Team
Who we are.
We are a team of accomplished professionals and experienced educators who are passionate about helping lawyers like you thrive in your career.
We teach at some of North America’s top institutions such as University of Toronto, Harvard, The George Washington University, Argosy University and Boston College.
Meet our Instructors and other Team Members.
We are deeply involved in our area of speciality through advisory boards and committee positions, ensuring the most current and relevant knowledge is passed onto you.
Sara developed a keen interest in the wellness and performance of people and organizations by learning to manage her own stress while working as a manager at one of Canada’s 50 Best-Managed Companies.
She has an extensive background in mindfulness and professional development. Sara is currently pursuing an MSc in Applied Neuroscience at King’s College London, and holds a Masters Certificate in Project Management and a Masters Certificate in Adult Training and Organizational Development from Schulich School of Business. Sara earned an Applied Mindfulness Meditation Specialist certificate from the University of Toronto, and trained at the University of California, San Diego’s Centre for Mindfulness Studies. Most recently she has gained her certification in peak performance training as a Flow Coach with Distinction from The Flow Genome Project.
Sara now leads her own professional development consulting company, providing accredited learning programs for organizations on mindfulness and emotional intelligence, with a focus on high-performance work environments. At corporate training firm, Mindful Gateway Consulting, Sara works with their team as a trainer and performance specialist. She also develops and leads courses in the Applied Specialization and Mindfulness Meditation certificate program at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, where she sits on the advisory board of the AMM-MIND specialization program. Sara is Co-chair of The Mindfulness in Law Society – Southern Ontario Chapter, MILS first international chapter, as well as a member of their CLE planning task force.
Sara has worked in diverse environments such as academic, corporate, and professional sports. Through MGC she has developed and delivered training for the Toronto Maple Leafs development camp and the Toronto Marlies. She splits her free time between raising her young daughter, her many hobbies and volunteer commitments working with marginalized individuals.
Rachel Barbanel- Fried is a Clinical Psychologist and Peak Performance Coach with extensive training in using interpersonal communication, yoga, mindfulness, and food-as-medicine to mitigate how the modern world impacts individuals and organizations. She received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The George Washington University, and worked in the Washington, D.C. school system and other college counseling centers before entering private practice.
She has held faculty positions at The George Washington University, Argosy University, Boston College, the Boston Institute for Psychotherapy, and Harvard Medical School.
Rachel has studied with some of the country’s most renowned thought leaders including: James Gordon, Mark Hyman, Cynthia Geyer, Jon Kabbat-Zinn, Saki Santorelli, Tara Brach, Dan Brown, Jamie Wheal, and Steven Kotler. Using her broad range of skills, including certification to teach Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, she integrates multiple modalities to create a powerful path towards success.
An experienced speaker she has presented in many different settings from schools, to hospitals, businesses, and non-profit organizations. Calling Boston, MA home, she regularly dedicates time to serving her community, enjoys cooking, travel and spending time with her young family.
Darlene Tonelli, Advisory Board
In her advisory board position at Lime Horse, Darlene provides guidance to the development team and faculty to ensure content is practical and relevant to today’s lawyer. Darlene Tonelli is the founder of Inter Alia Law, a virtual association of lawyers with a primary focus on technology, media & entertainment. As the co-host of the award winning Lawyer Life Podcast, and author of the award-winning Inter Alia blog, Darlene aims to help lawyers navigate their days with a little less stress and a lot more fulfillment.
Prior to Inter Alia, Darlene spent 8 years at Universal Music Canada, where she was Vice President, Business Development and Corporate Affairs. At Universal, Darlene was tasked with building new digital business models for a changing industry. In that role, she worked on several ground-breaking license deals to bring music to listeners in new ways.
And prior to that, Darlene was a lawyer at Goodmans LLP.
In her writing and public speaking engagements, she encourages legal professionals to look at reducing ego and taking ownership of their own happiness, authenticity, and fulfillment as a key means to becoming the kind of lawyer clients really need.
Mel Walser, Director of Business Development
As a fitness professional, with a passion for wellness and personal wellbeing, Melanie is committed to helping individuals and organizations develop tools and techniques that allow then to perform at their best. She has obtained a variety of professional accolades within the fitness and nutritional industry throughout North America.
She can be described as a woman who is driven to help her customers succeed. As Director of Business Development at LimeHorse, you can be assured that implementation, growth and business development are the foundations of her focus. Her professional attitude and experience allow her clients to succeed in their areas of focus, resulting in positive outcomes that not only benefit their companies, but also their own personal growth.
As a native of Germany and a world traveler, Mel brings a diversified portfolio with her experience and knowledge. She has extensive training in the areas of customer service, client development and training through her work in the wellness industry and her work with international organizations such as Lufthansa and Lifetime fitness.
In addition to finding passion and purpose in her work, Mel likes to spend her free time with her family and dogs, preferably somewhere outdoors.