Born in Taiwan and raised partly in Canada, I studied computer engineering at McGill and spent 25 years in Silicon Valley, growing from a hardware engineer at Cisco to leading a global DevOps team at Ping Identity. Along the way I discovered that the hardest problems at work rarely live in the code; they live in how people communicate, trust, and grow. That led me to found Teal Coaching, where I help others find their voice and lead with influence, not just authority. I'm an ICF certified coach with 400+ coaching hours, and I also serve as an Elder at Home of Christ Church in Newark, where I preach in English and Mandarin.
I chose to mentor because I remember being a young engineer who was "technically right but relationally stuck." Someone believing in me changed my path, and I'd love to do the same for others figuring out who they are and where they're headed.
Off the clock, you'll find me on my Honda Rebel 1100 chasing winding roads or nerding out on neuroscience. Ask me about motorcycles over coffee!
Dean Chao
Leadership Development Coach
Teal Coaching
I was born in Hong Kong and later immigrated with my family to Taiwan and then to the United States. As new immigrants, we faced financial and cultural challenges, but my parents taught us the value of hard work and education. I held multiple part-time jobs from junior high school through college.
After earning a degree in Computer Science from UC Berkeley, I moved to Silicon Valley in the 1980s. Since then, I have worked in a variety of software and technology roles, including software developer, architect, manager, and program manager, across several technology companies.
My faith and family are central to who I am, as is the ability to remain calm during turbulent times. I am deeply interested in history and the Bible, and one of my greatest passions is mentoring others by sharing life stories, lessons learned, and experiences that encourage growth and meaningful connection.