Cory Gerlach, PhD
Teaching, writing & mentorship
These days I teach science & math, I write about what comes after the sailing, and I have ongoing conversations with people figuring out their next chapter.
Wherever you're starting from, that's great. It's where I started too.
The riskier thing was staying.
Who I am
There is always more to explore in this amazing world.
At 22, I'd never taken a science class. Then an instructor at Portland Community College asked whether I'd thought about being a biology major. That 1 question turned into everything after it: a Harvard PhD, a teaching fellowship where I found out I loved explaining hard things to people, then years as a senior federal scientist doing oversight on federal agencies and advising lawmakers.
For a long time, it worked. Then I realized I'd stopped exploring. And I knew the dreams that had emerged along the way would only keep sitting there.
I kept finding reasons to delay my own change. The comfort. The prestige. The practicality. It would've been so easy for decades to slip by, not exploring what else was possible.
Then a huge moment made me question everything: my husband suddenly lost his "secure job." I wondered, do we have to keep doing this? I thought, what would 22yo Cory think? After giving myself permission to dig deeper, I realized I needed more adventure, more freedom, more courage to explore the unknown.
What I needed was a radical path.
Two years later, I sailed 4,500 miles on a small sailboat from the U.S., through the Caribbean, and landing in Guatemala with my husband and our 18yo cat. We learned how to sail basically from scratch. We figured out how to do it without blowing up our finances. We got super honest about our needs. We didn't even have a working fridge.
What I found on the other side wasn't just a new career. It was the thing I'd wanted the whole time: the freedom to explore my deep curiosities, callings, and passions.
These days I teach, I write, and I talk with people figuring out their own next chapter. If any of that sounds like something you want to talk about, my calendar is open.
"He doesn't just talk about change; he lives it with intellect, courage, and humility."
— Laci Loew · Global HR Analyst & Consultant · Harvard Business Review Advisory Council · Fellow, Global Curiosity Institute
Teaching & tutoring
Then we build from there, with real examples, until the thing clicks.
I tutor biology, chemistry, and math through pre-calculus, and I mentor students on research projects, academic writing, and study skills.
At 22, I'd never taken a science class. Since then, I've been a beginner and I've become an expert. I've published original research, won multiple awards for my research, and earned a doctorate from Harvard.
I know that confidence & skill grow together. I've never seen one show up without the other.
Mentorship
You're successful by most external measures. But the idea of your work & life sounds way better than the day-to-day reality.
You have more freedom than you're actually using. But something is blocking you from doing what you need to do.
You've thought about making a change: new job, new city, more school. But you suspect these could lead to the same malaise.
You say it doesn't matter what others think. But you're nervous sharing your real vision with your partner, family, friends, or colleagues.
You're waiting for the "right time" — after this project, after the promotion, after the kids are older, after retirement. But you know the list never really ends.
You have a glimpse of what you actually want. But it feels impossible, impractical, or too selfish to take seriously.
The work
How this works
Here is where we start:
01
Values excavation
What's really true about you. We dig to find the roots of who you are, and the aspects of your identity that clarify what direction to start exploring next.
02
A vision built in your reality
We pressure-test your ideas against real constraints: finances, relationships, commitments, where you're at today vs. where you want to be.
03
Experiments, not leaps
Small, deliberate moves that build confidence. You'll know what you're moving toward before you make any big change.
04
Frameworks that last
Principles for saying yes & no that hold up when the opportunities come, the obligations knock, and the old life tries to pull you back.
Not everyone needs to quit their jobs and go sailing like I did. But everyone needs a path that has a heart.
"What an experience. I'm so grateful to Cory — and to myself for deciding to do this."
— Damaris T. · Radical Paths, 2026
Whether it's a student who needs a hand with chemistry, or you're at a crossroads of your own, or you just want to talk. No prep needed. Just bring yourself.
Book your free call →