-Atwood, Founder and President of Work with Ease
Ltd., brings a wealth of experience as a corporate trainer,
program facilitator, author, keynote speaker, business
consultant, and social entrepreneur to her work. For more
than 18 years, Athena has developed and directed a variety
of programs for organizations in the US, Europe and Asia
focused on topics such as leadership development,
management, business growth, facilitation and mentoring as
well as health topics including mindfulness and mind-body
integration. Her approach skillfully integrates work and
business with body, mind and spirit to create profound,
life-changing programs. Athena assists her clients to engage
in the right actions to generate long-term impact for their
own organizations as well as their community and society as
a whole.
She has developed and directed a variety of programs
covering working across generations, working across
cultures, managing a diverse work force, effective
communication, management, leadership development,
mentoring, coaching, facilitation, virtual team management,
change management, work/life balance, and healthy work
environments. The focus of her work with individuals and
corporations is to bring clarity to goals, processes and
business decisions. Most recently she has created and
implemented several corporate training programs in the US,
Europe, Asia and New Zealand that integrate on-site
training, e-learning, podcasting, blogs, webinars, and
action planning.
Programs Athena has conceptualized, built and delivered
include: Managing With Ease™, Working With Ease™, Working
Across Generations, Managing Diversity, Communicating Across
Cultures, Leadership Excellence (Certificate), Managing for
Results (Certificate); Emerging Leadership Program
(Certificate), Coaching for Human Performance Improvement,
Creating Impact and Influence, Managing Through Change,
Women and Leadership, Designing Work/Life Balance, and
Workplace Wellness. Athena enjoys challenging global clients
to create extraordinary results!
Athena has spoken globally at dozens of conferences and
events across several industries, including business,
non-profit and academia. She has written articles,
e-publications and training material used at the university,
hundreds of companies and over 30,000 individuals across the
globe. She has held the position of Director of the
Leadership and Management Program at the University of
California, Santa Cruz. Athena also teaches Stanford
University and is affiliated with Blanchard Coaching.com as
an Executive Coach.
She is currently completing a book entitled The Ease
Advantage which will highlight her unique methodology of
working with ease. The book will be released in Fall 2008 in
the United States, New Zealand and Australia.
Athena received a B.A. in Economics from Bentley College and
an M.A. focusing on Organizational Sociology from Simmons
College. Additionally, she received a Training and Human
Resources Development Certificate from UCSC Extension and
completed a two-year coaching program at Coach University.
Athena is trained in Situational Leadership, as well as a
variety of assessments that assist in the consulting
process: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI), TRI
Methodology® (Temperament Theory, Interaction Styles and
Cognitive Processes). She is also a Yoga Alliance registered
yoga teacher, a mindfulness practitioner and has studied at
the Mind-Body Institute at Harvard Medical School.
Jennifer draws on her experience in project management,
marketing, web design, business solutions, retail management
and cross-cultural understanding to contribute to the
mission of Work With Ease. She provides project assistance
for both internal and client projects to meet our deadlines
with ease. She oversees the blog, newsletter, website, event
planning and market research while also offering support to
our individual and organizational clients.
She brings a strong commitment to assisting people to work
and live with more ease. Her own personal experience with
work stress and burnout led her to re-evaluate how she was
working and incorporate new practices in her life. She now
enjoys more flexibility and freedom at work where she can
make a difference in the lives of others.
Jennifer has a passion for travel and has most recently
lived overseas in the Western Cape of South Africa. She
holds a degree in Physical Geography with a focus on
Environmental Studies from Georgia State University along
with a diploma in Web Design from the Art Institute of
Pittsburgh. Jennifer lives in the Southeastern United States
with her husband and four children.
Jen Warren, Business
Development Associate | Researcher
Jennifer Warren brings a wealth of expertise and creativity
to business development, market development and research.
With over nine years experience in technology and
finance/real estate, Jennifer has created new business
opportunities, landed contracts and managed relationships
with entrepreneurs, investors and brokers in the Bay Area.
Her passion for bringing people together to create new
possibilities shows through in all her client interactions.
She frequently speaks on key business topics such as
marketing, e-commerce, information management, real estate
investments and private trust deeds. She teaches at the
College of Marin, Small Business Association, SCORE and the
City of Daly City.
