About Us

Divon Academy is a leader in soft skills training for students and young professionals.

We help young people develop skills that technology has disrupted, Covid has stunted, and remote work prevents learning on the job at a time when they’re needed most.

Divon Academy is a leader in essential skills training for students and young professionals in the 0-5 entry level bracket.

We help young people develop skills that schools don’t teach and technology has disrupted at a time when they’re needed most.

Meet our Founder

Elan Divon, Founder & CEO

Elan is a Harvard-trained author, speaker, and trailblazer in the field of personal and professional development. His passion: helping students and young people integrate into the workforce, unlock their potential, and accelerate their careers. Elan has been lauded for his work by influencers such as NBA Board Chairman Larry Tanenbaum and Wellness Guru Deepak Chopra, and works with groups ranging from high school and university students, to young professionals, parents, and CEO’s... Learn About Elan’s Story >

Elan’s Story

After graduating from Harvard with a second Masters in 2007, I thought finding a job would be easy. I had the academic pedigree, decent work experience and a strong social network. But I couldn’t land a job and it took me a year of unemployment before I did.

What I realized was this. University hadn’t prepared me for the workforce. I had knowledge and degrees, but I didn’t have the skills and the mindset. I was clueless. And it took me 10 years of developing these skills the hard way to understand what it takes to succeed professionally and have impact. (Launching a social venture on NASDAQ in 2017 provided some vindication).

I therefore founded Divon Academy to help answer a problem affecting young people but also the companies and organizations they serve: Helping young talent bridge the gap between school and the workforce; youth and full-fledged adulthood, by developing essential skills that help them thrive, unlock their potential, and be workforce ready.

At a time when technology has rendered rites of passage obsolete, I see our work as a means of “initiating” young people into the uncertain and fast changing world they are entering. And this is exactly what makes us different. We are not just another “training company”. We are a company focused on developing young people both personally and professionally at a time of major life transition, so they can handle the curve balls, build the skills, and add value to the companies and communities they serve.

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The DA Team & Executive Advisory Board

Karen F. Salama

Chief Operating Officer

Karen is an accomplished builder and strategist with a passion for education and innovation…

Jofi Baldrich

Chief Business Development Officer & VP Training

Jofi Baldrich is a highly respected executive coach, instructor and business leader…

Anza Riaz

Office Manager & Exec Assistant

Anza is a creative designer and marketer with a background in product management…

Amstel

Chief Happiness Officer

Amstel has spent the past 8 years bringing smiles to the faces of everyone he meets

Lori Tauber Marcus, Founder, Courtyard Connections, LLC
Stephen M. Kosslyn, Ph.D
Professor Emeritus Harvard University, Leading Expert on
the Science of Learning
Stephen M. Kosslyn is President of Active Learning Sciences, Inc., and Chief Academic Officer of Foundry…
Lori Tauber Marcus, Founder, Courtyard Connections, LLC

Lori Tauber Marcus

Founder, Courtyard Connections, LLC

Ms. Marcus serves as an independent board director for several companies: Fresh Del Monte Produce, Inc. (NYSE: FDP)…

Lori Tauber Marcus, Founder, Courtyard Connections, LLC

Marty Pompadur

Media Industry Executive & Former EVP of News Corporation

Mr. Pompadur joins Divon Academy’s Executive Advisory Board after a prolific and distinguished 60 year…

Stephanie Hirsch

Leonard Haynes, Ph.D.

