Surf Life Executive Coaching
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About Me

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I help mission-driven leaders and their teams to reach their full potential and to create deeply resonant businesses and lives.

As an award-winning social entrepreneur, coach, global explorer and surfer, I bring 25 years of wisdom and experience to help leaders find balance, elevate their performance and achieve results in service to bettering humanity and the planet.

I know how challenging leadership can be. As a young founder, I struggled to find balance and to manage the complexities that go into innovating new ideas and running a business. When my co-leader and I decided to hire an executive coach to help us, we weren't sure what we were getting into. But we were pleasantly surprised. Not only did our leadership transform as a result, but our organization, vision and strategy flourished as well.  From that point on, I became a believer in using coaching as a powerful force for transformative change.
 
Throughout my career I have fostered systemic social change by consistently envisioning, building and launching award-winning programs, initiatives and organizations from scratch. I began by founding the nonprofit C.E.O. Women (Creating Economic Opportunities for Women) with a $1,000 seed donation. My team and I transformed it into an award-winning organization securing over 4.3M in cumulative funding over a 12-year period. The organization championed the entrepreneurial talents and aspirations of 2,000+ low-income immigrant and refugee women. C.E.O. Women's Grand Café English is now a model curriculum used in adult education English programs around the U.S.
 
In 2008 I founded Bay Area Friends of Congo to raise awareness of the human rights and environmental justice issues of the mineral conflict in Congo. While making headway in elevating the issue to the Clinton Administration, I had to stop this activism due to personal safety concerns. These experiences challenged me to think differently about sustainability and creative models of social change. In 2011 I founded Brown Girl Surf, a platform designed to raise environmental awareness, accelerate social and culture change for women and girls in surf and ocean spaces, and which also spawned the project Salted Roots. 
 
When I began Surf Life Executive Coaching, I began with wisdom and lessons from all my leadership experiences. To date I have 12 years of experience as a certified Co-Active Coach and certified NeuroTransformation Coach.  I have participated in an international study group for certified coaches wishing to advance in their study of neuroscience and its application to coaching. I serve as an Advisor with SFMade, providing coaching, support and guidance to leaders of San Francisco's vibrant manufacturing sector of locally made products.  I am also a Terra.do Fellow where I spent three months learning the science, human impacts and solutions to climate change. My work with Terra.do solidified my commitment to supporting mission-driven climate change leaders working on creative solutions in climate mitigation, resilience and adaptation.

I am also deeply passionate about dance, sports and the arts. I am trained in the North Indian classical and Tahitian Ori dance traditions and was a member of the U.S. National Karate team in my youth. I reside in Northern California and love surfing all types of waves on California’s Northern and Central coasts. A curious explorer of the world, I have traveled to over 50 countries including spending time in and out of a small fishing village on the South Coast of Morocco. My wanderlust has inspired an ongoing set of travel adventure writings on themes of surfing, climate, oceans, sustainability and environmental justice.
 
As a coach, I am guided by my passions in visioning, accelerating ideas, championing leaders, combating climate change, and following my curious spirit to positively inform, uplift and heal our planet. My leadership journey has been an adventure of fulfillment, challenge, humility and joy and I look forward to supporting you on the next leg of your journey.

If you'd like to learn more about other aspects of my work, I invite you to visit my personal website:  www.farhanahuq.com. If you are interested in having me come speak to your business, organization or group, please visit my speakers page here.

Awards:

  • Ashoka Fellowship
  • James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award Finalist
  • Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year National Finalist (Supporter of Entrepreneurship Category) 
  • SBA Women in Business Champion Award
  • East Bay Business Times 40 Under 40
  • Jefferson Leadership Award 
  • Stevie Awards Finalist
  • South Asian Bar Association Community Impact Award
  • KQED Women’s History Month Local Hero Award
  • Indian American Women Empowered Outstanding Young Leader Award
  • City of Oakland Women of Greatness Award

Certifications:

  • Learning for Action Fellow, Terra.do
  • Certified Co-Active Coach®, Co-Active Training Institute
  • Certified NeuroTransformation Coach, BeAbove Leadership
  • Neuroscience Intensive Study Group Participant, 2016, 2017, 2019, BeAbove Leadership
  • Leadership Coach, Rockwood Leadership Institute
  • Leadership Coach, Compasspoint Nonprofit Services
Copyright 2014-2025 Surf Life Executive Coaching
  • Home
  • Services
    • For Executives
    • For Architects & Designers
    • For Climate Leaders
    • For Soul Seekers
    • For Retreaters
  • About
    • About You
    • Benefits & Metrics
    • FAQ
    • About Me
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
    • Coaching Session Prep Form
    • Coaching Post Session Form
    • Post Engagement Coaching Check-In
  • Blog
  • Photos