About Us

Colleen Mizuki (founder) has been involved in the area of international and cultural diversity for over 25 years. In addition to founding Avenir, she has contributed to the growth of iRelo, a destination-services provider based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Currently, Colleen provides coaching and cross-cultural training to people from over 20 countries including corporate clients (for expatriates and their families) as well as individuals in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Middle-East, Asia, and Africa.

Previous experiences

Prior to her coaching and cultural training business, Colleen worked for 11 years in the high-tech industry. At Intel, Colleen worked in Intel's newest facility, conducting semiconductor-processing training, both in the fab and classroom, and developing training materials. Following Intel, she worked at MCC, a Texas-based, research consortium, where she assessed technology developments in Europe and green technology in the US.

Her Educational Credentials

Colleen received a BA in French and Economics, with a concentration in Mandarin Chinese, from the University of New Mexico where she was Phi Beta Kappa. During this time she studied at the Université de Grenoble where she pursued her studies in French language and history, as well as Chinese. After her BA, Colleen completed an Associate’s Degree in Laser Electro-Optics Technology. Most recently, she received a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from JFK University.

Colleen is a Certified Coach through the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara, CA and the ICF. She is a member of the International Coach Federation (ICF); The Society for Intercultural Education, Training, and Research; (SIETAR) The International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP); NAFSA; SHRM; and the Neuroleadership Institute. In the San Francisco Bay Area, she is a member of BAPRM and NCHRA.

Contact Avenir for any questions about coaching and training.