Cheri Torres, PhD

As founder and CEO of Collaborative by Design, co-founder and executive officer for CWH Institute Inc, and co-founder of The Sami Project for conscious leadership, Cheri is passionate about supporting growth and meaningful purpose for people and organizations. She sees her role as a catalyst for positive change, encouraging people to recognize their leadership potential as an integral part of natural systems. The practices she shares have enabled thousands of leaders and teams around the world to develop their ability to intentionally fuel high performance, engagement, and a sense of belonging through effective communication, inclusive strategic planning, and culture transformation.

As a perpetual learner, she’s accumulated a PhD in Collaborative Learning/Educational Psychology, an MBA, a Masters in Transpersonal Psychology, Level II certification in the Barrett Values Cultural Assessment tools, and Level II certification in Spiral Dynamics Integral.

 One of the ways she clarifies and evolves her thinking is by writing and sharing it with others to gain their feedback. This has resulted in numerous books and articles. She believes the simplest and most valuable of anything I’ve written thus far is the second edition of the Berrett Koehler bestseller, Conversations Worth Having. It is the “simple on the other side of complex” when it comes to communication, and it is a bridge for leaders to move from a transactional, hierarchical worldview to a collaborative paradigm that inspires collective capacity. This work has been featured in leading media sources including Fast Company, Forbes, HR Magazine, SmartBrief, Training Industry, and Training Magazine. Feedback from keynote presentations, regardless of the audience, suggests the two communication practices significantly transform people’s ability to lead, learn, innovate, and collaborate in all areas of their lives.

 Cheri loves living in the mountains of Asheville, NC (with her husband, Michael, and dog, Annabel). She thrives on learning and evolving her capacity to contribute to a world that flourishes, and travel, nature, hiking, music, good food, family, and friends continuously renew her spirit.

"Conversations Worth Having and the CWH program delivered by Cheri Torres and Andrea Falconi have been the best investment I have made in my company. Simple; but practical tools that have transformed our communication, processes, and creativity. We can now agree on family and professional issues with empathy, solidarity and understanding."

Ligia Rosero Godoy, CEO Mercaquimicos SA

“Cheri’s approach to strategic planning and culture transformation is remarkable. The energy, enthusiasm, and commitment built across our system catapulted us into the future. We achieved everyone one of our 5-years goals, including our blue-sky goals, within 4 years!”

Renee Owen, Executive Director