Dr. Trina Peterson-Garcia, Ph.D.
Founder & Principal Consultant
Dr. Trina Peterson-Garcia is a transformational leadership advisor, human resources executive, and educator who challenges the traditional definition, development, and practice of leadership. She believes leadership has too often been reduced to a position rather than a purpose, and her work is rooted in redefining what it truly means to lead.
About Trina (Dr. T) Peterson-Garcia
As the Founder and Principal Consultant of Growth Focus Consulting, Dr. Peterson-Garcia
partners with executives, leadership teams, and organizations to drive meaningful change
through executive leadership coaching, organizational transformation, and culture strategy. She
works at the intersection of people and performance, helping organizations move beyond
performative practices and into intentional, sustainable impact.
With over two decades of experience, she is known for her ability to confront complex
leadership challenges with both clarity and conviction. Her approach strengthens accountability,
builds psychologically safe “trusting” environments, and equips leaders to make decisions that
align with both business outcomes and human impact.
Her work, however, is not limited to those in formal leadership roles. Dr. Peterson-Garcia is
deeply committed to coaching, mentorship, and advocacy, creating space for individuals at all
levels to grow, develop, and lead from where they are. She believes the future of leadership
depends on how intentionally we invest in and bring forward the next generation of leaders,
ensuring they are prepared, supported, and empowered to lead differently. She believes in
challenging the Status Quo.
In addition to her consulting work, she serves as the Director of Human Resources at a missiondriven
nonprofit, where she partners with senior and executive leadership to shape people
strategy and drive organizational effectiveness. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at a
Chicagoland university, where she equips emerging leaders to navigate complex systems with
self-awareness, critical thinking, and authenticity.
Dr. Peterson-Garcia earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from The Chicago School,
previously known as The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Her research focuses on
the Underrepresentation and Career Mobility Disadvantages of BlackWomen at the Vice
President and higher-level Leadership roles in corporate America, bringing critical insight to the
structural barriers that shape leadership access and advancement.
A dynamic speaker and trusted advisor, she is passionate about executive leadership coaching
and organizational transformation, believing that leadership, when done well, has the power to
change not only organizations but lives.
She does not just develop leaders and transform organizations; she elevates how leadership
shows up in the world.