Empathy Lab Team

WE champion the power and practice of empathy.

Shelton J. Davis MID

Listener + Coach + Founder + CEO

As an experienced product and UX designer, researcher, and team leader, he believes in our collective power to listen, understand, and create positive global change. In 2018, Shelton channeled 15+ years of human-centered innovation knowledge and his lifelong passion for personal connection into one huge group project: Empathy Lab. After a year of prototyping, testing, rinsing and repeating, he launched the first and only 10-skill training series designed to (re)condition our empathy muscles and empower collective success from the inside out. Inspired by Shelton’s own physical, mental and emotional education as a competitive athlete, the Empathy Decathlon® workshop is fully engaging, research-backed, refreshingly accessible, and 100% led by example. Shelton lives, hikes, drinks coffee, dances, and practices empathy daily in Atlanta, GA with his three greatest loves: his wife Laura, daughter Juliette, and son Grayson.

Theresa M. Ward

Lead Facilitator + Facilitator Trainer + Productivity Whisperer

Theresa is a Communications and Culture Consultant whose mission is to help teams get things done and enjoy the journey. Her previous roles in sales, product innovation, and relationship management all shaped her training approach that combines personal experiences with cognitive behavioral research. Theresa serves as Empathy Lab’s Lead Facilitator and Operations Officer. She has led hundreds of workshops and projects across various industries including Utilities, Non-Profit, Theater, Hospitality, and Healthcare. She is a certified yoga instructor, furmom, and total TED Talk nerd.

Our AMAZING Certified Empathy Decathlon Coaches!

  • Amy Small

    Empathy Decathlon Coach

  • Pame Barba

    Empathy Decathlon Coach

  • Mary Bolander

    Empathy Decathlon Coach

  • Susan Lambert

    Empathy Decathlon Coach

  • Nadine Doyle

    Empathy Decathlon Coach

  • You?

    Are you interested in becoming an Empathy Decathlon Coach? Let us know!

What does it take to become a Certified Empathy Decathlon Facilitator?

Eight sessions, hours of rigorous study, hours of live practice, hours of sharing, hours of laughter, hours of empathy as a practice, and a willingness to gain some lifelong friends. Lead by Theresa Ward, each of the SUPER WOMEN in this first cohort learned about the Empathy Decathlon® as a practice while at the same time helped Empathy Lab evolve into a more inclusive, diverse, and powerful company for good. We are grateful to support and involve each of these coaches in empowering more people, communities, and companies with empathy.

From left to right, Empathy Lab’s official Empathy Decathlon facilitators are Nadine Doyle, Mary Bolander (photo being held by Theresa), Theresa, Susan Lambert with Akasha, Eustacia Mahoney, Shelton, Pame Barba, and Amy Small.

Friends and Community

Empathy is a team sport. Our success at EL is a direct reflection of the support, skills, talents, and generous spirits of our community members—teammates, colleagues, collaborators... Friends. We’re proud to know you and honored to practice alongside you. And since we can’t do justice to your contributions in this paragraph, we commit to recognizing and appreciating you in other ways.