TEAM

Christian Forthomme is President and Founder of Silicon Valley-based RealChange. He is an entrepreneur and a guide to innovation, green-tech, green business and sustainability in Silicon Valley. He is also an international change management consultant, an educator and connector for innovative North American and European organizations. He has been a key contributor to the success of leadership development, culture change and sustainability initiatives for clients around the world.

Christian's work on the green revolution in Silicon Valley was featured on prime time French TV evening newscast TF1 in 2009.

He has a unique track record in helping companies, teams and organizations move rapidly from current growth challenge to next success milestone. Christian Forthomme helps executives and managers in Europe and North America reinvent their organizations, build highly effective global teams and dramatically increase their effectiveness as leaders. He is a specialist of learning expeditions to North America for international executive teams. He has helped companies establish the initial vision and build the intercultural team to succeed in a new country and has coached clients in the development of a global culture integrating the best of national and organizational cultures.

Christian Forthomme directed the innovative MBA program in Organizational Leadership at JFK University for 5 years. He was also a Principal of WDHB Consulting Group from 1989 to 1996. Earlier in his career, Christian opened new markets in Southeast Asia for a major French paper company and while a graduate student in France, launched a nationally recognized organization that coordinated students at ten ivy-league universities for market surveys abroad. Projects have led him to serve clients in Germany, France, England, Ireland, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Belgium, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Portugal as well as in the United States and Canada. 

Christian Forthomme holds an MBA from ESSEC in Paris, France and a Masters degree in Interdisciplinary Consciousness Study from John F. Kennedy University. He is also a graduate of the inaugural cohort of the Executive Program of Presidio Graduate School.

Crystal Forthomme M.A., oversees the programs in personal mastery at RealChange. She has been leading seminars and training in leadership, self-mastery and change for more than 20 years. A professor at John F. Kennedy University for more than a decade, Crystal now works as an international consultant with corporate teams. She designs and co-leads training with RealChange and coaches change leaders in versatility, which is the key to conscious strategies of actions. Crystal also has a private practice as an executive coach.

Ethèle Salem-Sperling has been a conference interpreter since 1988. She provides simultaneous interpreting of presentations from different speakers during seminars, meetings and conferences allowing for real time interaction between participants. She was the interpreter for Bill Gates in 1998 at the Microsoft Conference and for Al Gore in 1999 at the AFL-CIO Conference.

Raegen Salais is the outstanding logistics project manager for RealChange. Raegen has a rare talent for identifying hotels and restaurants that delight and express a unique aspect of the San Francisco Bay Area. Her logistical expertise, cultural sensitivity and warmth are much appreciated by the participants of RealChange programs.

Ken Eskenazi, Associate at RealChange, views sustainability issues through a creative lens. He is passionate about making the business case for reducing waste and optimizing natural, financial and social resources. His zero waste reusable packaging system, called Rapioli, has won awards from the EPA and the California Department of Conservation. Ken is an active member of the first cohort of the executive program in sustainable business management at the Presidio Graduate School.

Ken Eskenazi is the founder and CEO of Innovation To Industry (i2i). He started the company to fuse his passion for a common cause (sustainability) with common sense - if you waste less, you'll have more. I2i's focus is bringing unique zero waste products to market (such as Rapioli™ reusable packaging system) and providing creative sustainability strategies to corporations. His online sustainability training module, ThinkGreenPasadena, won the inaugural 2009 County of Los Angeles Green Leadership Award for innovative initiatives that encourage sustainability. Eskenazi's 20 years experience as an award-winning creative director for ad/design agencies on both coasts allowed him to flex his managerial, business and creative muscles on branding, advertising, packaging, web and marketing. His wide range of clients include CAA, the City of Pasadena, Coca-Cola, Crystal Geyser, Disney, Goldman Sachs, McAfee, Mattel, the NBA, NewPage, Oracle, Princess Cruises, Reebok, Sega, Sony, the USGBC, Warner Bros. and many others. He enjoys teaching graphics and sustainable packaging courses at Art Center College of Design and UCLA, and has spoken at the United Nations. Ken serves on the advisory board of the Sustainable Business Council, and is a member of the SBC Forum and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Energy, Water and Environment committee.

Packaging (structure, materials, surface graphics)
Branding (positioning, naming, logo design, standards manual)
Graphic design (brochures, tradeshow booths, collateral)
Advertising (integrated marketing campaigns, copywriting, print and online)
Education (sustainability training modules, instructor, speaker)

Maryline Daviaud Lewett, Associate at RealChange, focuses on green and social innovation as a key business driver for competitiveness and long-term success. Maryline combines expertise in Strategic Business Development and Sustainability. She has applied her vision and creative approach to the technology, non-profit and media/communication sectors. She received her MBA in Sustainable Management from the Presidio Graduate School in 2006.

Micheline Bérubé oversees the organization and facilitation of all RealChange Learning Expeditions in Québec. More than 20 years of experience in senior administration positions provide Micheline with a unique competency at securing all aspects of highly impacftful learning expeditions. Her ability to interact with senior executives in the most innovative Canadian companies helps create powerful and meaningful interactions for RealChange clients in Québec. She is a highly effective and much appreciated contributor to the success of our programs.

Stéphanie Tice makes a major contribution to the preparation and facilitation of learning expeditions and RealChange seminars in North America and Europe. She is an established professional with 15 years hands-on experience in business development, sales, marketing, and customer service. She is fluent in French and has extensive international business experience, including assignments with Sun Microsystems, Siemens, and United Airline. Stephanie projects a "joie de vivre" that is much appreciated by her clients and associates.