Tarah Fleming
Founder, Start Dialog
Tarah Fleming, M.Ed., PCC, is a California-born educator, professional coach, and facilitator who helps people grow in communication, confidence, and community.
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With more than 30 years of experience in education and change management, Tarah brings together diverse techniques and modalities to help others listen deeply, speak truthfully, and lead with love.
What Is Start Dialog
A Practice of Connection and Change
Start Dialog is a space for authentic growth through conversation. Whether you’re an educator, leader, or lifelong learner, this work invites you to pause, reflect, and rediscover your voice. Together, we create a bridge between awareness and action—one conversation at a time.
How You Can Work With Tarah
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At the heart of Start Dialog is a simple belief: change begins with conversation.
Philosophy
Through authentic dialogue, we can learn to listen deeply, speak truthfully, and create spaces where understanding replaces fear and connection replaces judgment.
Tarah’s approach blends compassion with accountability, and wisdom with playfulness. She believes that transformation happens when we engage with ourselves and each other—curiously, courageously, and with love.
Techniques & Modalities
Grounded in a deep respect for diverse ways of knowing and healing,
Tarah's work draws from:​
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Leadership That Works:
Personal coaching theory
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Internal Family Systems:
Therapeutic model
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Liberatory Design:
Equity-centered design system
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12 Steps:
Addiction & recovery community principles
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Theater of the Oppressed:
Performance as transformation
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Somatic Practice:
Body-centered awareness and healing
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Science of Mind:
Non-denominational spiritual guidance
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Nonviolent Communication:
Empathetic dialogue practice
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Anti-Bias Education:
Equity in early childhood teaching
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Equity Literacy:
Recognizing and transforming inequities
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Allied Behavior:
Awareness and action around identity & privilege
Our Promise
Transformative communication and compassionate change.
We promise to create spaces where people feel seen, heard, and inspired to grow — where dialogue becomes a tool for healing, understanding, and sustainable change.
Through love-infused coaching, facilitation, and education, we guide each client toward greater clarity, confidence, and connection — within themselves and with others.
Client Stories
I have had the pleasure of training early childhood educators alongside Tarah for over ten years. She combines passion, deep knowledge, and skilled facilitation to create learning experiences that are active, engaging, and ultimately transformative. Tarah empowers educators with the skills and courage to advocate for equity and justice for all children and families.
Nadiyah Taylor
Professor of Early Childhood Education
Equity Educator, Ripple Effect Consulting
Tarah catalyzed the courage in me to be an equity warrior.
David Clifford
Co-Lead Catalyst + Founder, design school
For years, I’ve trusted Tarah to lead my students through deep work around cultural humility and social justice. She creates powerful spaces for reflection that help people see both their biases and strengths. Her teaching invites us to live with a ‘beginner’s mind’ and step into transformation with courage and compassion.
Michaela Daystar
Director of Institute for Civic Leadership, Mills College
Tarah pours her whole heart into her work. She listens with compassion, offers practical solutions, and makes complex concepts feel approachable. She created a truly ‘brave space’ for our staff—meeting everyone exactly where they were. The workshop was engaging, at times even funny, and when serious moments arose, Tarah navigated them with honesty and grace.
Chris Lauf
Operations Director, Sienna Ranch
Our school has worked with Tarah for five years, and she has consistently been outstanding. She meets each group exactly where they are in their diversity and inclusion journey, listens deeply to the needs of the community, and adapts with care and insight. I couldn’t ask for a better partner in this work.
Maurice Willis
Associate Director of Admissions
Crystal Springs Uplands School