Former Education Advisor to the White House & University President

A former senior director with the Department of Education, and former executive director of the…

Stephanie Hirsch
Larry Namer
Founder, E! Entertainment Television | President/CEO, Metan Global Entertainment Group
An entertainment industry veteran with close to 50 years professional experience in cable television, live…
Adam Kahan

Landon Tulk

Co-founder Amplify Solutions, and Management Consultant with ZS Solutions, Los Angeles

Landon is a management consultant with the ZS Associates team in Los Angeles, California where …

Anthony Hussein
Managing Partner, seriesOne
Anthony Hussain has over 25+years of investment banking, corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, private equity and financial services…

Arjun Saraf

VP of Finance and Administration, New Haven Mortgage Income Fund

Born in Toronto and raised in New Delhi, India. Arjun completed his undergraduate degree at Carleton…

DA Guest Faculty & Master Instructors

Dr. Terrence Underwood

Diversity, Equality & Inclusion

Dr. Underwood is the Founder of The National Association of Minority Speakers (NAMS). He is a growth-minded, inclusive thinker with more than 20 years’ experience…

Yvonne Gomez

Confidence Building, Focus & Motivation

An Olympic, World and Professional figure skater and two time Emmy nominated TV Sport and Entertainment Director, Yvonne has performed alongside…

Gary Wexler

Creative Thinking & Collaboration Skills

Gary Wexler is a professor of Team Creativity, Advertising, and Nonprofit Marketing…

Vicki Salemi

US Representative, Career Management

Vicki Salemi is a nationally recognized career expert, author, former corporate recruiter, speaker, spokesperson, and columnist…

Michael J. Gelb

Creative Thinking & Innovation Expert

The world’s leading authority on the application of genius thinking to personal and organizational….

Adam Lazarus

Virtual Communications & Sales Pitch Skills

Adam Lazarus is an internationally acclaimed instructor and corporate speech consultant who is widely…

Sarah Lang

Leadership & Communication Skills

Sarah Lang is a professional certified coach (PCC, CPCC) and a public speaking and leadership instructor. She facilitates workshops and training…

Melanie Novis

Public Speaking & Presentation Skills

Melanie Novis has spent decades earning the nickname the ‘speech whisperer’ as President of Corporate Speech Consultants.

Brandon Allen

DA Master Instructor

We all know it’s about outcomes. Brandon is a master of transformation, facilitating the gap between uncertainty and results…

Kathleen Fyfe

DA Master Instructor

Kathleen Fyfe is passionate about assisting individuals and organizations to grow and develop, creating positive impact personally…

Barry Kaplan

DA Master Instructor

Barry Kaplan inspires leaders and their teams to declare what they want and coaches them to access their power to make it happen…

LaNae S. Croxton

DA Master Instructor

LaNae S. Croxton believes that the alignment between organizational strategy and employee engagement helps organizations to retain…

Chris Asper

DA Master Instructor

Chris Asper is a leadership coach with over 14 years of experience in Human Resources. He specializes in creating inclusive workplaces and…

Flory Achammer

DA Master Instructor

I am driven to help people improve their holistic well-being, through better connections. Most of my days are on running two start-ups…

Brenda Pearson

DA Master Instructor

A career in the Career Management field was destiny for Brenda when as a child her favourite board game was one called ‘Careers’…

Honorary Circle

Honorary Circle

Adam Kahan

Adam Kahan

President of ABK Associates
Former VP, Ryerson University

Adam is President of ABK Associates, Inc. consulting to the not-for-profit industry on strategic planning…

Sanjiv Chopra MD

Professor and Author, Harvard Medical School

Sanjiv Chopra is a distinguished professor of medicine and former Faculty Dean for Continuing Medical…
Acting CEO & Chief Strategy Officer of Ed2Work
Kathy Gardarian

Award Winning Business Executive

Kathy is an award winning businesswoman, author of “Feet to the Fire”, and founder and CEO of Qualis…

Mana Saranj

Advisor

An accomplished real estate developer and businesswoman with a passion for education…

Helen Pink

Helen Pink

School Board Chair
Former Marketing Executive with the Financial Times

Helen Pink draws on 25 years of experience in sales and marketing, where educating, guiding and inspiring…

Amb. Haile Menkerios

Amb. Haile Menkerios

Former U.N. Undersecretary-General

Haile is the former U.N. Undersecretary-General and head of the United Nations Office to…

Jay Rosenzweig

Rosenzweig & Company

Jay Rosenzweig is an internationally renowned social impact entrepreneur, investor, humanitarian, trained lawyer, and leadership strategist…

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