Dr. Izelle Labuschagne

Founder | Thesis & Research Mentor | Success Strategist

Meet the mentor who has not only navigated the research journey at the highest level — but now dedicates her work to helping others rise through it too.

With more than 20 years of research experience, publications in leading journals including Nature and The Lancet, involvement in multi-million dollar research projects, and extensive experience supporting PhD researchers through successful thesis completion, Izelle brings both depth and vision to every conversation.

She is an international PhD examiner, keynote speaker, researcher, mentor, and founder of CTS — known for helping students move beyond survival mode and into clarity, confidence, momentum, and meaningful success.

But what makes Izelle different is not only her academic experience. It is the way she sees people.

Her mentorship blends high-level research strategy with deep belief in human potential. Whether you are trying to finish your thesis, rebuild your confidence, navigate uncertainty, expand your career vision, or create a life that feels aligned beyond academia, Izelle meets you where you are — and helps you move forward powerfully.

Areas of Support:

• Thesis strategy, structure, and completion
• Research direction and academic writing
• Confidence, momentum, and overcoming overwhelm
• Publication, research, and academic career pathways
• Post-PhD transition and career expansion
• Researcher identity, self-trust, and personal growth
• Vision, success, and aligned career development

Best For: Those wanting both strategic guidance and transformational mentorship throughout the PhD journey and beyond.

A/Prof. Alexandra Gorelik

Thesis & Research Mentor | Research Methodologist | Data & Statistics Expert

Meet the mentor who transforms the way researchers think about data, design, and the science behind their work.

With 21 years of high-quality research experience as an analyst and research methodologist, Alexandra brings a rare combination of statistical depth, data science expertise, and quality assurance precision to every mentoring relationship. Holding an M.Sc. in Quality Assurance and Reliability, she has built an impressive career spanning data management, analytics, business intelligence, and the design and conduct of both qualitative and quantitative research.

Her publication record speaks for itself, with work featured in top-tier journals including The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine, alongside national recognition for her contributions to clinical trials. She has worked extensively with Honours, Masters, and PhD students across a wide range of thesis types, and brings genuine joy to watching students grow in their research capabilities.

She meets students where they are, helping them see the value in their data, maximise what they collect, and leverage both established and emerging technologies to strengthen their research. Her mentorship is as practical as it is empowering.

Areas of Support:

• Research design and methodology
• Statistics, data science, and analytics
• Quantitative and qualitative research
• Data management and quality assurance
• Honours, Masters, and PhD thesis support
• Publication strategy and research writing
• Building confidence in research skills and data interpretation

Best For: Researchers who want to sharpen their methodology, make sense of their data, and build the kind of technical confidence that carries them through their thesis and beyond.

Prof. David Penn

Research Professor | Academic Mentor | Research & Career Development Expert

Meet a mentor whose career has shaped conversations at the highest levels of academia and psychological science.

Prof. David Penn is a distinguished researcher, academic, and mentor with decades of experience at the forefront of psychological science, research leadership, and scholar development. As a Research Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and formerly the Linda Wagner Martin Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, David has dedicated his career to advancing research, developing researchers, and contributing meaningful impact to the field.

His expertise spans social cognition, psychosocial treatment for schizophrenia, academic research development, and scientific leadership — bringing both intellectual depth and real-world academic insight to every mentoring conversation.

But beyond the titles and achievements, David is deeply committed to helping emerging researchers find their footing, strengthen their thinking, and navigate the often unspoken complexities of academia with greater clarity and confidence.

His mentorship is thoughtful, strategic, and deeply grounded in experience. Whether you are refining your research direction, preparing for life after the PhD, navigating academia, or expanding your identity as a scholar, David offers the kind of perspective that only comes from a lifetime immersed in research and higher education.

Areas of Support:

• Research design and academic thinking
• Academic career strategy and post-PhD pathways
• Research publication and scholarly development
• Navigating academia and research leadership
• Critical thinking and intellectual clarity
• Research confidence and professional growth
• Mentorship for emerging scholars and researchers

Best For: PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and emerging academics seeking high-level mentorship, strategic academic guidance, and support in building a meaningful and sustainable research career.

Katherine Anderson

Mindset Coach | Wellness Mentor | Sustainable Success Guide

Meet the mentor who helps high achievers reconnect with themselves — without sacrificing their ambition.

With more than 15 years of experience in the creative agency world, Katherine Anderson understands what it feels like to constantly perform at a high level while quietly running on empty. She knows the pressure, the perfectionism, the mental overload, and the exhaustion that so many ambitious researchers and professionals carry behind the scenes.

Now, through her work as a mindset coach and wellness mentor, Katherine helps people move from burnout and survival mode into greater clarity, confidence, energy, and alignment.

Blending neuroscience-backed strategies with holistic wellbeing, mindset coaching, and sustainable performance practices, her approach is both deeply supportive and highly practical. She creates space for people to slow down enough to hear themselves again — while still moving powerfully toward the goals and life they desire.

Whether you are struggling with overwhelm, self-doubt, motivation, emotional exhaustion, or simply feeling disconnected from yourself and your work, Katherine helps you rebuild from the inside out.

Her mentorship is calm, empowering, compassionate, and transformational — designed to help you succeed in a way that actually feels sustainable.

Areas of Support:

• Burnout recovery and sustainable success
• Mindset coaching and confidence building
• Managing overwhelm, stress, and emotional fatigue
• Self-trust, motivation, and clarity
• Productivity, flow, and aligned performance
• Work-life balance and wellbeing support
• Creativity, energy, and nervous system regulation

Best For: Researchers, students, academics, and high achievers seeking greater balance, clarity, emotional wellbeing, and sustainable success throughout their PhD journey, career, and life beyond academia.

Email Kate for packages: [email protected]

Louise Syphers

Financial Empowerment Mentor | Mortgage Advisor | Wealth & Property Strategist

Meet the mentor helping women create greater freedom, security, and possibility through financial empowerment.

Louise Syphers is the Director of Abundance & Beyond and an experienced mortgage advisor who has been helping people navigate property ownership, lending, and financial growth since 2001.

With more than two decades of industry experience, Louise brings both deep expertise and a uniquely human approach to conversations that often feel overwhelming, confusing, or emotionally loaded. Her work is grounded in the belief that financial independence is not just about numbers — it is about creating choice, confidence, stability, and long-term freedom.

She is passionate about helping women especially feel more empowered in their financial decisions, understand the opportunities available to them, and move toward goals that may once have felt out of reach.

Whether someone is purchasing their first home, refinancing, consolidating debt, exploring business lending, or wanting to better understand their financial options, Louise helps simplify the process and create clear, supportive pathways forward.

Her mentoring style is practical, calm, encouraging, and deeply solutions-focused — helping people feel supported while making important life and financial decisions.

Areas of Support:

• Financial confidence and empowerment
• Property ownership and mortgage guidance
• Refinancing and debt consolidation
• Business and trust loans
• Financial clarity and long-term planning
• Wealth mindset and financial wellbeing
• Navigating major financial decisions with confidence

Best For: Researchers, professionals, and individuals wanting greater financial clarity, empowerment, and support in building long-term security, independence, and aligned wealth pathways.