Empower Leadership Academy | Hosted by St. Paul Police Department

This is a drop-off event for attendees, and parents/caregivers may return for pickup. To ensure the safety and well-being of all attendees, we will collect emergency contact information during registration. Please ensure that your contact details are accurate and that you remain reachable throughout the duration of the event.

This academy is open to all girls ages 10-18 in the St. Paul and greater Twin Cities community (you do not need to be a member of TeamWomen to attend).

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

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

Peyton Owens is in his 18th year with Golden Gopher Athletics. He currently oversees Golden Gopher Baseball & Rowing, Student-Athlete Development (all education provided to student-athletes, including career readiness, personal development, community outreach, and risk reduction), and Diversity & Inclusion. 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 campus Equity & Diversity Subcommittee and is a Member of the University Senate Intercollegiate Athletics Equity and Diversity Subcommittee, Serves as the NCAA Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee (ADID), Serves as a member of the Big Ten Conference Inclusive Excellence Committee. 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.

Tina Kruse, PhD, works to empower students and families toward meaningful outcomes in school–-confidence, clarity, and wellbeing–-throughout their educational journeys. With 20 years experience as a professor of Educational Psychology at Macalester College, a student advisor, and a private academic coach with Student Well Coaching & Consulting, Tina leverages the strengths of young people to achieve their academic and life goals. Tina is also a speaker and consultant on academic wellbeing, the author of Making Change: Youth Social Entrepreneurship (Oxford University Press, 2019), and co-author of United Nations’ 2020 World Youth Report. Across these roles, Tina brings expertise in her aim to elevate all students toward their academic potential, helping them do well while also being well.

Learn more at www.tinakruse.com.

Cathi Williams is a dynamic executive coach and keynote speaker with over 20 years of experience guiding high-performing leaders—including executives at Best Buy and Wells Fargo—to perform at their best. Certified by The Life Coach School and the Health Coach Institute (accredited by ICF, HCA, and FHT), she specializes in stress prevention, emotional intelligence, and leadership effectiveness. Her proven strategies help busy professionals reduce overwhelm, improve decision-making, and build a resilient leadership culture that drives both personal performance and organizational impact.Cathi’s own journey from struggle to breakthrough fuels her authentic, judgment-free approach. Having transformed her life by mastering stress and overcoming self-doubt, she now empowers top executives and managers to cultivate well-being amid a demanding work environment. Whether through engaging keynotes, interactive workshops, or one-on-one coaching, Cathi delivers actionable insights that not only enhance clarity and focus but also directly contribute to better business outcomes.

Thank You To Our Sponsor:

Thank You To Our Supporter:

Questions? For any questions about the event or other, please fill out a TeamWomen Help Desk Ticket, and someone from our, small-but-mighty, support team will be in touch with you.

Late Policy: Please be advised that in the event of a full capacity, your seat may be subject to forfeiture if you arrive more than 15 minutes late. Sold-out events often have waitlists with eager attendees ready to be seated promptly.

By attending the event, you acknowledge and accept this policy regarding late arrivals and seating forfeiture. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in making our events enjoyable for everyone involved.

Marketing: By registering for this event, you are agreeing to be included in photography and videography taken for marketing purposes.