Bonnie Wright

Bonnie brings a strategic mindset, organizational savvy and an intuitive grasp of human interactions to her work as Leadership Coach and Organizational Consultant at AvoLead. Her unyielding belief in the possibility of individual and organizational transformation led Bonnie to cofound a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that promotes economic development for low-wealth communities, and a charter school for economically disadvantaged students. These ambitious and successful endeavors helped Bonnie gain invaluable business experience and understanding of what it takes to create and sustain effective organizations.

Bonnie’s diverse skill set – from the analytical and strategic to the intuitive and empathetic – allows her to effectively coach a wide range of clients. Adding to this versatility is her proficiency in Spanish and certification in mediation. Likable and inspirational, Bonnie is known for her ability to hone in on the crux of thorny situations and push clients toward quick resolution of complex problems, making her an effective and highly sought-after coach.

With a client list that includes nonprofit, for-profit and government organizations, her diverse experience enables Bonnie to create transformational experiences for all types of clients. Always evolving herself, Bonnie continues to add to her own skill set, earning her certifications for MBTI Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, CDP Conflict Dynamics Profile, CPI 260, Leadership Versatility Index and Hogan Assessment Certification.

When she’s not working with AvoLead clients, Bonnie continues to support the charter school she co-founded, Maureen Joy Charter School, as Treasurer of its Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of KIPP North Carolina, another non-profit organization assisting underserved students.

Bonnie has served her community in many different roles – as Vice President of the Charter Association for Student Achievement; as member of the Education First Committee Member, appointed by Governor Mike Easley; and as member of the Self-Help Board of Directors, just to name a few.

She earned a BA from Davidson College before going on to Yale University School of Organization and Management to earn an M.P.P.M./M.B.A, with Advanced Proficiency in Finance, Accounting and Control, and Advanced Proficiency in Organizational Behavior. Davidson College honored Bonnie with an Honorary Doctor of Laws in 2001 for her work promoting self-sufficiency and for epitomizing the Quaker admonition to “Let your life speak.”

Bonnie lives in Durham, NC with her husband, Martin Eakes and their big dog, Nala. They have two children, Justin age 24, and Carlyn, age 22. When she’s not working she enjoys making jewelry and clay sculpture, water sports, reading and spending time with family and friends.

What clients say about Bonnie:

“Bonnie Wright and her AvoLead colleagues conducted a highly engaging and productive training session with my faculty and staff to help us kick off our school year. The simulation sharpened everyone’s understanding of the importance of goals, expectations, and teamwork. The experience was broadly applicable to our mission and work, and we all walked away energized to apply our learnings. The facilitators ensured everything went smoothly – coming early to prepare our environment and set up all the materials so that our team was used effectively – and provided a coherent structure and data to drive our debriefs. Thank you for starting our year off right!” -Alex Quigley, Principal, Maureen Joy Charter School

“Bonnie Wright is a natural social entrepreneur, a relentless advocate for equality.” –College President

“I love Bonnie! I thought she was fantastic. She really took me in as soon as I sat down and made me feel extremely comfortable. Bonnie was great in creating a safe space for me to speak and really led me to feel power within myself to think about what my results were saying about and to me.” –VP, Education

“Thank you Bonnie! I appreciate all of your help… From our conversations I really took away an important message of being true to my leadership and communication style, which has in such a short period of time really helped my confidence. Thank you!” –Education Leader

“Your advice…has been super helpful. Thanks to your recommendations, we are off on the right foot.” –CEO, Education

“My work with Bonnie was great. I felt comfortable, pushed, and supported by her approach. I appreciated her reflections and honesty.” –Education Leader