We Know Teamwork

“People have preferences as to where and how they show up in the Project Completion Cycle. How can we measure those preferences and use that knowledge to help people become more successful and satisfied?” This question inspired educational psychologist W. Michael Sturm to figure out what influences people’s actions. Mike spent over half of his career developing the tools and methodology that form the foundation of the Simpli5 platform. His 25 years of research and testing on over 10,000 subjects helped to create applications that are beneficial in almost every conceivable business and personal situation.

In 2007, Mike met 5 Dynamics CEO and owner, Karen Gordon, who was running a successful data and telecommunications business at the time. While her company had 1,100 percent growth in three years and appeared on the Inc. 500 list two years in a row, in 5 Dynamics terms she was successful but not satisfied. After seeing the positive impact Mike’s research had on individuals, Karen was inspired to help organizations realize how they could work more cohesively and harmoniously. She founded 5 Dynamics in 2010 after several years of planning and fine-tuning the methodology for enterprise application.

Today, Karen and her team work with Fortune 500 companies, leading universities, healthcare organizations and non-profits to create cultures where people can do their best work, and where cognitively diverse teams are valued. We aim to replace friction and confrontation with collaboration and appreciation, allowing organizations to meet their goals and objectives.

Karen Wright Gordon is the high-energy, problem-solving president and CEO of 5 Dynamics. A tireless worker, Karen thrives on helping companies create collaborative cultures that accelerate team performance. Using our Simpli5 platform to drive better results, Karen works to make a positive impact on people’s working lives. As an Author, educator, and entrepreneur, Karen brings to the table over 20 years of experience leading organizations to reach their highest potential. Karen is a two-time Inc. 500 Honoree, former Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist and included in the Dallas Top 25. Louisiana Tech University also named Karen its 2006 Alumnus of the Year in the College of Liberal Arts. In addition to appearing in publications like SWAAY, The CEO Magazine, Business News Daily, Huffington Post, HR Dive, and Entrepreneur, she writes regularly for Money Inc. Karen recently presented at TEDx UT Austin on the topic of The Myth of Difficult People.

Karen splits her time between Austin, TX and Wilton, Maine. When in Maine, she can be found at her lakeside camp enjoying nature with a good book, a glass of wine and her faithful dogs, Rudy and Sunshine. Karen has also served on multiple non-profit boards that share her passions of helping children, animal welfare, and social justice.

Tyler Plant is the curious, energetic, and action oriented Chief Revenue Officer at 5 Dynamics. Tyler is always in motion: constantly doing, talking, moving, organizing and motivating others. His passion for improving the employee experience and helping individuals, leaders and teams reach their true potential fuels his energy.

Prior to joining 5 Dynamics in 2022, Tyler spent the last 20 years leading successful sales, marketing and customer service teams. As an early adopter of 5 Dynamics, he’s seen firsthand the effectiveness and malleability of the methodology in organizations and the break through moments it can create. One of his favorite tag lines is “Onward & Upward”.

As a resident of Sonoma County CA, when Tyler isn’t helping organizations improve their collaboration, he can be found on a soccer pitch rooting on his two daughters, foraging at the local farmers market, taking a hike with Cali (the family Vizsla) or golfing, playing tennis or any other competitive sport he can get his hands on. Having grown up in Northern California and in the wine industry, if you ever need a good wine recommendation he’s your guy.

Ed Gordon is the fearless vice president of product at 5 Dynamics. Ed thrives on ensuring his to-do list is empty at the end of the day and helping others achieve the same result. He empowers organizations to improve their team’s workflow, experience, and outcomes by implementing our Simpli5 platform.

Ed helped establish the company on day one and assisted in developing business processes for product development, IT, HR, and finance. He has served in an executive role in multiple organizations for over 12 years, including 10 years as the president of GTCI. Ed and his team led the company to 1100% growth in three years and earned GTCI a spot on the INC 500 “Fast Growing Companies in the US” list two years in a row.

