About Us
We believe in continuous learning and professional development are key to success.
Avant Consulting and Training (ACT) was founded in 2019 by Dr. Gerardo Gauthier-Zayas Jr., and since its inception is driven by a passion for honoring mission, vision, and building bridges through strengths-based modality.
Our goal is to empower organizations to reach their full potential through an insightful, strategic, a true collaborative model. We at ACT are committed to driving sustainable growth and success for our clients by providing expert guidance, actionable solutions, and unwavering support. Our goal is to create lasting value by helping our clients navigate complex challenges, seize opportunities, and achieve their strategic objectives.
We are passionate about creating professional development spaces that foster psychological safety, humility, and a safe space to discuss topics that might cause some discomfort among employees openly. Yet, we understand if we don’t begin with a conversation, progress for any organization can become stuck in a vicious cycle of planning without a sustainable plan that will result in necessary outcomes.
Our dedicated team of professional subject matter experts in coaching, business strategies, systemic equity infrastructure building, professional curriculum development, and facilitation look forward to meeting you and your team!
Our Values
At Avant Consulting and Training, we specialize in leadership coaching, business strategies, systemic equity infrastructure building, and professional development that transforms managers into inspiring leaders. Our programs are designed to empower individuals with the skills and mindset necessary to lead with confidence, integrity, and vision. The following core values guide us in:
Personalized Coaching
Our leadership coaching services are tailored to meet the unique needs of each leader, focusing on their strengths, challenges, and goals. We provide one-on-one coaching sessions that foster personal and professional growth, creating inclusive processes to coach leaders on how to start and maintain respectful conversations while sharing evidence-based service models for targeted clients/customers.
Customized Programs
We develop professional development curricula that are specifically tailored to meet your employees' needs and align with your business objectives. Our programs cover various topics, from technical skills to leadership development.
Customized Solutions
Every business is unique, so we develop customized strategies aligning with your objectives and challenges. Our solutions are practical, actionable, and designed to deliver measurable results. We teach leaders and organizations how to synthesize the value of systemic equity infrastructure building in practice, policy, and culture.
Experienced Facilitators
Our team of facilitators brings a wealth of experience and expertise to every session, guiding discussions to maximize participation and achieve your objectives.
Customized Assessments
We start with a thorough assessment of your current equity landscape, identifying strengths and areas for improvement. This provides a clear roadmap for creating lasting change.
Dr. Gerardo Gauthier Zayas, Jr., Ed. D.
Founder & CEO
For more than 20 years, Dr. Gerardo Zayas Jr. has dedicated his career to creating business strategies by mentoring and sponsoring individuals and organizations to conceptualize, launch, and sustain respectful quality service delivery models across industry sectors.
He has led program reviews, strategic planning efforts, and leadership coaching by fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging frameworks throughout his leadership and teaching careers. His approach toward creating systemic equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging framework strategies consists of a collaborative effort of listening, learning, asking questions, and leaning into differences.
In 2015, Dr. Zayas became an entrepreneur, focusing on providing business strategies, leadership coaching services, and facilitating professional development training services. He takes considerable pride in creating curriculum and is honored to teach diversity, equity and inclusion, social justice, community engagement, and social policy courses across associate, bachelor, and master-level programs in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.
He received his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree from Northeastern University, Boston, MA, a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in healthcare administration from Plymouth State University, Plymouth, NH, and recently, a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration at New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire.
The intersectionality of Dr. Zayas’s social identities- lived and professional experiences were guiding factors for his qualitative research while at NEC using Grounded Theory and Critical Race Theory, titled - The Career Pipeline Experience of Ethnically and Racially Diverse College and University Presidents in the United States. He takes great pride in being an Entrepreneur, Educator, and Community Engagement Connector committed to Creating a Systemic Approach toward Leadership, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.