meet esther
Esther Charlestin is the founder and Chief Conversational Guide of Conversation Compass LLC, a consulting firm that helps organizations navigate complex communication challenges and build cultures of trust and connection. With expertise in strategic planning, facilitation, and human-centered leadership, Esther supports schools, nonprofits, and mission-driven teams through tailored consulting and transformative dialogue.
A sought-after keynote speaker, Esther delivers talks that spark reflection, challenge assumptions, and inspire action, drawing from her lived experience as an educator, public servant, and working mom. Whether guiding conversations or speaking from the stage, her work is rooted in empathy, equity, and the power of communication to drive lasting change.
what we offer
keynote speaking
Esther Charlestin delivers powerful keynote talks that challenge assumptions, inspire reflection, and ignite meaningful action. With a dynamic blend of storytelling, strategy, and heart, each talk is crafted to resonate with diverse audiences and spark courageous conversations long after the event ends.
Explore how Esther can support your next event.
Facilitation Services
Conversation Compass offers expert facilitation that helps teams navigate complex conversations, align around shared goals, and move toward meaningful action. With a focus on creating safe, structured spaces for honest dialogue, we guide groups through moments of challenge and growth.
Connect with us to discover how facilitation can support your team’s next step.
hear what others are saying
“Conversation Compass helped us to understand our own organization and the needs of the people we serve. Esther’s thoughtful, compassionate, and actionable guidance helped our strategic plan to align with our organizational value, and encouraged our staff team to dig deeply into their own ways of working and being in the world.”
Susan McClure
Executive Director at Vermont Art Council
“The work with Esther and Conversation Compass has been outstanding. Through Esther’s facilitation of our Equity Assessment Committee last year, we brought together students, community members, teachers, and administrators to take a deep, honest look at equity across our district. Her skill in guiding the committee and leading focus groups with students, staff, and families gave us a richer understanding of the complex challenges schools face. We are excited to begin a second year of partnership with Conversation Compass, guided by a responsive professional learning plan centered on belonging—a plan we believe will make a real difference in advancing equitable outcomes. Working with Esther has been a true pleasure, and I look forward to building on this important work in the year ahead.”
Gabe Hamilton
Director of Learning
Addison Northwest School District