Meet Becky Pastner

Strategic thought partner and leadership coach for people creating a brighter tomorrow

Like many leaders, my career began with hard work and strong individual contributions that led to promotions and increasing responsibility. What I learned along the way was that leading people is a completely different challenge—and often a lonely one.

Sound familiar?

In 2022, I chose to step away from my executive role at a major health foundation to write my next professional chapter. Today, I wear several hats: adjunct professor, strategic thought partner, facilitator, and leadership coach. I first saw the transformative power of coaching as a funder investing in nonprofit leaders—and later experienced it myself as a coaching client.

My work is grounded in a simple belief: adaptive, values-driven leaders have the power to transform culture, shift systems, and create lasting impact in the world.

Born and raised in Vermont, I attended college in Philadelphia before moving to Austin in 2000 for an AmeriCorps role. That “one year in Texas” became a 20+ year career in policy advocacy, health philanthropy, and nonprofit capacity building—work that continues to shape the lens I bring to every coaching and consulting engagement.