Maria Dastur knows what it means to start over, because she's lived it. After a 12-year career break spent raising three children and navigating rare and chronic illness, she rebuilt her career from scratch, rose into nonprofit leadership, and ultimately founded the Second Half Community, a bold space for women to reclaim their power, monetize their brilliance, and design lives on their terms.

Today, Maria is a Certified Positive Intelligence Coach® who helps women stop settling and start shaping careers that reflect who they are now. Her work blends mental fitness, practical strategy, and deep belief in her clients' potential, often before they see it themselves. Maria's clients don't settle. They rewrite the rules, prioritize themselves, and design thriving portfolio careers rooted in freedom, purpose, and financial autonomy.

Whether you're returning to work, pivoting in midlife, building your business, or simply dreaming of something more, Maria's message is clear: your path may be nontraditional, but your potential is limitless. Her proven 5-step process helps women awaken their dreams, craft a clear vision, and build unshakeable confidence to move forward boldly.

With over 20 years of leadership and team-building experience, Maria is an award-winning collaborator and fierce advocate for women's career autonomy and personal transformation.

Offstage, you'll find her volunteering in her community or exploring the mountains of Colorado on her bike or skis with her husband and kids.