Stephen Belenky is a three-time founder, author, and behaviorist who helps leaders lead without losing themselves. He’s coached execs at companies like Peloton, Monday.com, BMW, and Fandom, and sold his first company, BetterCo, in 2021 after helping 200+ social ventures rethink how change actually happens.

A combat veteran of the Israeli Defense Forces, Stephen also holds dual master’s degrees in Organizational Leadership and Conflict Resolution from King’s College London and Tel Aviv University.

Now based in Southeast Asia, he co-leads Hiddn, known for its grounded approach to founder performance, team dynamics, and behavioral intelligence. Over time, Stephen’s built a reputation for working with leaders burned by toxic coaching cultures and for mentoring other coaches to avoid becoming that kind of coach.

His upcoming book, Fire Me, calls out this industrial complex for what it is: confidence theater dressed up as personal growth. Stephen can be seen actively disrupting the noise one podcast, panel, and session at a time because in his words, “I’m just a guy who got tired of watching smart people get manipulated.”

But it’s not all about tearing things down. Stephen is also scaling his human-centered investment work through The Mai Group, a growing portfolio of early-stage, culture-rich ventures across Southeast Asia. From bags and boats to coffee and connection, it’s about building responsibly, putting people before profit, and culture before capital.

As for his real credentials? A life lived deeply: from chartering a fishing boat in Antarctica to sleeping in a cave with a Bedouin family in Jordan, to simply being the one who shows up when it matters most. You’ll usually find him chasing good espresso, writing field guides for the emotionally overextended, and building a life he loves with his partner, Rachel.

Fire Me™

A Rebellious Field Guide to Ditching Toxic Coaches, Cultish Thinking, and the Confidence Trap

Pre-selling now.

“This is the preventative field guide we’ve needed. Feels like someone finally said the quiet part of out loud.” - Melanie Perkins, Co-Founder and CEO of Canva

Direct and grounded storytelling that mixes vulnerability with strategy

• How to Educate Your Leaders with Stephen Belenky

“I always want more time with Stephen. He has a way of provoking thought that makes you surprise even yourself.”

- Mike Murphy, Incredible Learning Experiences, ProctorFree

• Triaging Your 5 Year Old Self with Stephen Belenky | YouTube |

Business Velocity - The Five Facets of Business™ Podcast, Dave Newell and Hannah Pniewski

• Reframing the Conversation with Dave Newell and Stephen Belenky

Business Management, Align Collective

Recent Appearances:

• Framing the Issue: Emotional Intelligence in Today's Leadership Landscape | Discover Brightside Fireside Chat
• Implementing Your Company Values | NC Craft Brewers Conference

Future Speaking Topics:

1. The Rise (and Risk) of Coaching as Identity, Not Profession
   
2. How Vulnerability Became a Tactic Instead of a Truth
   
3. A Framework for Responsible Coaching in High-Stakes Moments

Featured in Top 100 Rising in Business:

#94 Writer

Readers consistently describe the writing as “the first leadership content I’ve seen that feels like it actually gets me.”

• Long-form writing and article voiceovers

Reader Praise:

• "Wow, you've identified the common thread running through politics in the world today..." - Rich
• "Stephen is great about giving life to observations that we’ve all had but never named..." -Dino
• "Thought-provoking piece, thank you! A classroom of teenagers can spot performative vulnerability but adults struggle more..." - Kim
• "I agree "speed without strategy is just chaos" is the best line I've heard in a long time..." -Dino
• "As a gay man who has led in various industries, I’ve often felt pressured to suppress certain parts of myself, you helped me feel seen..." -Rich

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