Valerie Brown is an author, Buddhist-Quaker Dharma teacher, facilitator, and executive coach specializing in leadership development and mindfulness practices with a focus on diversity, social equity, and inclusion. A former lawyer and lobbyist, Valerie transformed her high-pressure, 20-year career into serving leaders and nonprofits to create trustworthy, authentic, compassionate, and connected workspaces.
Her latest book, Hope Leans Forward: Braving Your Way toward Simplicity, Awakening, and Peace, received the Nautilus Gold Award for Eastern Spirituality for 2023. Her books include The Road that Teaches: Lessons in Transformation through Travel, The Mindful School Leader: Practices to Transform Your Leadership and School (with Kirsten Olson, PhD), and Cultivating Happiness, Resilience, and Well-Being through Meditation, Mindfulness, and Movement: A Guide for Educators (contributor).
Valerie is an ordained Buddhist Dharma teacher in the lineage of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village tradition and facilitates national and international gatherings and retreats, and leads an annual pilgrimage to El Camino de Santiago, Spain. She is a certified Kundalini yoga teacher (500 hours), engaging leaders to embody somatic wisdom and creativity.
An accredited leadership coach, Valerie is the founder and chief mindfulness officer of Lead Smart Coaching, LLC, and is a codirector of Georgetown’s Institute for Transformational Leadership. Valerie’s unique and extensive training blends social justice, evidenced-based mindfulness practices, leadership development, and spiritual growth. She holds a doctoral degree from Howard University School of Law, master of arts from Miami University (Ohio), and bachelor of arts from City University of New York.