Meeting/Event Information

Elly Dannewitz, ACC

After a 33-year career as a high-level leader and operator, I found myself at a crossroads. A transformative coaching experience sparked my passion for personal growth and leadership development, inspiring me to become a certified coach through the International Coaching Federation.

Now, I empower individuals, leaders, and organizations to reach their full potential through Leadership Development, Career Coaching, Business Coaching, and Life Coaching. With deep operational expertise and a results-driven approach, I help clients bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to be.

Aquabah Gonney, ICF Chicago Program Director

In a pursuit to change the status quo and strive for transformational change through innovation, Aquabah Gonney-Buckner has dedicated her 18-year career to teaching and leading in urban schools as a teacher, instructional coach, and turn-around school leader. As the principal of Lewis School of Excellence, Gonney-Buckner transformed her school from Level 2 (Intense Support) to Level 1 (good standing) by emphasizing a personalized approach to education, culturally responsive practices and social emotional learning, setting a new standard of excellence for students and a new vision of what school could be. In addition, Lewis School of Excellence achieved a 4.2% increase in student attendance and an 82% decrease in student discipline infractions. During the pandemic, Mrs. Gonney was featured in the Chicago Public Education Fund’s Principal Response to the Pandemic Report for her school’s bi-weekly culturally responsive teaching professional development for teachers and staff to discuss diversity, inclusion and equity in education. As a premier school in her network, she was featured in the book How Schools Work written by Arne Duncan, Former U.S. Secretary of Education under Barack Obama.

Aquabah Gonney-Buckner holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology with a Minor in General Art from Delaware State University and a Dual Masters in Childhood and Special Education from Wagner College. For the last six years, Mrs. Gonney-Buckner has used her passion for education to support other leaders within the field of education. She believes strongly in leaders working in tandem with other leaders to make strategic decisions. As a result, she started her company, Lead With Leaders LLC in 2023 to provide support to principals and district leaders from former and current leaders, to help navigate the challenges of leadership through Coaching, Consulting, and Professional Development. She has had the privilege of working with principals and school districts across the country to support school leadership. She is the recipient of two leadership awards for her work with the Black Principals Network as the Director of Programming for The Leadership Collaborative 2024. She is also a member of the International Coaching Federation and sits on the Board of Directors for the ICF Chicago Chapter as the Director of Programming where she uses her talents to curate professional learning for the coaching community in Chicago. Aquabah believes that despite what the saying says, it doesn’t have to be “lonely at the top'' if you have the right people at the top with you.

Cèsar Lostaunau, ICF Chicago Membership Director

Cèsar Lostaunau is a thought leader and career success coach serving diverse clients aspiring to own their growth and development on purpose. His coaching practice is grounded in helping clients increase their personal and organizational impact by being more intentional, optimistic, and connected to their purpose. Cesar leverages his professional credentials in project management, public speaking, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to serve his clients when it is most relevant.  

Cesar leads strategic diverse market growth, synergistic partnerships, and DEI innovation at Anywhere Real Estate (Fortune 500 | NYSE: HOUS) - home to some of the most recognized iconic names in residential real estate. At Anywhere Real Estate, he coaches business entrepreneurs, brokerage leaders, real estate agents, executive leaders, and people leaders.

Cesar is a proud member of the ICF Chicago Chapter. He holds a BS in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management, and graduate/professional certificates in Professional Coaching, Emotional Intelligence, Data & Analytics, Project Management, and DEI from multiple accredited educational institutions. 

Cesar was born in Lima, Peru, and lives in Chicago's West Town community.