Laverne is a Career Coach and Certified Grief Recovery Specialist who draws upon her diverse background in entertainment and academia to help individuals and organizations overcome loss and setbacks in order to rediscover their capacity for impact and creativity. She believes that understanding and addressing failure and grief are crucial for building resilience and going the distance.

With over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry as a senior executive and film & television producer, and a unique skill set in creativity and leadership, Laverne’s helped clients achieve their wildest dreams, from writing business plans and starting companies to building creative portfolios and launching directing careers to landing promotions to pivoting careers. Her clients come from a range of backgrounds, from C-suite executives to visionary creatives who have secured VC funding, created tv series, published novels, produced movies, and directed films and Broadway shows.

A significant portion of Laverne's career was spent on the corporate side, notably as Senior Vice-President of Drama Development at CBS and Executive Vice-President at EPIX. Her involvement in the CSI and CRIMINAL MINDS series highlights her ability to identify and develop highly commercial and financially lucrative franchises. As the inaugural programming chief for EPIX, she earned the platform its first Emmy nominations. Her tenure as Head of Television at Charlize Theron's production company, Denver & Delilah, further showcased her ability to bring projects to life including three direct-to-series orders.

As the Executive Producer of the Netflix series GIRLBOSS and co-founder of K&L Productions with filmmaker Kay Cannon, Laverne's passion for championing marginalized and underserved stories and communities is informed by her Japanese heritage and growing up in a lower-income household. The company has multiple film and television projects in development at various platforms and studios including Netflix, Disney+, Sony, Fox, and Warner Bros and is in collaboration with production companies such as Maximum Effort, Sister, and Red Crown.

As a certified cognitive behavioral therapy and neuro-linguistics practitioner, and Reiki master-in-training, Laverne offers a holistic approach that takes into account each client's unique needs and challenges. She's passionate about empowering her clients to achieve their personal and professional goals in an authentic and fulfilling manner.

Laverne is a former Co-President of the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) and continues to mentor in their New Writers and Leadership Fellowship programs. She's also a sought-after speaker and teacher, having presented at universities, industry events, the WGA, Humanitas and many other organizations. Laverne also holds holds an MBA from Pepperdine and a BS in Radio-Television-Film from Northwestern University.