Liya is a Trauma-Informed Coach, certified NeuroDynamic Breathwork® Facilitator, a former design executive, and author.

As cofounder of CDSD, Liya oversees the Center’s operations, strategy, and learning experiences, and she also enjoys offering individual coaching sessions.

Liya supports her clients and students practice time-tested tools for doing Inner Work in a compassionate, judgment-free setting. They learn to work with the internalized fears, beliefs, and thought patterns that no longer serve them. From this deep state of awareness, they learn a life practice of tapping their inner intelligence and attuning to their authentic selves. They learn to take consistent, bold, inspired actions while feeling grounded when it matters most.

Liya’s origin story fueled an intense drive to succeed that was natural and understandable but not sustainable. In her previous life, she was a high-achieving entrepreneur, design leader, and innovation consultant, starting and running multi-million dollar businesses, including Idean, where she was the Head of the Austin studio (now Frog Design), and Managing Partner at Totally Human, an inclusive design consultancy.

She coached, advised, and consulted with entrepreneurs in various industries, often working with them from the inception of their ventures and leading to exits that total $3+ billion. She also worked for over a decade as an innovation consultant for Fortune 500 companies, leading teams to take products from idea to launch and teaching innovation and creativity training globally.

Liya’s professional success was notable but ultimately unfulfilling, and it took a huge toll on her body, heart, and mind. Her awakening began when she accidentally found herself walking alongside pilgrims on the road to Lhasa in 2010. She turned toward this invitation by journeying for several years into expanded states of consciousness assisted by Aya, Bufo, Huachuma, skilled facilitators, and her own breath.

From these experiences was born a true passion for inner work and a commitment to techniques that serve human healing and human potential. This lifelong journey of growth and recovery motivates Liya to continue her personal internal work while giving clients and students at CDSD the compassionate support they need to create results. Her certifications in personal development include NeuroDynamic Breathwork® Facilitator and Trauma-Informed Coaching. She is also a member of the International Institute for Complementary Therapists for Embodied Processing and Root-Cause Therapy.