About Cheryl

A bit about me

Cheryl O’Donoghue, MS, is a business leader, entrepreneur, and humanity champion. She has held senior executive roles in financial services, corporate education, nonprofit, and healthcare organizations where she’s been responsible for leading diverse work teams (in HR, Operations, Organizational Development, Community Outreach, Marketing, and Fundraising) and implementing corporate-wide communications and training initiatives. Many of these were designed to help large populations of people (both customers and team members) adopt dramatically new operating and philosophical models, as well as technology-enabled solutions. In 2016, she left her position as a Chief Communications Officer for a health care company in the Chicagoland area to write books showcasing women’s achievements in business and technology, with a spotlight on emotionally intelligent leaders.

Later in 2016, Cheryl re-started her consulting practice focusing on nonprofit leadership, strategy, and operations—Ei Leadership Resources, LLC. She works with executives to transform their organizations and the results they achieve through forward-thinking business models and proven leadership practices.

Additionally, in 2018 she launched the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Aspire2STEAM.org, and currently serves as its CEO. Aspire2STEAM provides educational scholarships and mentoring to often overlooked young women and girls who are working hard—aspiring—to achieve “STEAM” careers that require education in science, tech, engineering, the arts, or math.

Over the years, Cheryl’s writing and research studies have appeared in numerous business publications across the financial services, contact center, healthcare, and corporate training industries. More recently, she’s authored three books—How to Be a Woman in Business (While Being True to Yourself); How to Be a Woman in Technology (While Focusing on What Matters Most); and How to Be an Emotionally Intelligent Leader (While Crushing Your Goals). All her books are available on Amazon.com.  

Cheryl earned a master of science degree in adult business education from Northern Illinois University, a bachelor of arts double majoring in broadcast communications and marketing from North Central College, Naperville, Illinois, and several industry certifications as an executive and business coach. She served on the faculty at Harper College for several years, designing and teaching personal growth courses for the college’s continuing education department and InZone program for youth.

Philanthropy has played a prominent role throughout Cheryl’s life, with a special focus on serving marginalized women and girls. Her books have been given out to thousands at industry conferences, special events, and schools. One hundred percent of the royalties earned from her Amazon book sales go to fund education and training scholarships awarded to the young women served by the nonprofit Aspire2STEAM.org, in addition to a portion of all earnings from her work through Ei Leadership Resources.

To learn more about Cheryl’s work, visit EiLeadershipResources.com or Aspire2STEAM.org. She can also be contacted on LinkedIn (Cheryl O’Donoghue, MS).