Who we are

Ellen Mahoney, CEO & Founder

You are in good hands!

Sea Change’s CEO, Ellen Mahoney, is a proud alumna of International Schools. In 2013, she founded Sea Change Mentoring and returned to International Schools to give back to the community that raised her. As a Third Culture Kid and award-winning educator with vast experience working with diverse and mobile populations, she brings a cultural fluency to the work. It is this intimate understanding coupled with her professional background that inspires trust and commitment to change among school staff and leadership.

Ellen Mahoney is an alumna of international schools and founded Sea Change Mentoring in 2013. Exploring the intersection of SEL and international education, she is the host of The Sea Change Podcast. Since 2019, she has served as a Council of International Schools (CIS) Affiliated Consultant and continues to be a frequent contributor to CIS’s wellbeing work. She also is the Social and Emotional co-chair of AAIE’s Crisis Management Taskforce.

Ellen is certified in mentoring supervision by Fordham University's Graduate School of Social Work. In her previous role as a director at the national nonprofit, iMentor, she built the policies and procedures for all of its mentor management functions; recruited, screened, and trained 4,800 mentors in New York City; and aligned all program functions with evidence-based best practices. 

Ellen has contributed to major youth-mentoring publications such as the National Mentoring Partnership's Research Agenda (2021), the E-Mentoring Supplement for the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring, and has co-authored a chapter on university transitions and suicide prevention in the book, Preventing and Responding Student Suicide. She co-authored the award-winning research study, Surveying the Landscape: Common Practices, Challenges and Opportunities in International School Transitions-Care. Ellen also contributed to the SEL section of the NESA Instructional Coherence Guide by Erma Anderson. As part of her work with schools impacted by war and violence, her organization published Support Students in Crisis: The Educator’s Guide for Students Impacted by the Trauma of War and Violence.

She lives in Hong Kong when she is not on the road.

  • Amber Godfrey

    CRISIS TEAM CULTURAL LIAISON and CRISIS TEAM FACILITATOR

    Amber Godfrey is a PreK-12 New York State Certified Professional School Counselor. She is currently a counselor at the British International School of Phuket. Prior to this position, she served as a Resilience Coach with The Circulus Institute and the Whole School Counselor at the International School of Ouagadougou. Amber is also a Third Culture Kid, having attended various international schools around the world as a child of a Canadian diplomat. She brings passion, experience, and humility to her counseling work and is constantly learning from her students and colleagues in the world of international education.

  • Dr. Steven Karaiskos

    ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SEL SPECIALIST and CRISIS TEAM FACILITATOR

    Steven is an educator and emotion scientist, a leader in the development of whole child emotional well-being, an advocate for educator well-being, an activist for suicide prevention/awareness & bereavement, as well as a dynamic and creative community builder. A veteran educator with over 22 years of experience, Steven has taught for public and independent schools at almost every grade level including Pre-Kindergarten/Kindergarten, middle school & high school as well as supporting college/university and adult learners. He has trained and mentored educators in social and emotional learning, well-being, behavior management, classroom management, and support of students with learning differences. Steven currently serves as the Senior Director of Community Education & Outreach with Samaritans - a Boston-based suicide prevention and grief support organization. Additionally, he facilitates peer grief support groups for those who have had a loss to suicide, and is on the board for Camp Kita - a non-profit summer camp providing support for young people, ages 8-17, who have lost a loved one to suicide. Steven earned his Ph.D. in Psychology, lives in Providence, RI, and enjoys writing and Tai Chi.

  • Kirsten Pontius

    EDUCATOR WELLBEING SPECIALIST

    Kirsten Pontius is an international wellbeing specialist and holistic health coach with a background in communications, a master’s in administration, and specialized training in behavioral science from Yale's School of Public Health. Her expertise spans integrative nutrition, yoga, trauma informed practices, and mindfulness-based stress reduction.

    Kirsten is on the faculty of the International Counselors Association Counseling Certification program and is an active member of Families in Global Transition (FIGT). She has collaborated extensively with schools around the world, the U.S. State Department, and diplomatic communities abroad, including Canadian military families. 

    Her commitment lies in fostering holistic wellbeing within international communities, offering tailored support to schools, embassies, and organizations to enhance workplace wellbeing and serve transient and international populations.

    Drawing from her diverse experiences living in Japan, The Republic of Georgia, Cambodia, Romania, and her current residence in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, Kirsten brings a unique global perspective to her work. 

    Outside her professional pursuits, she enjoys hiking, forest bathing, lakeside tranquility in her home state of Minnesota, and exploring new destinations through travel