About Our Founder

Michelle M. Comella is an Attorney and Professional Certified Coach (PCC) who has worked within AmLaw 25 firms since June 2019: first at Kirkland & Ellis as a CareerLink Coach and then at McDermott Will & Emery as the Global Director of Career Services. Since becoming a Certified Professional Coach in 2018 (and a PCC in 2025), Michelle has, through the various programs she has designed, launched, and continued to develop, served over 1400 people, providing support as they pursue their professional (and often personal) goals. 

Michelle is in many ways a case study on not only career transitions but also personal transformations. A life-long learner who attended Loyola University of Chicago’s School of Law while working full-time in the financial services industry as a compliance officer, Michelle opted to participate in iPEC’s coach training program while serving as the GC and CCO for a financial services firm with approximately $3B AUM. What started off as a quest to learn more about herself and in turn how she interacted with the world around her led to her current career as a coach. She often leverages the information she gathered and the insights she gained throughout her journey for the benefit of the individuals and organizations with whom she works.

Michelle currently lives in the West Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. When she is not working with her clients, she can usually be found taking hour(s)-long walks with Bailey; reading both fiction and non-fiction books (the latter of which are often relevant to her coaching practice); or entertaining friends (both old and new) in her home.