Caroline Vial

Caroline Vial is an Adjunct Lecturer at Northwestern University's Segal Design Institute within the McCormick School of Engineering. She teaches graduate courses on leadership innovation, team flow, and facilitates leadership development for capstone teams in the Master of Product Design and Development Management (MPD2) program. Her work integrates executive coaching, positive psychology, and intersectional approaches to organizational innovation.

• Educations:
  • Ph.D. in Comparative Literary Studies, Northwestern University
  • M.A. Comparative Literature, Sorbonne-Nouvelle (Paris 3)
  • B.A. Philosophy and Italian, Middlebury College
  • Board-Certified Coach (B.C.C.), Center for Credentialing and Education
  • Executive Development Program, Kellogg School of Management

Her research focuses on leadership phenomenology, gender studies, and critical theory applied to organizational dynamics. She combines academic rigor with over 15 years of executive coaching experience, supporting innovative organizations globally. Caroline’s practice emphasizes flow states, team dynamics, and inclusive leadership strategies.

As founder of Upward Bound Executive Coaching, she advises leaders on strategic partnerships and goal achievement. She also serves as an Executive Coach at the Chicago Foundation for Women and mentors startups at 1871’s tech accelerator. Previously, she was a founding executive in a multinational technology firm, managing partnerships with art and antiques organizations.

Her interdisciplinary approach bridges humanities and engineering, informed by her academic background and entrepreneurial ventures. She actively contributes to Northwestern’s Graduate School and Weinberg College of Arts and Science through leadership-focused coursework.