About Diane Knoepke
Lead Coach and Consultant, Paperweight Advising

diane@paperweight-advising.com


Photo by Ngoc Nguyen.

I am deeply invested in, and committed to, learning with and from people, rejecting the status quo, and co-creating impact.

I help people drive change - for themselves, their teams, and their organizations. As a coach and advisor, I work with people to figure out what they want, see themselves clearly, and present their capabilities confidently. We figure out what problems folks want to solve next, then find the holes in organizations or markets that they are most interested in filling.

For more than two decades, I focused on transforming organizations through my roles as a strategy consultant and chief of staff. I have worked with teams from over 100 clients across social, public, and private sectors.

Since 2018, I have served as a lead career advisor, engagement and outreach director, and faculty member for Northwestern University’s MS in Learning and Organizational Change program. Through Northwestern, I have coached and advised over 130 mid- to senior-level professionals on career pathing and positioning. I am also a co-instructor, facilitating courses including Developing for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice and Leading Global Change.

Credentials

  • Coaching Certificate, Executive Learning + Organizational Change, Northwestern University

  • MS, Learning and Organizational Change, Northwestern University

  • Certificate in Fundraising Management, DePaul University

  • BA, English, Northwestern University


Leadership and Affiliations

  • Board of Directors, Board Treasurer and Programs Committee Co-Chair, Chicago Women in Philanthropy

  • Board of Directors, Board Secretary, Springboard to Success

  • Executive Committee, DEI Committee Co-Chair, Northwestern University Council of One Hundred

  • Member, South Side Giving Circle of the Chicago Foundation for Women