Skip to main content
  • Conferences
  • Speakers
  • Skillcamp
Notifications
  • Strategies for Online and Offline Success
    ×
  • That Will Get You Speaking Engagements in 2024
    ×
  • For a Meeting or Talk
    ×
  • SpeakerHub's commitment to innovation and user-centric design.
    ×
  • How to Make Your Public Speech Professional and Memorable
    ×
  • SIGN UP
  • SIGN IN
  1. Home
  2. Find a speaker
  3. Shenandoah Chefalo
Shenandoah Chefalo's cover banner
Shenandoah Chefalo's picture

Shenandoah Chefalo

Author, Advocate & Consultant
Chefalo Consulting
Country or state 
United States (Michigan)
Available to 
Global
City 
Traverse City, MI
Fee 
Languages 
English
Volunteer
Yes

Personal Details

Bio

Shenandoah Chefalo, is an award-winning author, sought-after speaker, and trauma-informed coach and consultant who penned the book, “Garbage Bag Suitcase” about her young life in the foster care system, as well as an e-book entitled “Setting Your Vision and Defining Your Goals”. Her upcoming book “Hiking for Stillness” lays out a plan to overcome and address personal trauma by using and exploring the methods that she developed for herself.

She travels internationally helping transform organizations by teaching them how they can improve their workplace, performance, and overall enjoyment. Her tested and proven style of trauma-informed coaching includes a focus on resilience which she feels is a necessary skill for all to learn.

She is passionate about serving her clients, family, and community. She does so by helping organizations improve their workplaces and performance by teaching sustainable, trauma-informed methods, and by telling her story and educating the public about the grim realities of a life that she had always tried to hide.

​

Shenandoah experienced a dysfunctional childhood with neglectful, drug and alcohol-addicted parents. This eventually landed her in the foster system where she endured numerous moves in the middle of the night with just minutes to pack, multiple changes in schools, hunger, cruelty, and loneliness.

As an adult, she learned to overcome her past and graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies of Social Sciences, Owner and President of Chefalo Consulting, a member of Foster Leaders Movement, and a co-founder of the #4600AndCounting, a grass-roots movement to find missing youth from foster care.

As a professional adult, the same issues she encountered as a child kept circling back around, reminding her that so many others could benefit from her experiences and knowledge. For twenty years she worked as a Law Office Administrator, which was a constant reminder of the revolving door that is the criminal justice system. Too many of these offenders came straight out of the foster-care system.

After some research, she discovered that there were nearly 400,000 children in the foster care system each day in the United States. Out of those children, nearly 61% would age out of the system without having a place to live, 50% would end up incarcerated within 2 years of aging out, and almost 80% of people on death row are former foster alumni.

In addition to the incredible resilience she has shown and taught to organizations internationally, she has dedicated much of her time to spreading awareness about the foster care system, and teaching individuals the same methods she uses for her clients to help overcome personal challenges and start LIVING their lives instead of just surviving.

Current position (1)

Author, Advocate & Consultant

Chefalo Consulting

Degrees (2)
Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science, Human Resources, & Society
Michigan State University
1994 to 2003
Executive & Life Coaching
Coach U
2011

Presentations

Presentations (4)
Garbage Bag Suitcase: A Survivor's Guide to the Long Term Impacts of Children in Care

Shenandoah Chefalo is a child advocate and the author of Garbage Bag Suitcase: A Memoir. Despite her early trauma and overcoming many adversities, Shen became part of the 3% of all foster care children who get into college and graduate. She became a successful business woman, got married, and had a daughter. Regardless of her numerous achievements in life she still suffers from the long-term effects of neglect, and the coping skills that she adapted in her childhood are not always productive in her adult life. In his keynote address, she will not only share her journey to overcome her desolate childhood, but will also present grass-root solutions on how to revamp the broken foster care system. Harnessing the power of her story, Shenandoah Chefalo will motivate, educate, and create an open and honest discussion about being in the foster care system and the improvements that could possibly change the lives of children in care and the landscape of the country.

Helping without Harming: A Trauma Informed Approach to Coaching Kids, Teens, Families & Teams

Research informs that trauma can have a significant, life-long impact when it is not mitigated. This presentation translates evidenced-based research regarding childhood trauma/adversity into skills, which can be used immediately to mitigate the negative impacts of trauma. This presentation provides anyone who works with survivors of trauma with skills to support better outcomes for children/youth and families. Available in 90 minute, 1/2 day and full day training formats using lecture, video, small group activities and self reflection. Objectives and Goals also available upon request.