Ed is a true nature enthusiast and enjoys outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, boating, and fishing. True to his problem-solving nature, he also enjoys a good crossword puzzle from time to time.

Emily Lawson is the energetic, charismatic, VP Customer Success at 5 Dynamics. As a genuine people person, she thrives on building meaningful relationships and helping customers solve their business challenges. She loves introducing people to our Simpli5 platform as she sees how doing so creates better working relationships for all. Emily is a customer favorite when it comes to facilitating learning due to her naturally engaging nature and her deep knowledge of our product offerings. Emily brings a wealth of experience to her role at 5 Dynamics, having worked in multiple departments throughout her tenure with the company. Because of this wide range of expertise, Emily is able to bring her in-depth knowledge of our products paired with her awareness of how our customers are currently recognizing value and share this with our customers.

Emily loves spending time with her two children and diving into a good book with a cup of coffee and her dog, Ren. She also channels her natural social energy into physical activity, outdoors if at all possible!

Ashley Gordon is an imaginer of possibilities and a discoverer of the unknown. As VP of Content & Research for Simpli5, she is able to flex her creative muscles and utilize her Behavioral Neuroscience background to inform her unique perspective on human behavior.

Making sense of the nonsensical and helping people see what could be is what drives Ashley to help others better understand themselves as well as their interpersonal relationships.

Before joining the Simpli5 team, she worked in Diversity & Inclusion at Dell Technologies. The enduring theme of her corporate career is to help pave the way for belonging and the celebration of differences. The use of Simpli5 by 5 Dynamics is a great way for her to continue that journey because she believes in appreciation through understanding.

When not paving the way to new ways of thinking, Ashley enjoys spending time with her son and her beloved cat, Oliver. She can just as easily be found hiking or camping as she can cozying up with a good book or writing in her spare time.

Daniel Shockley is the adaptable, analytical operations engineer at 5 Dynamics. An advocate for understanding and appreciation, Daniel supports multiple organizations, both internally and externally, to help them meet their goals.

Daniel has partnered with Karen Gordon for over a decade, previously elevating customer experience at GTCI and Growing by Design before joining 5 Dynamics. Daniel’s responsibilities have run the gamut, but his attention to detail and his compassionate nature remain. He is critical to keeping our product content uniform, fresh, and evolving while also serving as a customer facing project manager further enabling success and satisfaction.

Daniel’s love for nature drives his interest in photography and his volunteer work as a summer camp counselor. When he’s not outside, he enjoys participating in local theater productions either on stage or behind the scenes. He is also an advocate of continuing education and is interested in areas of language and human behavior, like linguistics, etymology, social psychology, anthropology, cultural studies, and futures studies.

Katie Hale is an open-minded and enthusiastic Sales Development Specialist at 5 Dynamics. Katie graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with her Bachelors of Science in Psychology with a minor in Communication Studies. Katie thrives on building connections with others and sharing ideas. Her natural curiosity and adaptability make her a great asset on any team. Katie is passionate about applied Psychology and well-being and hopes to continue to work in environments that incorporate both. In her free time, Katie plays competitive volleyball on her college’s women’s club team and loves spending time in nature with her little dog, Archie.

Sean is a passionate storyteller with a highly advanced technical background. With a degree in engineering and a passion for the performing arts, Sean is driven by the desire to utilize this unique skillset to inspire change. His amorphous experience empowers him to wear many hats at 5 Dynamics. His acute critical thinking strengthens his precision as a Sales Operations Engineer and his empathetic personality expands his impact as a facilitator. Sean has years of experience working as an Enterprise Presales Engineer for Dell Technologies in the heart of Manhattan, where he established himself as a proficient IT professional. He has worked with customers that span nearly every industry.

Originally from Texas, but based in New York City, Sean is a true concrete cowboy. During his free time, in the city that never sleeps, Sean enjoys long walks through Central Park with his best friend Sunshine. He is a working actor, who leads a healthy lifestyle, but spends way too much time thinking about food.

Robyn has 21 years experience in Finance.

