Katja van Koten is the founder and director of Sparkling Speech Ltd – a personal development company focusing on communication and confidence coaching specifically (but not exclusively) for introverts. Katja also designs (bespoke) training and workshops, including instructor-led, e-learning and app-based training, as Experience Designer (XD).

Katja holds a Masters in History from the University of Leiden, a field of study that inspired her interest in people’s stories and connections and how we share these. Starting her career at the largest bookstore in Rotterdam, she brought that interest to a career in Learning & Development with various organisations in the Netherlands and the UK.

Her interest in storytelling and Public Speaking also led Katja to join Toastmasters International, an organization in which she has held various leadership roles for many years.

As qualified coach, Katja encourages her clients to acknowledge and value their strengths. Through her own and her client’s experiences she has learnt the value of ‘little things matter’. This is at the heart of her coaching approach. It’s the gentle steps we take on our life’s journey that have the most profound impact. By becoming aware of this we can see our way forward with optimism and confidence.

Early 2018 Katja joined Own the Room, the international leader in Learning and Development, as Coach and Experience Designer. Apart from travelling the world as a world class coach, as a (lead) designer Katja has developed numerous training for Own The Room, both in person, and virtual. Titles include, but are not limited to: Communication Essentials for Women**, Communicate with Slides, C-Suite Conversations and Managing Up. Check her here !

In her free time, you can find Katja boxing in Holland Park, enjoying a breakfast with poached eggs at her favorite local cafe, or listening to one of the many LPs in her cherished record collection. Katja is a proud resident of London and considers her move there to be one of the best decisions she has ever made.

“I love sparkles; I believe everyone has a sparkle or two, in their own unique way” 

* Toastmasters is a global voluntary communication and leadership development organisation. Katja also uploaded some of her Toastmaster speeches, check them out here .

** To see Katja in action for Own The Room, please check out this video Communication Essentials for Women