Liberated Leader Team
We call ourselves architects because we believe that great organizations need the creativity of an artist with the precision of an engineer.
Success Architects
Tina Dao, Founder
As a Success Architect and Fractional Chief Operating Officer at Liberated Leaders, I bring more than 25 years of leadership experience at companies like Amazon, Fitbit, and Walmart to the growth stories of North Carolina businesses—helping entrepreneurs, business owners, and decision-makers scale entrepreneurship, define technology strategies, and ultimately architect a business exit.
Before Liberated Leaders, I served as COO and VP of Global Business Operations & Strategy, Global Technology Platform, dividing my time between (a) evolved global governance and portfolio management for Walmart’s 2,800-person global technology platform organization, and (b) led a 250-person strategy and operations (BizOps) team in helping bring to life the company’s goal of “creating the next retail disruption.”
Prior to Walmart, I operated as vice president of employee experience and chief of staff to Getaround’s CEO, where I had a hand in enabling a future where all cars are shared. Getaround’s instant and keyless car-sharing mobility solutions work via patented hardware / software platforms and industry leading mobile apps that help communities around the world reduce their vehicle footprint and share underutilized resources.
Earlier, I held business operations and product engineering leadership roles at Fitbit, where I played a role in transforming and scaling hyper growth as the company matured from a 300-employee, pre-IPO wearables darling, to a publicly-traded, 1,900-employee powerhouse. My leadership at Fitbit ranged from advancing the company’s product development practices, materials, and manufacturing processes, to helping reinforce its market position as a consumer services and enterprise health brand.
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When I began my career, it was more hard hats than technologies, but the principles of rallying resources around a profit-focused goal remain central to building an operational backbone that efficiently scales companies through growth.
Recognized as a “force of nature” in my work across Europe, Asia and North America, I began my career in the U.S. Navy, where the men-to-women ratio was greater than 10:1. That experience made me a lifelong advocate for gender equality in technology.
Alan Fuhs, Co-founder
As a Success Architect at Liberated Leaders, I leverage 20 years of technology leadership and consulting expertise to help businesses optimize strategy, gain a competitive edge, and scale operations. I am a certified executive and leadership advisor with credentials from the Center for Executive Coaching and the International Coaching Federation, firmly believing that true business transformation requires mindful investments in both people and technology.
Throughout my career, I spearheaded digital transformation initiatives globally at leading firms like Accenture, Oracle, Relativity, and CAI, achieving measurable innovation and operational excellence for clients such as the City of Chicago, Toshiba, Western Digital, Sherwin-Williams, and Best Buy.
I am passionate about helping businesses harness technology through deliberate, stakeholder-focused strategies. My collaborative, strategic approach combines clear vision-setting with compassionate leadership to drive results and empower organizations to thrive.
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While at Relativity, an industry-leading SaaS provider, I relocated to Europe to lead the IT global expansion, building regional operations from the ground up and establishing a global operating model that fostered efficiency, collaboration, and scalability across borders.
Prior to Relativity, I served as Director of Service Delivery at CAI, where I oversaw the enterprise application services for our flagship client, the City of Chicago. Through innovation and impeccable service delivery, we expand our services and profitability fivefold in a few short years.
My foundation in IT consulting, at Accenture, CAI, and as an independent practitioner, honed my skills in delivering value-driven solutions and optimizing business operations within diverse industries and markets.
Success Calibrator
Kristin Fuhs
As the Success Calibrator at Liberated Leaders, I work behind the scenes as our operational maestro—much like an orchestra conductor who harmonizes different instruments to create beautiful music, I coordinate our systems and processes to foster a high-performing team. I engineer the operational framework that allows our Success Architects and Success Artisans to focus their talents and energy on what matters most—helping our clients achieve their goals and embrace what’s possible.
My background includes over 20 years orchestrating global technology solutions at Accenture, where I learned to make complex systems run smoothly and keep teams connected across continents. This experience taught me that the best technology isn't about flashy features—it's about removing obstacles so people can do their best work.
I bring a natural talent for execution—taking ideas and turning them into reality through thoughtful planning and attention to detail. My engineering mindset helps me spot ways to make things work better, whether it's streamlining how we onboard our Success Artisans or creating more seamless client experiences.
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I'm passionate about solving puzzles—finding the most efficient path through complicated challenges. This translates perfectly to my role at Liberated Leaders, where I handle the operational foundations so our client-facing team can concentrate on delivering transformative results for your business.
My approach combines technical know-how with genuine human connection. I believe the best operational systems aren't just efficient—they're built with people in mind, making life easier for everyone they touch.
When not calibrating success systems for Liberated Leaders, you'll find me using my planning strengths with volunteer work and my social life - whether it’s finding the most efficient way to organize an assembly line, planning logistics for a vacation, or managing our team’s pickleball schedule. I relax by exploring the mountains—hiking, camping, and backpacking at least once weekly, occasionally venturing across the globe to experience nature's most breathtaking landscapes.