She enjoys puzzles and watching her beloved New Orleans Saints on Sundays during football season. She loves spending time with her husband and her 4 children, swimming and watching 90’s movies. Originally from New Orleans, Robyn is a big fan of seafood and live music.

Robbie is an energetic and enthusiastic person who draws motivation from the people around her.

As Controller, Robbie manages financial dealings and analysis for 5 Dynamics. A career finance leader for software organizations, Robbie has spent over a decade developing financial practices for startups, and previously held the role of Controller for such organizations as Bury Partners and the Blood and Tissue Center of Central Texas.

Robbie is the volunteer coordinator for the regional chapter of Special Olympics, an organization that continues to inspire and energize her. She enjoys Pilates, running, reading, a great cup of coffee and an everlasting supply of dark chocolate.

Kathryn is an accomplished professional with wide-ranging leadership roles with concentration on Leadership Development, Organizational Development, Training & Program Management. Action and energy are her trademarks. She is able to make the complex simple and attainable. Kathryn started her corporate career at Charles Schwab & Co. In San Fransisco. During her 15-year tenure, she held a variety of positions starting as an internal client service rep working her way through various positions to Vice President of Training & Communications for Brokerage Operations. Her next stop was at Firemen’s Fund/Allianz Insurance Company for 6 years, filling the roles of Leadership Development Director and Head of Culture reporting directly to the CEO. She has spent the last 9 years as the Vice President of Employee Experience at Jackson Family Wines in Santa Rosa, overseeing all “People Programs” for their 1700 employees. Currently she is a consultant helping companies build people programs. Kathryn’s areas of expertise include developing and implementing interactive workshops and learning experiences focusing on the following topics: people management, project management, leadership development, 360 feedback, mentoring, presentation skills, language programs, performance management, high potentials development, diversity and inclusion, personal branding, meeting management, career development, coaching, team building, and culture change.

www.kathrynreddick.com

Melissa Wells is a highly creative and innovative trainer and product developer. Her specialty is in the personal applications of the Simpli5 platform. She has been a part of 5 Dynamics for many years. First as a co-founder of the original company and currently as a creative consultant and master trainer for the new 5 Dynamics.

During her free time, she creates vision board products and services to inspire people to actualize themselves. She lives in Santa Cruz, CA with her dog Ramone and enjoys walking on the beach and helping people express their creativity and authentic self.

Amber Galou is a wildly curious and passionate facilitator and executive coach. She loves to share her knowledge and enthusiasm of the Simpli5 methodology to help teams collaborate more effectively - and to help individuals build greater self-awareness.

Amber joined the team in 2016 after 15 years as an HR professional in both large and small biotech and high-tech organizations, where she saw first-hand how the power of Simpli5 could transform the way teams perform. Amber is also an ICF certified coach, holding her PCC and CPCC designations.

Amber’s happy places are gliding down the ski slopes of Vermont, snuggled up with her 3 cats watching HGTV, or meditating in her garden. Her sense of humor and understanding of human behavior serve her well as she navigates the dynamics of a blended family that includes a French husband, teenage daughter, and animated step-son.

Roger Barney coaches Executives for accelerated success based on his broad experience as a C-level executive. He has transformed Executive teams, Boards, and has positioned companies from start-ups to Fortune 100s, to win in rapidly changing markets. Roger has utilized the 5 Dynamics’ Methodology for years and has seen amazing results.

As a coach who is outcome driven, he works with individuals and teams to find the root cause of behavioral issues, and develops a plan to focus on 4-6 measurable behavior changes. Roger’s goal is to help individuals and teams transform their lives.

Roger has coached boards, CEOs and Executives on how to become more effective in their roles. He has also worked with Executives to help them develop high performing teams. As a coach Roger is an entrepreneur, board member, both in the for profit and not for profit world. He has also successfully guided a number organizations through Strategic Planning and Implementation.

Believing in the importance of giving back to the community, Roger has served in multiple capacities for HOPE Services. He is currently serving in his 19th year on the Uplift Family Services Board, a $100 million California statewide agency that serves children and families with mental health issues.