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Passion Coaching was founded by teen life coaches, educators, and mentors, Paul Thiebaut III and Mariamne Borden. We have started 4 passion-based organizations over 17 years that have cultivated intrinsically motivated learning in more than 3,000 young people ages preschool through college.

Organizations Founded

2007-2012 -- Intrinsic Motivation Tutoring, Palo Alto, CA (Passion-based tutoring)

2009 -2017 -- 10 Books A Home, East Palo Alto, CA (Passion-based early education)

2017-2023 -- Thiebaut Method, East Palo Alto, CA (Passion-based community service)

2021-Present -- Passion Coaching, Los Altos, CA (Passion-based teen life coaching)

Above and beyond all else, we enthusiastically and empathetically support young people in exploring their passions, feeling special through their passions, and making connections to their classrooms, schools, cultures, and communities using their passions.

We call what we do Passion Cultivation and are experts at Passion Cultivation for any purpose!

Paul Thiebaut III

Paul Thiebaut III is an SF Bay Area native. He is a life coach, educator, trainer, and curriculum designer. Paul's career in education and youth development started in 1997 when he worked as a lifeguard and camp counselor at the East Palo Alto YMCA and then as a tutor in 1998 at the East Palo Alto nonprofit, College Track. Since then, he has built extensive experience educating, tutoring, mentoring, and coaching Bay Area youth how to cultivate their intrinsic learning motivations.

Over the past 20 years, Paul has founded a private tutoring practice, 2 education nonprofits, and a life coaching organization. He first started a private tutoring practice in Palo Alto, then two education nonprofits in East Palo Alto, and finally Passion Coaching, which covers the SF Bay Area. He has raised $10M+ in nonprofit grants and donations as well as social impact funding. Paul has hired, trained, and managed more than 40 employees, trained more than 2,000 volunteers and parents, and developed countless nonprofit programs, curriculum, classes, workshops, and teacher trainings.

Paul has been featured in many news stories, been on Stanford radio, won a local hero award, and been recognized by former United States Representative, Jackie Speier.

In his free time, Paul loves drinking water, writing, reading, exercising, playing basketball, watching sports, and exploring.

Explore more on Paul's on LinkedIn, Medium, and Youtube.

Read Paul's article:

Einstein Wasn't a Genius

Paul Thiebaut III's Career Timeline

Organizations Founded

2007-2012 -- Intrinsic Motivation Tutoring, Palo Alto, CA (Passion-based tutoring)

2009 -2017 -- 10 Books A Home, East Palo Alto, CA (Passion-based early education)

2017-2023 -- Thiebaut Method, East Palo Alto, CA (Passion-based community service)

2021-Present -- Passion Coaching, Los Altos, CA (Passion-based teen life coaching)

2007-2012 -- Intrinsic Motivation Tutoring, Palo Alto, CA

At the age of 27, while Paul was at SJSU studying economics, sociology, and business, he launched his first passion-based tutoring practice in the Palo Alto-Los Altos area. Paul added unique value by tutoring students how to learn through their interests and passions, which Paul named, Intrinsic Learning Motivation (ILM). Paul's method of teaching was so effective that he expanded into working with students with learning differences. In this too, learning about their ILMs improved their IEP scores, social skills, relationships with parents, and most importantly, their belief in themselves and what they could achieve.

2009 -2017 -- 10 Books A Home, East Palo Alto, CA

Paul next founded the East Palo Alto nonprofit, 10 Books A Home (10BH), in his East Palo Alto apartment and ran it voluntarily for 3 years until becoming the first employee in 2012. Up to that point 10BH donated 25,000+ books throughout East Palo Alto. From 2013-2017, 10BH home tutored 700 preschoolers in their passions by recruiting, training, and managing nearly 2,000 volunteers.

2017-2023 -- Thiebaut Method, East Palo Alto, CA

Paul next started the nonprofit Thiebaut Method (TM), which focused on East Palo Alto elementary and middle school students. From 2017-2023, TM offered a free after school program and community service leadership program. The after school program guided youth in self-learning to get better at their passions and the leadership program guided youth in helping people, animals, and the environment through their passions.

2021-Present -- Passion Coaching, Los Altos, CA

Mariamne Borden

Mariamne Borden is a SF Bay Area native and is a Teen Passion Coach, Youth Development Professional, Entrepreneur, and Owner of Passion Coaching. Mariamne brings over a decade of expertise in youth development to her role, guiding teens to explore and pursue their passions with confidence.

Mariamne's career began with a commitment to empowering youth and educating families through her role as a Family Advocate at the Head Start program in East Palo Alto. She later served as Executive Director of 10 Books A Home and Thiebaut Method, both founded by Paul Thiebaut III. Over her 9 years leading these organizations, Mariamne worked side-by-side with Paul to cultivate the passions of more than 1,000 students. In 2021, she co-founded Passion Coaching to fulfill her own passion for helping teens build confidence through their passions and unlock their potential.

In her free time, Mariamne enjoys dancing, binge watching tv shows, and spending time with her friends.

Connect with Mariamne on LinkedIn.

Please reach out to Paul and Mariamne to discuss which of our serivces is the right fit for you!

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