Amalu:
something valuable, pure

Present across different cultures, ‘Amalu’ is more than a word. It embodies a commitment to those we serve and those that seek transformational change.

‘Amalu’ is a tribute to our founder’s grandmothers. A combination of both of their first names, Amalu honors their memories, their service, and their legacy.

Our Building Blocks

At Amalu, we strive for every partner to be valued, seen, and heard. Our customized approach aims to foster resilience, self-esteem, and healthy relationships.

We envision creating a world where everyone can heal, grow, and thrive.

Our Core Values

  1. Service

  2. Compassion

  3. Commitment to Excellence

  4. Integrity

  5. Community

  6. Truth & Love

Meet Our Team

Amalu is a woman-owned, minority-founded wellness organization. Based in Los Angeles, we are on a mission to empower companies to enhance leadership development, employee wellness, and cultivate inclusive and high-performing teams.

Kathy Tan, M.A.

Founder & CEO, leadership coach

Kathy Tan is a Leadership Coach and Founder/CEO of Amalu Coaching, bringing a trauma-informed, identity-conscious approach to leadership development. She earned her Master of Arts in Social Entrepreneurship and Change from Pepperdine University, where she focused her research on gender-based violence against women and girls, and holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Michigan. Kathy has completed 40 hours of training as a domestic violence peer counselor, the Healthy Families Series training, and the Conscious Leadership for Equity program as an inaugural recipient of the Community Healing BEE FREE Grant.

With over a decade of cross-sector experience, Kathy has led and supported projects, partnerships, and organizational initiatives across business, mental health, nonprofit, and education sectors. In addition to coaching executives, senior leaders, and mission-driven teams - including an elected City Council member - she has led projects and collaborations - from one-off events to multi-partner initiatives - to achieve measurable results. She draws on this extensive project and program management experience as part of her leadership and coaching work at Amalu Coaching. Before founding Amalu, Kathy was honored to be elected by peers as a founding member of a prior organization’s Equity Council helping to address systemic practices.

In early 2022, Kathy interned in Asunción and Cerrito, Paraguay, working alongside a global organization on anti-violence prevention initiatives. She facilitated focus groups with local students and offered recommendations to support community efforts. In 2023, she was invited to serve as a Lead Table Discussant at the Business Fights Poverty Global Summit, leading a global dialogue on advancing female entrepreneurship.

Rooted in her lived experience as a first-generation Chinese and Filipina American, daughter of immigrants, Christian, dancer, traveler, and lifelong learner, Kathy brings cultural insight and a results-focused coaching style. She partners with leaders and teams to nurture purposeful leadership, well-being, and inclusive, high-impact cultures.

Cherry Johal

Amalu career coach, communications consultant

Cherry Johal is one of the Career Coaches at Amalu Coaching, bringing over 20 years of global leadership experience in branding, marketing, and public relations. She’s worked with iconic brands like National Geographic, Discovery Channel, FX Networks, and Disney—leading high-impact campaigns in over 30 countries.

As a seasoned career coach and communications consultant, Cherry takes a story-driven approach to helping people align their work with purpose. She guides individuals to uncover what makes them unique and organizations to craft meaningful narratives that resonate.

Based in Los Angeles, Cherry draws from her international background and diverse client base—entrepreneurs, creatives, nonprofits, and global brands alike—to deliver workshops that are both inspiring and actionable.

Shreyan Penubolu

Interns team lead, senior business development intern

Shreyan Penubolu is a recent graduate of Mountain House High School with a 4.2 GPA. A DECA state finalist, he ranked in the top 1% out of 3,000 teams nationally and placed top 10 in Northern California as a solo performer.

As a varsity football team captain, Interns Team Lead, and Senior Business Development Intern at Amalu Coaching, Shreyan is known for his leadership, charisma, and strong communication skills.

Fluent in English, Spanish, and Telugu, he has completed 300+ volunteer hours through coaching and marketing roles. Passionate about entrepreneurship, he is currently developing an app for athletes and aspires to launch his own business.

Shay Rawal

sales and outreach intern

Shay Rawal is a rising junior from Southern California with a GPA of 4.41. Following a multidisciplinary path, he focuses on the overlaps between business, economics, and policy through activities such as Model UN, where he placed in the top 5 in his Harvard Model United Nations Committee.

Shay is also a multifaceted leader within his school, founding its Sports and Data Analytics Club while also being the president of the West LA VA Club and Historical Debate Club. 

He furthers his reach through his organization, the MentalMatch, which aims to empower youth athletes—a concept that was named a Semifinalist within the Diamond Challenge. Shay is eager to utilize his role as a Sales and Outreach Intern to broaden Amalu's influence and bolster growing businesses, which will help to develop invaluable proficiencies for the future.

Anika Shah

sales and outreach intern

Anika Shah is an incoming high school senior from Seattle, Washington. As an aspiring healthcare and community-driven student, she has a GPA of 4.0 and is part of her school’s HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) chapter, placing 8th internationally. 

Through her position as the president of the Medical Research Club at her school and VP of Outreach at GRISM (Girls Rock in Science and Math), Anika is passionate about community building and impactful communication. She serves as the Regional Outreach Director for Washington’s Mercuri chapter, an organization promoting global mental health advocacy. Additionally, she is deeply passionate about community health, with 200+ hours volunteering at her local hospitals.

After graduation, Anika plans to study biomedical engineering and attend medical school, aspiring to work as a physician.