​Most organizations treat coaching as a tool for fixing problems or developing high-potential individuals. But what if coaching wasn't just a one-off intervention — what if it was woven into the fabric of how your organization operates?

​Join Asila Calhoun, Leadership Coach and Principal at Calhoun Coaching & Consulting, as she makes the case for coaching as a cultural practice that transforms engagement, retention, and leadership capability across entire organizations. Asila will explore what a coaching culture actually looks like in practice, how it impacts performance and workplace climate, and the practical steps to implement it at every level — from individual managers to executive teams.

​This isn't about adding more programs. It's about shifting how leaders show up, how teams communicate, and how organizations develop talent from within.

​Key Takeaways:

1. ​What a coaching culture looks like in practice and why it matters:
   Understand the difference between coaching as an individual tool versus a cultural practice, and how embedding coaching behaviors across an organization improves engagement, retention, and leadership effectiveness.

2. ​How coaching culture impacts performance and workplace climate:
   Learn the tangible benefits of a coaching-first approach, from stronger team dynamics and better communication to increased innovation and reduced turnover.

3. ​Practical strategies for implementing coaching at every level of your organization:
   Walk away with actionable steps to build coaching into daily leadership practices, train managers to coach their teams, and create systems that sustain a coaching culture long-term.

​Who Should Attend

​This session is for:

• ​HR leaders and talent development professionals building leadership capability and employee engagement strategies

• ​Senior leaders and executives looking to shift organizational culture and improve retention

• ​People managers who want to adopt a coaching mindset with their teams

• ​Organizational development consultants working with life sciences companies on culture change

• ​Curious Professionals interested in learning more about coaching culture

​***For those who need PDU credits, this session is PDU eligible. ***

​About the Speaker

​Asila Calhoun

​Asila Calhoun’s coaching and consulting firm focuses on partnering with leaders and organizations who are ready for change. Asila facilitates this change during one-on-one and group coaching sessions with her clients and through her customized consulting services of delivering leadership training, team retreat facilitation, and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging coaching, consulting and training. Asila enjoys partnering with her clients to design and deliver leadership development programs that are followed by group coaching cohorts.

​Asila has clients from several industries, including biotechnology/clinical research, healthcare, higher education, state and local government, and property management, as well as several non-profit organizations.

​During Asila’s 25+ year career as a strategic HR business partner in the engineering, clinical research, healthcare software development, and research industries, she effectively worked with senior leaders to enhance the skills, tools, and learning opportunities they need to positively impact employee performance.

​Asila earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UC Berkeley, and she holds PHR and SHRM-CP Human Resources certifications. She is a member of the International Coach Federation (ICF) and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC). Asila is a Certified Inclusion Coach (CIC) and on the faculty of the Inclusion Coaching program, a certification course for certified coaches that intersects diversity and coaching. Asila is an Adjunct Faculty member at UNC School of Government’s Center for Public Leadership and Governance, where she teaches leadership courses to public sector employees who work across the state of North Carolina.

​Asila is committed to allyship in action. She serves on the Board of Extraordinary Ventures, which employs adults with intellectual developmental disabilities, and she is also an Advisory Board member of birdSEED Foundation, which provides down payment grants to first-time Black and Brown homeowners in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.

​LinkedIn I Website

​About the Host

​Crystal Richards

​Crystal Richards, lead trainer and owner of MindsparQ, is a project management educator with more than 20 years of experience. She has trained over 2,500 professionals in project management and agile practices.

​​Crystal holds the PMP®, PMI-ACP®, and CSM® certifications and has guided many learners in earning credentials such as PMP®, CAPM®, and PMI-ACP®. She also serves as adjunct faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park, where her self-paced course was named the Best University-level PMP Exam Prep course by Classcentral.com. She is also the author of PMP Exam Prep for Dummies, which sold more than 1,100 copies in its first week.

​​LinkedIn | Website

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​About the Program

​Career Catalyst

​Career Catalyst is BioBuzz’s flagship weekly virtual series connecting life sciences professionals with experts and actionable insights. The program runs every Tuesday @ 12 PM EST for approximately 45 minutes:

• ​20-minute expert presentation

• ​25-minute live, open Q&A

​Sessions rotate through four thematic tracks with new experts each week, ensuring content stays relevant for life sciences professionals at every career stage. Each track is community-led and hosted by our Career Community Ambassadors.

​Tracks include:

​➡️ Career Navigation — Networking, skill-building, and strategies to advance your career across all life sciences disciplines. Hosted by Crystal Richards, Principal & Owner, MindsparQ.

​➡️ Research — Deep dives on research and opportunities shaping the life sciences ecosystem and their relevance to your professional growth. Hosted by Gautam Kumar, Postdoctoral Candidate, NIH, NIDA

​➡️ Biomanufacturing — Insights into the backbone of biotech success, shaping the industry and your career. Hosted by Paris McKenzie, Manufacturing Technician, Longeviti Neuro Solutions.

​➡️ CQV & Validation — Insights into compliance, quality systems, and operational standards that underpin high-performing life sciences organizations and support your professional growth. Hosted by Kayla Britt, Founder & Principal Consultant, Britt Biocomputing.

​Sponsors

​Bio-Trac​

​With over 30 years of expertise, Bio-Trac® workshops have trained more than 17,000 scientists and engaged 300 scientist instructors. Designed by active researchers and open to the scientific community, these workshops equip bench and research scientists with the latest lab techniques and provide training on cutting-edge biotechnology advancements to a global audience across all biotech sectors.

​LinkedIn | Website

​Workforce Genetics

​Workforce Genetics (WGx) is a premier recruiting firm serving the life sciences, MedTech, and healthcare sectors, supporting companies from startup to commercial. The firm delivers transformative talent strategies through retained and executive search, contingent search, and outsourced talent acquisition.

​LinkedIn | Website

​​Important Information

​BioBuzz's Career Catalyst sessions are intended to provide insights, guidance, and support for professionals navigating their careers. These sessions are not a platform for selling services, recruitment pitches, or business solicitations. They are designed for job seekers and those looking to make connections and build community.

​Please be respectful of fellow participants and help ensure this remains a valuable, trusted resource for all.

​Participants who engage in solicitation, promotional activity, or behavior that disrupts the intent of the session will be asked to leave.

​Repeated or serious violations may result in removal from the session and exclusion from future Career Catalyst events.

​Want to be an expert guest?

​If you’re interested in sharing your knowledge with the BioBuzz community, get in touch via hello [@] biobuzz.io.