LaToya Burrell: Building Strong Girls, Strong Women

“Something amazing happens when girls are invited in, not left out; when girls are educated; when girls are uplifted.”

So reads the homepage of Anderson Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women and girls. 

Anderson Foundation adopts the adage, “We rise by lifting others.” That’s why the Foundation takes great pride in partnering with like-minded grassroots organizations who are on the ground, navigating the social and economic obstacles girls face every day. 

No one is in the trenches more than TeamWomen. 

And no one has bridged the connection between these two organizations more than LaToya Burrell. She knows that when you lift up girls, you lift the entire world. 

Building Bridges

In the last four years, LaToya Burrell has navigated a unique dual role as the General Counsel at Zinpro Corporation— a leading innovator and manufacturer of high-performance organic trace minerals and animal nutrition solutions— and the Executive Director of Anderson Foundation— a 501(c)3 fully funded by Zinpro that’s dedicated to empowering girls and women.

In addition to her tenure at Zinpro Corporation, LaToya was Zinpro’s inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion leader, launching an Advisory Council, goals, and a framework and she continues to serve as the executive sponsor for this work.  She also served as a founding member of Women of Zinpro, the company’s first Employee Resource Group. 

When LaToya first attended a TeamWomen event, she recognized the perfect fit immediately. 

LaToya joined TeamWomen, and after attending the Organization’s Annual Leadership Conference in May 2023, she knew she’d found a community and a mission that resonated deeply with the values of the Anderson Foundation and her own. 

Building Communities 

LaToya was instrumental in a partnership with TeamWomen that included an Empower Leadership Academy event hosted by the Anderson Foundation in June 2024. 

She was originally drawn to Empower Leadership Academy because it was a clear example of how TeamWomen’s and the Anderson Foundation’s missions are naturally aligned. 

“The Empower Leadership Academy is one of the three TeamWomen pillars specifically for girls. When it comes to lifting women, what better way than to start with a girl at a young age.”

This three-hour academy was free and open to girls ages 10-18 within the Anderson Foundation and the greater Twin Cities community. LaToya invited Zinpro employees by encouraging the team to ‘Bring Your Daughter to Work.’ TeamWomen invited members of their community to bring their daughters, nieces, or granddaughters to attend as well. 

“You know, I travel to different places in different parts of the world. It’s one thing to hear the quote ‘rise by lifting others.’ I’ve seen that first hand,” LaToya told TeamWomen. 

The Empower Leadership Academy event last summer was an additional reminder that lifting women and girls higher can happen incredibly close to home. 

Building Girls

The half-day event took the girls on a journey through four key areas: confidence, leadership, resilience, and mental wellness. All values Zinpro, and Anderson Foundation have championed over the years. 

These skills blossom when girls are given a chance to learn, ask questions, and then practice– an environment TeamWomen cultivates to near perfection. 

While Anderson Foundation provided the venue, among other things, TeamWomen brought its elite team of women coaches to facilitate the activities. 

They taught the girls the power of mindfulness and the accessibility to and value of regularly moving their bodies. There was teamwork and collaboration. There was growth. 

“It was really moving to see these girls come alive as the day went on,” LaToya said. “They showed up reserved, not really knowing anyone else. Through the activities, the girls were able to use their voices. They were a different group of girls at the end.”

The girls were uplifted. 

The girls were educated. 

The girls were invited in, not left out. 

And something amazing happened. 

Learn more about how to get involved with TeamWomen and the Empower Leadership Academy here. Learn more about the work Anderson Foundation does here.