Success Artisans
Michelle Augenstein
Michelle Augenstein, of Corner Office Image, will bring her expertise and experience to the Executive Presence and professional branding discussions and 1:1 sessions.
Growing up in a small Appalachian town, surrounded by cattle but yearning to be amidst city lights, she dreamed of her escape. Instinctually, she knew that how she looked, spoke, behaved and thought could change her life and plotted to leverage the annual sophomore class trip to D.C., to launch her grand plan; she stepped off that bus the person she was meant to be: a sophisticated city girl! After careful planning, shopping and lots of Aqua Net, the day arrived. Venturing through the city, she felt like herself for the first time and it was incredible. Sadly, it was short-lived and she boarded the bus back to her “real” life.
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When she started her first professional job (in D.C.!) she emulated the successful women around her; dressing in smart suits, striding into rooms with confidence and mastering a way of speaking that was both warm and concise. She discovered that despite her youth and inexperience, she had tremendous credibility. Doors opened, and she moved up the ladder, finally becoming her authentic self.
In CA many years later, she became the Executive Director of Wardrobe for Opportunity, a nonprofit agency helping low-income jobseekers get jobs, keep them and build careers. Each day, she saw the power of a strong professional image at play. Inspired by the potential of this work, she launched Corner Office Image in 2013. Her clients have nabbed promotions, launched new ventures and always leave a lasting impression.
Adam Sides
Adam Sides is a versatile leader with over 25 years of experience across diverse operational domains, bringing a common-sense approach to help organizations achieve their goals. Throughout his career, Adam has optimized large-scale programs, enhanced team performance, and driven innovation across both military and civilian sectors. As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), Adam is equipped with specialized expertise to guide businesses through successful transitions, helping owners maximize value and plan for the future.
His expertise lies in identifying challenges, developing creative solutions, and implementing strategies that drive efficiency and growth. In his military career, Adam successfully managed high-impact operations, including critical disaster relief efforts and overseas deployments. His strategic approach resulted in a 30% increase in task processing efficiency and a 15% improvement in talent retention.
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Adam makes extraordinary things happen through inspiring change, challenging the status quo, organizing chaos, and supporting great people with great ideas! He thrives in collaborative environments and is passionate about working with teams to achieve shared objectives. Adam believes in building resilient teams, fostering continuous improvement, and communicating clearly to achieve long-term success.
Kimberly Kearney
Kimberly specializes in supporting clients who operate in high risk, high pressure environments. She is a global security professional with a background in fields including intelligence, counterproliferation, counterterrorism, South Asia, East Asia and Europe. Prior to joining Liberated Leaders, Kimberly completed 15 years of federal government service while navigating the crisis-filled world of international security and international relations. Her public sector career was defined by tackling the most pressing strategic and foreign policy issues facing the United States.
Kimberly has traveled to or worked on six out of the world’s seven continents. After navigating the world, she left government service and rooted in Silicon Valley (though she will always be a proud Texan at heart!). As an ICF-certified executive coach, Kimberly brings her signature composure, insight, and mission focus to both public sector and private sector clients. She has partnered with clients across the country, from Silicon Valley to Washington, D.C., in diverse industries ranging from mountain-guiding, to technology, to national security.
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Clients turn to Kimberly for unmatched, objective clarity, her unflappable calm, and her ability to simplify complex problems. Kimberly has a strong track record of partnership development, program management, strategic planning, and risk mitigation in fast-paced and ambiguous environments. She particularly enjoys helping clients build resiliency amid uncertainty, improve communication, and leverage emotional intelligence.
Ahn Michael
Ahn Michael is an expert AI consultant bringing smart automations & conversational agents to business leaders like you. They are based in North Carolina but work globally with teams of all sizes. They co-founded Equità Technologies, a premium AI consulting agency, where they leverage their expertise in linguistics and NLP to design cutting-edge chatbots and LLM-powered pipelines tailored to your company's needs and voice.
Through streamlining your team's workflows, Ahn brings practical AI solutions to the modern business leader, freeing up your time & attention for what matters most to you.
Marc Vandenplas
A seasoned leader in statistics, AI, and data science, with over 25 years of global experience delivering decision intelligence, risk analytics, and enterprise transformation for Fortune 100 companies. Recognized for deep expertise in statistical causal modeling and machine learning, with a strong track record of developing predictive solutions that optimize marketing, operations, cybersecurity, and compliance.
As a senior advisor in high-stakes environments, I specialize in translating complex methodologies into clear, actionable strategies that enhance efficiency, reduce risk, and drive revenue. My work focuses on strategic initiatives that transform intellectual capital into scalable, intelligence-augmenting systems—strengthening decision-making, accelerating innovation, and institutionalizing expertise across the enterprise.
Proven success in leading cross-functional teams and executing enterprise-wide change management to deliver lasting impact.
