Our Origin Story
When Connection Collaborative Founder Annalisa Holcombe began practicing law at age 26, she learned many valuable lessons—including that she was unhappy. She was on a path that looked like happiness and success. But underneath she was becoming cynical. Against the advice of family and friends, she quit her job at the law firm to pursue her joy. Over 20 years later, her titles have included Senior Vice President of Advancement, Chief Strategy Officer, Associate Provost, fundraiser, coach, mentor, alumni director, community relations director. She has served on numerous boards, spoken at national conferences, raised millions of dollars, and facilitated hundreds of gatherings.
And she has learned over time that it all comes down to authenticity, belonging, and connection.
“We aspire to help businesses, nonprofits, colleges, and universities create spaces where people can become their truest, most passionate and impactful selves.”
Meet Our Team
Annalisa Holcombe
founder
Annalisa is dedicated to providing safe and brave spaces for human beings to connect and discover who they are and what they want out of life. She founded the Coaching and Mentoring Center at Westminster College, establishing and scaling a suite of programs aimed at providing every student with access to a mentor. These programs significantly increased student retention among participating students thanks to effective student/alumni mentoring relationships and monthly group coaching sessions. Annalisa personally facilitated monthly coaching sessions for college students for 13 years.
She has completed coach training through the Coach Training Institute, and she is currently training for an International Coaching Federation certification. Annalisa has spoken at national gatherings and conferences on topics including Mentoring as Meaning Making: A Different Approach to Student UX, Leadership and Wonder, and The Power of Mentoring. She holds a law degree from the University of Utah College of Law and a BS in business management from Westminster College. She is currently pursuing a PhD in leadership and change from Antioch University.
Lexie Banks
Marketing Director
Lexie is a content strategist passionate about telling stories that inspire people to action. She is a death doula who travels the world hearing the stories that keep people moving through life, spending time in countries like Morocco, Indonesia, Mexico, and Malaysia. She loves nothing more than a good conversation, a good ritual, and a good cup of tea.
She holds a Master’s in Community Leadership from Westminster College, deep-diving into organizational culture and how nonprofits can best engage their employees for long-term success and fulfillment.
Sarah Doh
PODCAST Director
Sarah is a multi-hyphenate who has molded her path around her personal "3 C's": Creativity, Curiosity, and Connection.
Currently, Sarah is creating a life that makes her heart sing. This has required a lot of trust, experimentation, and surrender. She is grateful for the myriad of interesting experiences that she's collected along the way. Sarah is certain that she'll know what to do with them one day.
In addition to her podcast production experience, Sarah is a writer, theatre maker, and community builder.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Sarah Lawrence College.