Episode description

Rachel Cossar is the CEO and Co-founder of Virtual Sapiens, a machine learning SaaS platform that helps client-facing professionals develop and amplify their communication skills and presence in a virtual world.

As a former professional ballet dancer and gymnast with unparalleled expertise in nonverbal communication and live performance, Rachel has a knack for translating unique skills into relatable business skills and competencies. In response to a need for holistic communication and presence training in the workplace, Rachel founded Choreography For Business, LLC. Her thought leadership has been featured on the TEDx Northeastern stage, Harvard Business Review, and The Boston Globe, to name a few, and she has worked with leaders, including GE, Pfizer, and Accenture.

One of the key characteristics of a strong leader is the ability to adapt and overcome. This process looks different for everyone, but in the case of Rachel Cossar, it turned into an entirely new career path.

Rachel was a professional ballet dancer for the Boston Ballet until an injury kept her from performing. Once realizing there was a world of possibility outside of ballet waiting for her, she discovered that she had a talent for communication, understanding her audience, and engaging in conversation. Especially with the onset of the pandemic, Rachel found there was a real need for people to be able to communicate effectively. The virtual world requires a combination of verbal and nonverbal skills, so using her skills in communication and leadership, she found a new field and went on to start a thriving company. Her experience has led to incredible insights — now, she shares those with others.

In this episode of Next Wave Leadership, Dov Pollack invites Rachel Cossar, the CEO and Co-founder of Virtual Sapiens, to talk about her journey and how she successfully started her business. They talk about her background in gymnastics and ballet, how she developed her talent for communication, and how she found a new business niche. Additionally, they touch on the work Virtual Sapiens is doing and how they operate as a sidekick for other companies.