Douglas Noll

About Douglas Noll

One inmate faced down 30 gang members and de-escalated the yard in 90 seconds. Using a single sentence.I taught him that skill. For 10 years, I trained incarcerated men and women in maximum-security prisons to prevent gang riots.Now I teach the same neuroscience to executives.THE PARADOX:72% of CEOs say empathy makes them appear weak.Research shows it\'s the single strongest driver of leadership success.I bridge that gap.KEYNOTE SPEAKING→ \"The Silence Problem\" — why your best people stopped pushing back→ \"From Prison Yard to Boardroom\" — de-escalation for high-stakes leaders→ \"The Empathy Paradox\" — why 72% of executives reject the #1 driver of performance45-90 minutes | In-person or virtualSales kickoffs, leadership conferences, executive retreatsAudiences leave with a skill they can use in their next conversation.WORKSHOPS & TRAININGHalf-day and full-day programs for managers and leadership teams.Results clients have reported:→ Sales teams: 30-50% reduction in attrition→ Leadership teams: 18-23% performance improvement→ Operations: 60-70% fewer escalated conflictsWHY THIS WORKS:When someone accurately names what you\'re feeling, your amygdala calms and your prefrontal cortex comes back online. In 60-90 seconds, a hijacked brain can think again.This isn\'t active listening. It\'s nervous system regulation — and it\'s trainable.BACKGROUND:→ 25+ years mediating multi-million-dollar disputes (litigated and non-litigated)→ Former trial lawyer (AV-rated, top 1%)→ Co-Founder, Prison of Peace→ Author: De-Escalate (available now)| Empathy Leadership (Simon & Schuster, Sept 2026)→ Host: Listening with Leaders podcastLET\'S TALK:Speaking & workshops: d•••@dougnoll.comWeekly insights: The Empathy Paradox (Substack)Conversations with leaders: Listening with Leaders (Podcast)dougnoll.com

Experience

1. Co-founder

   Prison Of Peace

   Aug 2009 — Present · Los Angeles, CA, US

   Prison of Peace is an award-winning non-profit organization that trains life and long-term incarcerated people in maximum security prisons to be powerful peacemakers and mediators. Our goal is to transform the mindset of individuals from serving a life sentence to a life of service. I founded the project in 2009 with my colleague Laural Kaufer, working with inmates at Valley State Prison for Women in Chowchilla, California. As of 2021, 3500+ have graduated from Prison of Peace programs with 700 released from custody. It is currently offered in 14 jail facilities in California and one in Connecticut. Internationally, our colleagues are operating Prison of Peace in Italy and Greece.Before participating in the program, 60% of prisoners reported having low communication skills, and 73% reported an inability to manage strong emotions. After participating in the program, 95% reported having high communication skills, 84% reported a significantly enhanced ability to manage strong emotions and 99% reported that the workshop introduced them to new skills for use in solving problems or conflicts in their lives and/or communication.

Education

• Fresno Pacific University

  Master's degree, Peacemaking and Conflict Studies

• University of the Pacific - McGeorge School of Law

  Doctor of Law - JD

• Dartmouth College

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, English Language and Literature, General

• University of the Pacific - McGeorge School of Law

  JD, Law

Skills

• Teaching
• Arbitrator
• Public Speaking
• Legal Assistance
• Employment Law
• Peacemaker
• Strategic Planning
• Policy
• Mediation
• Conflict Management
• Courts
• Human Rights
• International Arbitration
• Leadership Development
• Dispute Resolution
• Peacemaking
• Corporate Law
• Legal Research
• Executive Coaching
• Non-Profits
• Public Policy
• Commercial Litigation
• Conflict Resolution
• Conflict
• Conflict Transformation
• Family Law
• Training
• Intellectual Property
• Leadership
• Nonprofits
• Civil Litigation
• Workshop Facilitation
• Dispute
• Conflict Analysis
• Arbitration
• Legal Writing
• Litigation
• International Law
• Mediator
• Appeals