Leading a Trauma Informed Workplace

Designed with leaders in mind, this presentation has the following objectives (which depending on time can be enhanced or shortened)

Session Objectives

1. Share first hand experiences of living in foster care from the point of a survivor.
2. Understand the importance of language and its use to harm or heal
3. Understand the default setting of “trauma brain” and how to get back online.
4. Learn about the entire Coaching Model with a specific emphasis on the learned skill of Powerful Questions
5. Learn about Self Care, Team Care and Trigger Care

Can be done in 90 min, 1/2 day, Full Day and Multiple Day Formats

Custom Programs and Trainings

I can offer a variety of keynotes, workshops, day-long, multi-day and long-term initiatives. I customize for the client's needs.

Past talks (13)
Trauma-Informed Care in the Workplace
Root Cause 2023 National Summit Keynote
Washington DC
December 5, 2023
Trauma-Informed Training Workshop
2023-NCSEA Leadership Symposium
Anaheim, CA
August 7, 2023
Meet the Author: Book Club
Roscommon Library
Roscommon, MI
2018
Garbage Bag Suitcase: A Survivor's Guide
Michigan Association of collegiate Registrars & Admissions Officers
Frankenmuth, MI
2017
Book Club Presentation
CASA of Will County
Skype
2017
Keynote & Training
Wisconsin CASA
Green Bay, Wisconsin
2017
Translating Information into Skills
Pathways to Adulthood
Traverse City, MI
2017
2 Years of Trauma Informed Custom Training
TRIP Training
Dearborn, MI
2017
Garbage Bag Suitcase: A Survivor's Guide
CASA of Kent County
Grand Rapids, MI
2017
Trauma Informed Foster Care
LIFE Lunch
Traverse City, MI
2017
Garbage Bag Suitcase: A Survivor's Guide
Ingham/Eaton County CASA
Lansing, MI
2017
Understanding Foster Care
DAR-Battle Creek Chapter
Battle Creek - Michigan
2017
Leading a Trauma Informed Workplace
Full List of Presentations Available Upon Email
Email
January 10, 2017
  • All (2)
  • Videos
  • Photos (1)
  • Press information (1)
This speaker hasn't uploaded any videos yet.
CASA of Wisconsin, Sue and Shen
CASA of Wisconsin, Sue and Shen
This speaker hasn't uploaded any slides yet.
This speaker hasn't uploaded any one sheet yet.
It’s not hard for foster kids to just disappear. One Traverse City author is trying to change that.

Books & Articles (6)

Garbage Bag Suitcase: A Memoir
Mission Point Press,
2016
Setting Your Vision and Defining Your Goals
Book Boon,
2013
Foster Care & The Holidays: A Mixed Bag of Emotions
4600 and Counting: Missing From Foster Care
Burning Coals of Emotional Abuse; Minimizing, Invalidating & Gas Lighting
LIAR, LIAR: Looking Beyond the Lie

Expertise (17)

Social & Political
Youth At Risk Youth Foster Care Foster Care System Foster Children Child Trauma Childhood trauma child abuse and neglect Trauma Informed Care Trauma Informed Education Trauma Informed Practices Creating Resilience Leadership trauma informed teaching Social Determinants of Health Social Emotional Development

Awards & certifications (7)

Women in American History
 Daughter's of the American Revolution
2017
Best Non Fiction E-Book
Independent Publishers Assoc. (IPPY)
2017
Best Non Fiction-Social Science
Midwest Publishers Association
2017
Best Non Fiction-Personal
Independent Publishers Award
2017
Women of the Arts Recognition Award
 Daughter's of the American Revolution
2016
Best Memoir
Pinnacle Awards
2016
Best Regional Memoir
Beverly Hills Book Awards
2016
Recommendations
2 Audience
Show More
Why choose me? 

Trauma-Informed, Authentic, Interactive, and Inclusive experience that makes hard topics easier.

Similar to Shenandoah
  • Abdullatif Farah's picture
    Abdullatif
    Farah
    GROWTH
    MY LIFE
  • Cecilia Jastrzembska's picture
    Cecilia
    Jastrzembska
    Senior Policy Advisor
    UK Government
  • Jayni Terry's picture
    Jayni
    Terry
    Motivational Speaker
    Journey With Jayni
  • Adam White's picture
    Adam
    White
  • Vick Tipnes's picture
    Vick
    Tipnes
    CEO
    Blackstone Medical Services
  • Speakers
  • Agencies
  • Events
  • How it works
  • Blog
  • Upgrade
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Organizers
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy policy
  • FAQ
  • API
  • Contact
  • Corporate Speakers Bureau & CRM
  • Motivational speakers
  • Leadership speakers
  • Business speakers
  • Inspirational speakers
  • Keynote speakers
  • Corporate speakers
  • Celebrity speakers
  • Top 50 Business Speakers
  • Top 50 Leadership Speakers
  • Top 50 Motivational Speakers
  • Top 50 Technology Speakers

Get speaking tips & so much more!

Twice a month we send you speaking tips, training ideas and lots of useful updates.

© 2025 SpeakerHub
All rights reserved.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • SoundCloud