Darleen Santore

Darleen Santore, widely known as Coach Dar, is a licensed and board-certified occupational therapist, motivational speaker, mental performance coach, CEO, and founder of Performance Meets Purpose Consulting. She is the author of the best-selling book "The Art of Bouncing Back." Santore has a background in occupational therapy and extensive experience coaching professional athletes in the NHL, NBA, NFL, Olympians, Fortune 100 executives, and high-performing entrepreneurs. Her approach integrates neuroscience, real-world coaching, and practical strategies to help clients improve mental resilience and performance.

Santore's career in mental performance coaching was shaped by overcoming significant personal adversity, including three life-threatening strokes that required her to relearn how to speak. Following her recovery, she became CEO of a healthcare company at age 28 and went on to lead several other organizations. Her professional journey includes roles as a board-certified occupational therapist, president of a healthcare company, chief operating officer of a record label, chief performance officer at a jewelry company, and advisor to global leaders, CEOs, and athletes.

A notable highlight of Santore's career was serving as the Phoenix Suns mental skills coach, where she became the first woman to travel with an NBA team in this capacity. Her coaching has helped professional athletes enhance their mental edge, overcome obstacles, and develop leadership skills. Santore's expertise extends beyond sports, working with Fortune 100 executives, world leaders, artists, and students to improve performance and resilience.

Santore is a Senior Fellow of PathNorth, an organization of world leaders and Fortune 100 CEOs, and has been recognized as the WNBA's Most Inspiring Woman. She has received the Diamond Excellence Award in Coaching for Women in Professional Sports and JP Morgan's 100 Women to KNOW in America award.

Her book, "The Art of Bouncing Back: Find Your Flow to Thrive at Work and in Life – Anytime You're Off Your Game," draws on her personal journey and professional experience to provide strategies for overcoming setbacks and building resilience. Santore has appeared on Fox Sports, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and SiriusXM Radio, sharing her insights on mental performance, leadership, and motivation. She has delivered keynote addresses to more than 100,000 people, focusing on increasing engagement and driving results. Santore also serves as the United States Ambassador for the Global Pay It Forward Day Initiative and as an ambassador for lululemon.