Mike Gellman

CEO & Founder of High Five Career Coaching

For over 20 years, Mike Gellman, CEO & Founder of High Five Career Coaching, has successfully facilitated numerous talent management and organizational development initiatives including succession planning, high potential leader development programs, employee engagement, team building, and organizational change efforts. With a Master’s in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, he’s also an ACC credentialed coach via the International Coach Federation and author of Pipe Dreams: 7 Pipelines of Career Success.

He launched his nonprofit career in organizational development at the world famous San Diego Zoo (now San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance). During that time, Mike also volunteered his efforts to create an award-winning mentorship program for the Association for Talent Development-San Diego (formerly ASTD) that recently celebrated its 21st year of successfully preparing future leaders. He subsequently served in capacity-building roles for Father Joe’s Villages and South Bay Community Services. In the corporate sector, Mike launched and managed a highly regarded Career Coaching & Development Center for SoCalGas while also serving on the board of the Sempra Employee Giving Network, an employee-run nonprofit foundation. He most recently served as the Mentorship Program Chair for NCPC.

In addition to being a proud dad of a bright college senior, Jonas, Mike enjoys running, hiking, nature photography, and volunteering within his community. You can often find him pulling weeds at Coastal Roots Farm and leading free Nonprofit NetWalks about town. Born and raised in Cleveland, he currently resides in Oceanside.