Empower Leadership Academy | Hosted by Medtronic + TeamWomen

This academy is open to youth identifying as female in the Medtronic and greater Twin Cities community for ages 10-18.

Developing leadership, building confidence, and strengthening resilience require education and practice. Empower Leadership Academy provides a safe and interactive environment to learn, grow, and develop.

All youth in the Medtronic and greater Twin Cities community are encouraged to join us for a journey through our four areas of focus that we use in our proprietary curriculum: confidence, leadership, resilience, and mental wellness.

Meet Our Empower Coaches

Kiara Buford | Behavior Specialist at Roseville Area High School

Kiara Buford has been a Behavior Interventionist for nine years, helping students seek success in their high school experience by building relationships, setting goals, and developing a positive community. She also currently works with EmpowerLeadership Academy and ON Point Elite as a Leadership Coach.

Peyton N. Owens III | Senior Associate Athletics Director at University of Minnesota

Peyton Owens is in his 13th year with Golden Gopher Athletics. He currently oversees Student-Athlete Development (all education provided to student-athletes, including career readiness, personal development, community outreach, and risk reduction), Diversity & Inclusion, the M Club, and our Women’s Golf program. Owens has been instrumental in the vision and implementation of Leadership U, which he has had oversight of since its launch. This collaboration with Land O’Lakes Inc. provides leadership development and emotional intelligence education and support to student-athletes, assistant coaches, head coaches, and athletics staff. To support this initiative and others like it, he is responsible for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors for endowment and annual support of Leadership U, the W.I.L.L. program (Women Invested in Leadership and Learning), and more. Owens is also an ambassador for athletics on campus, bringing the voice of Golden Gopher Athletics to several critical groups. He is a member of the President’s Initiative on Preventing Sexual Misconduct, the Faculty Oversight Committee on Athletics (FAOIAC), and the campus’ Equity & Diversity Subcommittee. His commitment to collaboration and strategic partnerships, both at the University and in our broader Twin Cities help champion all that is Maroon and Gold.

Sammi Oetjens | Principal Consultant at Slalom

Sammi is a Principal Consultant at Slalom where she helps business teams overcome complex data and technology hurdles with strategic solutions. She has a background in marketing, analytics, operations and strategy. After work, you can find her on the soccer sidelines as the head coach of Holy Family’s Varsity Girls Soccer team. She loves to work with teenage girls to help them reach their full potential. Sammi is an Eden Prairie native who now lives in Saint Louis Park with her husband and golden retriever.