Get to Know Us
Impactful global leadership, team collaboration and personal presence begins with strong CulturalEQ skills.
Result? Informed and empathetic communication that resonates across cultures.
We partner with you and your organization to create a tailored program of Cultural and Emotional Intelligence coaching, consulting, and training solutions for effectively communicating across cultural and linguistic lines for greater global agility.
ABOUT MICHELLE
I grew up in the multicultural environments of New York City and Cape Town, South Africa, and have lived in Asia for the past 18 years. I am bilingual in English and Mandarin Chinese and am passionate about supporting individuals and teams to develop their cultural intelligence and global leadership skills. I consult with as well as train individuals, academic institutions, and companies as the founder of Elephant Communications (雙象溝通), and I have over 15 years of experience working with individuals and groups from all walks of life as a corporate trainer, intercultural consultant, and coach.
I graduated from Emerson College in Boston with a Bachelor of Science in Speech, studied International Marketing at the University of Melbourne in Australia, and Mandarin Chinese at National Normal Taiwan University.
My Professional Certifications:
- CQ Fellow (2026): a one-year, elite certification in cultural intelligence led by David Livermore
- Certified Coach & Group Coach (at the PCC level) from International Coaching Academy
- Certified System Level Facilitator of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY workshops from SERIOUSWORK
- Certified Fearless Organization Scan (Psychological Safety) Practitioner from Caerus Change
- Certified in the Advancing Inclusion in Asia Masterclass Program from Asia Human Capital Center
- Certified Emotional Intelligence and EQ-i 2.0/EQ360 coach from The Emotional Intelligence Training Company
- Certified Intercultural Trainer from EIFID (European Institute for Intercultural Development)'s TTIT certification program
- Business Cultural Trainer from International House London in the U.K
- Certified Cultural Intelligence Trainer from C3 Consulting in Denmark
I support organizations in the East and West such as NIKE, TSMC, Uber, Blackrock, Yahoo!, KPMG, Fortinet, Latch, Hitachi, Goldman Sachs and ING, not-for-profit organizations like Immigrant Social Services NYC and The Community Services Center Taipei, as well as at academic institutions including Taipei European School, Soochow University, Kaohsiung Medical University, National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University, East Asia Institute of Technology, and BOSKOP Germany.
My hobbies are walking in nature, swimming, reading, and drinking tea. I enjoy learning from people from all walks of life and consider myself lucky to call Taipei my home of the past 18 years.
I am a regular guest speaker at public events, for example this 'Building DEI: Cross-Cultural Organizational Inclusion' ATD event cohosted by Hahow for Business and CLN in Taipei.
I support teams in developing their global communication skills.
I believe that part of professional success lies in your passion for life and spending time in nature. I love mountain hiking and open-water swimming, both of which give me new perspectives on my world.
I am a regular guest speaker at public events, for example this 'Building DEI: Cross-Cultural Organizational Inclusion' ATD event cohosted by Hahow for Business and CLN in Taipei.
Client Testimonials
My Certifications include:
I am authorized by SeriousWork to facilitate Build Levels 1,2 & 3 System Level LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY workshops.
I am accredited to administer and debrief the Fearless Organization Scan—a research-based tool developed by Dr. Amy Edmondson to measure psychological safety at the team level. Supports teams in fostering open dialogue, trust, and high performance through structured conversations grounded in data.
What my clients are saying
Michelle is a skillful and perceptive coach, with strong knowledge of Emotional Intelligence (EI). My experience with Michelle has been fruitful, rewarding, and insightful. She is people-centered, empathetic, and patient. Her calm and approachable demeanor made it easy for me to open up to her during our sessions. Michelle’s expertise in reflecting and accurately highlighting areas of EI that I could identify with, and subsequently work on is a quality I greatly appreciate.
She helped me gain clarity into areas I felt stuck in, and proffered me insights on how to work through them. The methodological way she conducted our sessions, helped to keep our conversations focused which I found to be effective and helpful. Her Chinese-English bilingualism also added a touch of liveliness to our sessions and helped deepen our connection. I would highly recommend Michelle as a coach to anyone who is looking to work on their EI.
We worked with Michelle for an intercultural program for our Taipei office. The blended approach (assessment, 1.1 analysis, and F2F workshop) helped to develop self-awareness and deeper understanding about teamwork and cultural working styles. Our colleagues learnt a lot, and we found Michelle knowledgeable and engaging! Thank you for the insights, and hope to partner again soon.
- Xingyan Chen, Human Resources Director at Group Savencia
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- Celine Lin, private client, Singapore
Michelle's friendly and professional demeanor shines through. Her fluency in both Chinese and English acts as a powerful tool, allowing for seamless communication and creating a comfortable space where expressing thoughts in either language feels effortless.
Michelle's extensive understanding of culture adds a wonderful dimension to the learning journey. This cultural insight goes beyond the basics, providing a more comprehensive experience. Her ability to effortlessly switch between cultural perspectives enhances the learning process, encouraging me to explore various angles of understanding.
Michelle's approach creates an ideal environment that goes beyond words, fostering a deeper appreciation for both language and culture.
- Howard, GLDP manager, Nike
Michelle has the gift of truly listening and offering insightful advice.
Her work goes deep, allowing for self-reflection and helping you see situations from a different perspective.
- Joel, Director, Gourmet Selection
International Keynote Speaker
Inclusion | Cultural Intelligence | Growth Mindset
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‘Covid, 5 Years On and the 4 pillars of wellbeing - Social, Mental/Emotional, Physical and Financial’ – speaker on a panel discussion hosted by Oracle JAPAC 2025
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'Building DEI: Cross-Cultural Organizational Inclusion' – speaker at ATD event cohosted by Hahow for Business and CLN in 2024
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Project Management: Communicating Effectively Across Multicultural Teams – keynote speaker for CLN HR webinar 2023
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Doing Business in Greater China from a Post-Covid perspective – speaker for the International Business major class at Utah Valley University in 2023
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Developing Cross-Cultural Competence – guest speaker at the Community Services Center Taipei in 2021
I work closely with you to design not only personalized workshops, but also keynote speeches to motivate and inspire your leaders and teams in successfully communicating across national, generational, and organizational cultures. I am committed to supporting dynamic teams who not only meet, but surpass, organizational objectives in today's complex global environment.
Previous engagements include:
SPEAKER AT SIETAR SOUTHEAST ASIA CONFERENCE 2025
This was a premier gathering where intercultural professionals across Asia explored emerging insights, best practices, and the future of global leadership.
I explored how psychologicalsafety is understood and practiced differently across cultures, particularly in Asia:
What “speaking up” means in contexts where harmony, hierarchy, and group relationships are deeply valued & discussed practical strategies for building safety in East–West and East–East teams.
"Thank you for the engaging session I truly enjoyed exploring how psychological safety takes on different meanings across cultures."
-participant feedback
