Connect to what truly matters so that you and your business can thrive.

Develop the deep-rooted foundation and adaptive resilience you need to have a sustainable positive impact on nature and society.

Over the years, I have honed two mutually reinforcing crafts: strategy and leadership coaching. I work with entrepreneurs and scholars to bring ideas to life.

How can I help you take the next step?

How I can help…

My work is grounded in a simple idea: entrepreneurs and the ventures they build shape the technologies, markets, and systems we all rely on.

When intentional, entrepreneurs and their ventures can serve nature and society. This requires a clarity of purpose, capacity for deep reflection, and ability to stand your ground or shift as ambiguous paths emerge.

I work at both the individual and venture level combining leadership coaching with strategy, because both need to be in alignment and thriving to sustain success.

Strategy Strategy
Strategy

Strategy support that unlocks clarity, alignment, and actionable next steps. Recognising that growing ventures are often re-designing and building the plane whilst in flight. I work best with ventures experiencing rapid growth or transition. Support can include:

  • Focused workshops 

  • Strategy facilitation 

  • Early execution support

Leadership Coaching Leadership Coaching
Leadership Coaching

A creative coaching partnership for entrepreneurs and scholars. I use evidence-based methods, nature and story to help you connect to what truly matters. Wherever possible, we coach outdoors (in person or on the phone). Elements can include:

  • Vision and entrepreneurial journey workshops

  • Longer-term coaching engagement 

  • Neuroscience-based mental fitness programme 

  • Leadership Development workshops for teams

About me

Kathryn Maunders

I am an experienced strategist and executive coach with a strong track record of getting things done in multi-stakeholder, dynamic environments.

I founded Kestrel in 2014 as a home from which to deliver creative and strategic support for entrepreneurs and scholars serving nature and society.

I draw on a trusted network of experts to complement what I can bring. With our clients, we help shape strategy, develop personal mastery, and build sustainable impact ventures.

Alongside Kestrel, I am a Business Fellow at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford, where I am actively involved in strengthening the climate entrepreneurial ecosystem. 

My earlier career includes consulting with McKinsey & Company in Johannesburg and Geneva, and co-founding two (and a half) impact ventures. I hold a BA in Economics & Management and an MSc in Evidence-Based Social Intervention, both from the University of Oxford. I am British and based in the Netherlands, my adopted home.

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Testimonials

  • “Kathryn brings that rare combination of strategic insight and practical support with a great communication style. She brought value not only in the strategy development, but also added unique views and approaches as well as oversight during the implementation phase.”

    Jan-Willem Bode
    President, Puro.Earth

  • “Kathryn combines a powerful brain with great empathy. She kept me straight by reminding of the ‘why’ behind our decisions when I felt lost.”

    Anouk Kooijmans
    CEO Nomad (pre-sale)

  • “Kathryn is strategic, able to navigate and build momentum in complex institutions whilst focusing on a clear shared goal. She drives progress with pragmatism”

    Prof. Cameron Hepburn
    Oxford University


  • “Kestrel gets inside the minds of their clients, declutters their thinking, and gives them a framework and action plan so there is confidence and hope to move forward.”

    Ted Jeory
    Co-Director, Finance Uncovered

  • "Kestrel are a deep thinking, intelligent, determined, passionate and very personable team with high EQ. They are exactly who you need when dealing with sensitive or complex relationships."

    William de Laszio
    CEO Agathos

  • "Kathryn is driven by impact from the heart with a solid business sense and realism at the core."

    Annerieke Douma
    Director, Cities and Regions, Circle Economy

  • "Kathryn gets how to combine theory with practice and social impact with entrepreneurship."

    Menno van Dijk
    Founder, ScaleUpNation

  • "The coaching sessions with Kathryn are truly one of a kind. She guides you in exploring triggers beyond the obvious and has a talent for taking away any sense of pressure. With her, you can genuinely work on yourself and grow."

    Louis Meisen
    Founder, WeDesignFood

  • "Kathryn has helped me achieve significant clarity and well-being in a very short timeframe. She has supported me brilliantly with both personal and professional challenges, helping me feel noticeably calmer, more grounded, and connected to my body. Her deep love, respect and appreciation for nature is so evident and inspiring, making every session incredibly special."

    Viktorija Stojcheva
    Founder, Trail Keepers

Example engagements

  • University of Oxford - Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

    Helping Professors Cameron Hepburn and Paul Shearing to strengthen the climate entrepreneurship ecosystem at Oxford.

  • Family Philanthropy - Climate Strategy

    Supported a leading European entrepreneurial family to align and evolve its philanthropic efforts, including a major climate initiative and the repositioning of a core foundation for greater impact.

  • Puro - Strategy and Implementation

    Helped the leading carbon removal registry through a post-financing strategic review and leadership transition - helping shape an agile growth strategy while strengthening leadership alignment and resilience.

  • Agathos - Impact and operational turn-around

    Supported a private equity fund with a portfolio company turnaround, operational due diligence, and an independent evaluation of social impact.

  • Circle Economy - Partnership strategy

    Enabled the design and rapid piloting of a scalable partnership model, allowing a global circular economy organisation to grow collaborations while maintaining technical rigour and values alignment.

  • Finance Uncovered - Scaling strategy

    Created space for a high-impact investigative media charity to step back from day-to-day pressures and develop a clear, focused strategy - strengthening positioning and enabling confident, organic growth.

  • Nomad - Company strategic sale

    Supported the founder’s family through a sensitive leadership transition, exploring strategic options and delivering a values-aligned sale to long-term investors.

  • ScaleUpNation - Build Scaling Lab

    Shepherded the evolution of a research initiative into a fully funded lab focused on understanding and improving scale-up success for impact-driven ventures.

  • Utrecht University Academic Founder - Pre-incorporation venture build

    Worked alongside the inventor as an intended co-founder, combining technical and commercial due diligence, go-to-market strategy, tech development, development partner and customer discussions (pre-incorporation).