Jennifer is a long-time student and practitioner of several
mind-body disciplines, including Qi Gong. Currently in her
sixth year of Qi Gong training with the Institute of
Internal Transformation, she continues to explore the depth
of clarity and presence she receives as a result of powerful
self-inquiry.
She brings this awareness and passion to her role at Work
With Ease, helping clients and partners create practices,
tools and ideas that allow their work environments to
flourish. She also assists clients to discover their own
ideas and stories regarding work, and to choose a more
empowering context for their actions.
Jennifer received her BA from the University of Texas at
Austin, focusing on media studies and the transformative
power of stories. Her research focused on the mythological
frameworks people construct in modern society to make
meaning through cinema and television. She enjoys writing,
reading, hiking and traveling around the world.
Kara has a wealth of experience in human resources, employee
development, benefits and diversity. She has worked in
corporations, small businesses, non-profits and healthcare
settings sharing her expertise in creating sustainable work
environments that honor employees and organizational goals.
Company experience includes Kaiser Permanente, Genesys
Communications, St. Joseph’s Home Care, On Lok Senior Health
and several HR Outsourcing organizations where she focused
on providing exceptional service to employees, management
and other stakeholders.
Kara brings passion, curiosity and deep inquiry into all she
does. She explores situations and challenges with keen
questions to uncover the best possible solution for
employees and employers. Her commitment to diversity and
inclusion is echoed in her approach to both employee
development as well as business development. She
collaborates with Work With Ease's clients to create
powerful programs that truly impact the health of
individuals and organizations worldwide.
In addition to her vast professional experience, Kara has
volunteered with Upwardly Global, a non-profit organization
in San Francisco, where she trained immigrants and refugees
on topics such as “How to Survive the American Workplace,”
“Interviewing Skills” and “Networking Skills.” In addition,
she has volunteered with Refugee Transitions to help refugee
youths learn English and adjust to their new life.
Kara holds an MA in Intercultural Communication as well as a
B.A. in Sociology from San Francisco State University. She
also holds a Human Resources certificate from San Francisco
State University and has studied at Antioch University and
the Intercultural Communication Institute. Kara lives in the
San Francisco Bay Area with her husband.
As our Operations Manager, Donna provides the backbone of
the company. She brings her expertise in project planning,
management and non-violent communication to her work. With a
sense of lightness, she gently guides us towards growth and
success. Her commitment to sustainability and green business
is evident throughout our business practices.
Donna’s experience spans many industries include government,
academia, high-tech and financial services. As a critical
member of many operations teams, she displays her wisdom and
talents. She holds a Bachelors in Business Management and an
MBA from Bentley College.
Athena
Williams-Atwood, Founder and President of Work with Ease
Ltd., brings a wealth of experience as a corporate trainer,
program facilitator, author, keynote speaker, business
consultant, and social entrepreneur to her work. For more
than 18 years, Athena has developed and directed a variety
of programs for organizations in the US, Europe and Asia
focused on topics such as leadership development,
management, business growth, facilitation and mentoring as
well as health topics including mindfulness and mind-body
integration. Her approach skillfully integrates work and
business with body, mind and spirit to create profound,
life-changing programs. Athena assists her clients to engage
in the right actions to generate long-term impact for their
own organizations as well as their community and society as
a whole.
Jennifer draws on her experience in project management,
marketing, web design, business solutions, retail management
and cross-cultural understanding to contribute to the
mission of Work With Ease. She provides project assistance
for both internal and client projects to meet our deadlines
with ease. She oversees the blog, newsletter, website, event
planning and market research while also offering support to
our individual and organizational clients.
Jennifer Warren brings a wealth of expertise and creativity
to business development, market development and research.
With over nine years experience in technology and
finance/real estate, Jennifer has created new business
opportunities, landed contracts and managed relationships
with entrepreneurs, investors and brokers in the Bay Area.
Her passion for bringing people together to create new
possibilities shows through in all her client interactions.
Kara has a wealth of experience in human resources, employee
development, benefits and diversity. She has worked in
corporations, small businesses, non-profits and healthcare
settings sharing her expertise in creating sustainable work
environments that honor employees and organizational goals.
Company experience includes Kaiser Permanente, Genesys
Communications, St. Joseph’s Home Care, On Lok Senior Health
and several HR Outsourcing organizations where she focused
on providing exceptional service to employees, management
and other stakeholders. 
