Abbey's Place Executive Coaching
Our mission is to empower decision makers to
create an equitable workplace for women.
Learn About Abbey's Place
The Story Behind the Name
Our Journey Through Challenge & Change
A Mission Rooted in Lived Experience
Abbey’s Place is named in honor of Liz’s sister, Abbey, who died by suicide in November 2010 in Brooklyn, New York. Abbey had worked for Bloomberg’s Environmental Remediation team in NYC and lost her job shortly before her passing. Liz recognized that Abbey—like so many others—was slipping through the cracks of a system unequipped to supp
Abbey’s Place is named in honor of Liz’s sister, Abbey, who died by suicide in November 2010 in Brooklyn, New York. Abbey had worked for Bloomberg’s Environmental Remediation team in NYC and lost her job shortly before her passing. Liz recognized that Abbey—like so many others—was slipping through the cracks of a system unequipped to support survivors, mental health, and economic instability.
This loss, combined with the death of Liz’s best friend in Fall 2024, reinforced a devastating pattern: lives lost to broken systems. Abbey’s Place was reestablished not just as a tribute, but as a solution, grounded in the urgency of these experiences.
A Mission Rooted in Lived Experience
Our Journey Through Challenge & Change
A Mission Rooted in Lived Experience
Abbey’s Place was founded in April 2019 by Elizabeth (Liz) Duncan and Beth Charles, two colleagues turned co-founders, who met while working in emergency response and student crisis care at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Their work placed them on the front lines of real-life student trauma: responding to incidents of dome
Abbey’s Place was founded in April 2019 by Elizabeth (Liz) Duncan and Beth Charles, two colleagues turned co-founders, who met while working in emergency response and student crisis care at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Their work placed them on the front lines of real-life student trauma: responding to incidents of domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health crises, and even terrorist threats on campus. But beyond their shared professional dedication, Liz and Beth were also bound by a deeper truth—they are both survivors of childhood sexual abuse, with personal insight into the long-term impacts of unresolved trauma and the lack of effective, compassionate support systems in the U.S.
Our Journey Through Challenge & Change
Our Journey Through Challenge & Change
Our Journey Through Challenge & Change
Abbey’s Place first launched in 2019, but was briefly dissolved during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, Liz was called to serve in high-impact leadership roles with the Minnesota Department of Health, reporting to the Governor’s Office, and later with the CDC’s Global Health Center and Injury Prevention and Control Center
Abbey’s Place first launched in 2019, but was briefly dissolved during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, Liz was called to serve in high-impact leadership roles with the Minnesota Department of Health, reporting to the Governor’s Office, and later with the CDC’s Global Health Center and Injury Prevention and Control Center.
Despite these leadership opportunities, Liz continued to encounter systemic hostility—particularly toward survivor advocacy and equity work—forcing her to confront the very culture Abbey’s Place was built to change.
In 2025, Liz and Beth relaunched Abbey’s Place with renewed clarity and commitment.
Abbey's Place - Professional Services for Your Business
What We Do
Today, Abbey’s Place helps executive leaders and organizations build:
- Trauma-informed work environments
- Equity-based leadership practices
- Compassionate care models rooted in lived experience
We work with decision-makers who are ready to transform their cultures—not just for compliance, but for the well-being of the people they serve.
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Why We Exist
“We’ve lost too many people we love to systemic failure. Abbey’s Place exists because silence is no longer an option. We lead from a place of urgency, care, and lived truth.”
— Liz Duncan, MPH Founder & CEO
Abbey’s Place isn’t just a consultancy—it’s a movement toward compassion and justice in the workplace. Our why is personal. Our vision is systemic. And our work is about reclaiming what’s been lost through courageous, actionable change.