Are you a woman in tech who feels left behind? Are you smart, capable, and motivated yet losing the joy in your job? Do you want to navigate work culture with confidence, set boundaries that work for you, and claim your value?
Staying in tech is draining you. You no longer feel like you’re in control of your own career.
Now what?
It’s unfair. It hurts. It feels personal. Whether it’s a micromanager, a bully, a harasser, bias and inequities, or something you know is wrong but can’t quite name – you know the way things are going isn’t working for you and you want a new path forward.

Imagine Your Life When You

Navigate Work Culture with Confidence
- Know what keeps you feeling confident
- Name and say your strengths and opportunities
- Uncover how you want to show up during conflict and uncomfortable conversations

Claim What You Want for Your Career
- Remove roadblocks to requesting what you really need
- Plan how to align your work with your purpose, values, and goals
- Develop a circle of supporters so you’re not doing it all alone

Set Boundaries Against What You Don’t Want
- Learn ways to recognize when & how your boundaries, values, or purpose are not working for you
- Know how to identify & act on your non-negotiables
- Practice meaningful responses when someone makes you uncomfortable

Own Your Value and Raise Your Voice
- Have new ways to demonstrate your leadership to yourself and stakeholders
- Be persistent and clear about your own needs
- Listen differently to your inner critic so you believe in your power and self-worth
Cindy Gross
I left a 25-year tech career to start Befriending Dragons when reporting harassment led me down a path of discovery, systems thinking, adaptive leadership, and community focus. I help you discover your own path forward to a successful, fulfilling career. Together we’ll listen differently to our internal dragons – our fears, anxieties, instincts, patterns, habits, and expectations. We’ll befriend these dragons, pay attention to their signals as the valuable insights they are, and choose how to move forward with them.
Intrigued by the short excerpt to the left? Listen to the full “Unleashed Potentials Podcast” episode hosted by Bernadette Desir.

How did I get here?
After 25 years in corporate tech I was burned out. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t make decisions. I couldn’t cope with anything. So I took a lot of time off and slowly, so slowly, worked through the trauma of reporting harassment at work, of being involved in a pay inequity fight, of so much bias and so many white male shaped bars. I realized what was missing was connection, community, and values-based leadership. So I became that. The connector. The community nurturer. The coach who really gets systemic inequities and wants to lead with relationships. I befriended all those dragons, and now I help my clients THRIVE.
If you’re looking for someone who is direct, safe, empathetic, supportive, and focused, you’re in the right place. My clients say I have an “extraordinary impact” and “amazing insight,” create safety by being vulnerable and fully present, sift through noise to surface the gems, and infuse a race + gender equity perspective into my listening & questions.
Would you like to show up at work feeling confident and valued, with people honoring your boundaries? Let’s explore how we can work together.
What My Clients Say
Cindy leverages her lived experience and coaching expertise to help people better understand issues from the perspective of people whose lives are different from ours. I participated in an anti-racism group that Cindy ran in 2021, and I looked forward to the insightful and honest discussions in every session. The program opened my eyes inContinue reading “Julia Goldstein | Communication that Supports Businesses on their Sustainability Journeys”

Cindy has amazing insight into workplace discrimination, sexism and racism related issues particularly in tech industry. She is also a great listener and has ability to help people find what they are good at without a lot of effort. I was able to find the alternate direction I needed with her help. I highly recommendContinue reading “Mala Mahadevan | Database Engineer & Community Leader”

Curious about my style? Check out my Befriending Dragons YouTube channel.
Don’t find yourself. Make and remake yourself. — Cindy Gross
Cindy Gross
She/her | ex-techie SQLCindy.
Leadership Coach, Personal Strategic Advisor, Keynote Speaker.