Mariana Ortega, ACC, CPDC, MAAL
Empowering professionals and organizations through human-centered leadership coaching and development strategies.

Meet Mariana

Mariana is an academically informed, culture-minded creative who possesses deep values of relationship building, inclusion, and human-centered leadership. Her coaching style is warm and intentional, leveraging tenets of Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory to inspire introspection, meaning-making, and productive dialogue. She’s a proud first-generation professional with 20+ years experience leading organizational development across various industries such as edtech, media, entertainment, consulting, food & beverage, and luxury goods.

Mariana holds an MA in Adult Learning and is certified in over ten methodologies, including the Leadership Potential Assessment (Korn Ferry) and Strength Deployment Inventory (Core Strengths). Since 2019, she’s applied her skills as a Certified Professional Diversity Coach (CPDC) to inspire change and establish team cultures of belonging. She earned the ICF verified achievement of Associate Certified Coach (ACC) in 2024.

That same year, she founded her private practice, Cultural Compass Coaching & Consulting, to work with first-generation professionals and 21st century leaders navigating complex career environments.

What People Are Saying

  • Mariana's unique blend of human-centric intuition and strong coaching technique has helped me identify my values, strengths, and opportunities. Mariana's commitment to understanding my unique circumstances has encouraged me to see things from new perspectives. Her dedication, invaluable guidance, and belief in my abilities have helped me grow immensely. I am truly grateful for her support

    Rich F., Executive Director (Media)

  • From our very first session, Mariana's genuine interest in my development was evident. She created a safe and supportive environment where I felt comfortable discussing my goals, fears, and aspirations. Her thoughtful questions and perceptive feedback have consistently guided me towards new perspectives and actionable strategies. Overall, Mariana's coaching expertise, empathy, and unwavering support have made a transformative impact on my leadership journey. I highly recommend her to anyone seeking to elevate their leadership skills and personal development.

    Michelle D., Director (Media)

  • Mariana’s coaching helped me to gain clarity on my next career steps. She listened deeply and empathetically, acknowledging and reflecting back my concerns. I felt seen, heard, and understood by her. She gently guided me to identify what was blocking me from moving forward, encouraging insight and valuable reflection. Her style is deeply rooted in empathy, leadership, and personal empowerment. She’ll help you challenge your conventional thinking and break free from limiting beliefs. If you come to Mariana for coaching, you WILL grow as an individual.

    Katrina V., Healthcare Professional


  • Mariana's industry experience combined with her extraordinary empathy creates a space where you can grow and learn on many levels. She has an uncanny ability to find themes that promotes both reflection and action. I would highly recommend Mariana to everyone considering a leadership coach.

    Teresa R., COO (Healthcare)

  • As a first-generation professional,, I often found myself unsure of how to best position myself for success. Mariana’s deep understanding of the complexities of the workplace, combined with her empathetic approach, allowed me to uncover strengths I didn't know I had. She took the time to understand my long-term goals and coached me on charting a path to achieve them. I would highly recommend Mariana to anyone seeking a coach who, like me, is the first in their family to embark on this journey.

    Elizabeth A., Early Career Professional (Entertainment)

  • Mariana is an absolute gem and helped me so much in understanding my personal identity and how it relates to my professional life. She really helped to lead me to a place where I am more confident in my decision making and professional endeavors. She always made sure to approach each challenge with empathy and respect. I would absolutely be coached by Mariana again

    Chloe F., Teacher (Education)

  • I enjoyed these sessions immensely and learned a lot about communication skills. I am in awe of her ability to listen and point out things from a different perspective. This coaching is very useful for any industry professional.

    Rosa A., Professional Musician (Entertainment)

  • Mariana has an incredible ability to connect similar challenges through multiple sessions that help a leader identify and focus on practical actions they can take.

    Erin F., CFO (Healthcare)

  • Mariana has been coaching me since 2019. I had some leadership challenges stemming from me being a young CEO leading a multigenerational team. She helped me work on human-centered leadership principles and feedback best practices to authentically connect with my employees. Through Mariana's coaching, I became a more effective communicator with the capacity to build deeper trust and tailor feedback in a developmental way. Since I started working with Mariana, my business has scaled over 200%. I highly recommend Mariana to any executive that needs a fresh set of eyes on how to ignite passion and performance through a human-centered approach.

    Allison W., Founder & CEO (E-Commerce)

  • I couldn't be more grateful for my experience with Mariana. I came into coaching feeling overwhelmed as I tried to navigate the highly complex dynamics of corporate. I'm a neurodiverse, first-generation professional woman and I was seeking a coach who would understand me both personally and professionally. Through her coaching, I was able to set and define clear goals, identify my "why," and reframe my disempowering beliefs to confidently distinguish what I bring to the table. Everything I gained from our coaching has allowed me to continue excelling in my career

    D. Gregory, Talent Development & DEIA Specialist (Media)


  • This was such an empowering experience! I had some major decisions to make after a recent layoff and through my conversations with Mariana, I was able to evaluate my current efforts, identify crucial skills aligned to my goals, focus on my interests, and define my own core values. I walked away with clearer direction, a strategy for next steps, and as a true believer in the value of effective coaching.

    Danielle W., HR professional (Edtech)

Services

THREE MONTHS

SIX SESSIONS

  • Bi-weekly 60-minute coaching sessions

  • Personalized development customized to your needs

  • Emails of additional resources between sessions

SIX MONTHS

TWELVE SESSIONS

  • Bi-weekly 60-minute coaching sessions

  • Personalized development customized to your needs

  • Emails of additional resources between sessions

1:1 SKILL BUILDING

THREE 60-MINUTE SESSIONS

Personalized development to improve one area of focus:

  • Foundations of Human-Centered Leadership

  • Managing Difficult Conversations

  • Navigating Generational Differences

  • Campus-to-Corporate Transition for New Grads

  • Delivering Effective Feedback

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING

FULL SUITE L&D SUPPORT

Instructional design for virtual & in-person learning formats

Facilitation for group workshops & large interactive talks, virtual or in-person

Available for fractional L&D assignments

Schedule a free 15-minute Discovery Chat to learn more about which customized package is best for your needs.

News

HOLA Leadership Conference for Hispanic Heritage Month at Danone North America: Fireside Chat with SVP Olivia Sanchez on Human-Centered Leadership and the Hidden Curriculum of Unwritten Rules, September 2024 

The Five Higher-Order Capabilities of Human-Centered Leadership

"The Purpose-Driven Workplace" podcast with Dr. Kallschmidt: Human-Centered Leadership, August 2024

The Equity Equation "DEI After 5" Podcast: Navigating the Challenges of Learning & Development in the Workplace, August 2024 

Let’s Start the Conversation