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Featured Speakers

Mental Health Advocate

Aadya Pandey is a 17-year old youth activist and and business manager. Her nonprofit, the Youth Equity Project, is a national 501c3 organization that has successfully passed and supported countless pieces of legislation focused on mental health policy and de-stigmatization, especially in schools around the country. After she and a friend noticed the countless barriers outside of just cost and transportation, but also social and familial, that existed when it came to access to mental healthcare (especially for marginalized communities), they began the initiative in hopes of giving voices to those who may be unheard in a world that is structured to isolate those who struggle.

Session: Trailblazers Rising: Talks from Youth

Founder, Minnesota Teen Activists & Global Teen Activist

Aaliyah Murray is a 19-year-old social justice activist and organizer. She is an advocate for youth civic engagement, Black Lives Matter, gun violence and police brutality prevention, and restorative care for youth. Aaliyah was only 14 years old when she started Global Teen Activists, an intersectional youth-led organization committed to eradicating systemic injustices in schools and communities through advocacy and action. She noticed racist incidents in schools where her peers would not get justice and decided enough was enough. She strove to create a space where youth didn’t have to ask for a seat at the table; it was already there for them.

Session: Trailblazers Rising

Adison Majsterski is a 17-year-old senior at Pine Island High School. She is the Project Leader of the Roots and Shoots environmental school club and was a grant recipient in 2023 from the Ann Bancroft Foundation to create an outdoor classroom in her hometown. Adison has inspired others in her school to join this club and it has doubled in size in the past year. Adison has introduced more community events to get families involved while giving back to the city and school. She is also a 2nd-year participant in Ecoliteracy, a mentorship course with University of Minnesota Rochester students. This course combines nature with education while promoting mindfulness and connectivity with our environment. She hopes to inspire others with this same message.

Session: Trailblazers Rising: Talks from Youth

Executive Director, Genesys Works

Allison has spent her career working at the intersection of business and social impact. Currently, she leads Genesys Works – Twin Cities, which empowers high school students through meaningful work experience. Before leading Genesys Works – Twin Cities, she was the Strategy & Learning Vice President at the Bush Foundation where she oversaw grantmaking in education, native nation building and social business. Previously, Allison was a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Company and directed the Itasca Project, an alliance of CEO’s and civic leaders addressing economic competitiveness in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. She also worked at a technology start-up in San Francisco and as a Plant Engineer at 3M. She earned her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, where she was an all-American gymnast.

Allison loves to bike and ski, with her husband and her three children. She has participated in nine WorldLoppet cross country ski events and has ridden her bike across several states. She also loves to read and is a devoted member to two book clubs.

Session: Career and Mentor Exploration

Polar Explorer & Founder, Ann Bancroft Foundation

Ann Bancroft is a celebrated polar explorer, educator, and philanthropist. As the first woman to cross both the North and South Poles, she has inspired countless individuals to pursue their dreams, no matter the obstacles. Ann is the founder of the Ann Bancroft Foundation, where she continues to empower young women to reach their full potential. 

Session: Panel of Firsts

Marriage and Family Therapist, Children’s Minnesota

Dr. Bohlinger is a licensed marriage and family therapist who has worked with children, adolescents, and families for over ten years. Her clinical work has focused largely on providing mental health services to families with multiple stressors, often including out-of-home placement, suicidality or self-injury, and trauma. She values the inherent dignity, worth, and resilience of individuals and families soliciting care.

As a doctoral researcher and teacher, her research focuses on adolescent self-injury, comorbidity, and family resilience. She has provided a number of trainings domestically and abroad on these topics. She has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels and regularly provides in-service trainings and workshops for community members. Dr. Bohlinger has also published articles in peer-reviewed journals and several book chapters on adolescent mental health and training mental health therapists. Her research and teaching philosophies are motivated by improving mental health services for young people and their families.

Session: Mental Health and Self-Esteem Building

Physical Therapist & Founder, Arlo Physical Therapy & Wellness

Dr. Ariana Lopez, PT, DPT, is a women’s health physical therapist and founder of Arlo Physical Therapy & Wellness. Specializing in pelvic floor, orthopedic, and perinatal care, she provides trauma-informed, holistic treatment for women of all stages of life. Ariana is passionate about improving sexual and reproductive health outcomes, particularly for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. She offers in-person care in Eagan and New Hope, and telehealth services across Minnesota. Learn more at www.arlophysicaltherapy.com or follow her on Instagram @arlopt

Session: Career Exploration and Mentor Roundtables

Ava and Clara Limberg are sisters from Hill City, Minnesota, who live on a small family farm where they raise goats, horses, chickens, cats, and dogs. Together, they run a growing small business centered around their Nigerian dwarf goats, which they milk and show.

Their entrepreneurial journey began with their love for animals and has expanded into making and selling a variety of goat milk products, including soaps, caramels, lotions, and cheese.

• Ava, a recipient of the Ann Bancroft Foundation’s 2023 fall grant cycle, has used her award to expand their business into goat breeding and local food production, pushing their dream further than they ever imagined.
• Clara, awarded a grant in the spring of 2024, used her funds to build kidding stalls for her goats, ensuring a safe space for mothers and babies. She also created new enclosures and purchased hay for the year, with hopes of growing their herd and continuing to expand the business.

The Limberg sisters are passionate about farming, sustainability, and building a family-run business that supports their local community.

Session: Trailblazers Rising

Executive Director, Ann Bancroft Foundation

Ethelind is passionate about many things and wears many hats with one purpose: to spark in others the same curiosity about advancing human equity, potential, and dignity that motivates her work and life. As the Executive Director of the Ann Bancroft Foundation since 2021, Ethelind champions its vision—a world in which all who identify as a girl have a chance to live their dream and reach their full potential. Ethelind also previously founded The Stargirl Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering teen and tween girls, for which she was named a Changemaker by MN Women’s Press. She has also received recognition by Twin Cities Business as one of the “100 Top People of 2024,” and by Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as one of “50 Black Leaders To Know.” Ethelind offers her experience to several organizations including The Jeremiah Program as a Board Member and serves on the Board of Regents at Augsburg University.

Session: Welcome Remarks

DR. GIGI CHAWLA

Chief of General Pediatrics, Children's Minnesota

Gigi Chawla, MD, MHA, pediatrician is currently the Chief of General Pediatrics at Children's Minnesota. In her professional role, she has oversight over primary care, rehabilitation services, and mental, developmental, and behavioral health, including development of an inpatient mental health pediatric unit, and partial hospitalization mental health programs. She is often called upon by the media for her pediatric expertise and is a regular contributor for the Minnesota Parent's column and WCCO's segment to "Ask the Pediatrician."

Session: Mental Health and Self-Esteem Building

Teacher, Avalon School

Gretchen Sage-Martinson is a long-time high school English teacher. In 2001 she helped found Avalon, a chartered public school in St. Paul, where students have agency over their education and undertake independent projects in conjunction with taking classes to meet the graduation requirements. Gretchen’s favorite class to teach is Storytelling- which she teaches at Avalon and at various locations around the Twin Cities. She has hosted Moth-style (NPR radio show and podcast) storyslams for groups of women through the YMCA of the North. She has also ventured onto the Moth stage herself- last year bringing home a Grandslam victory with a story about an accidental skinnydip during a tornado. Don’t try that at home. Gretchen is always looking for new ways to help women and girls find, own, and hone their stories.

Session: Story Coach, Trailblazers Rising

Student, Performer, Advocate

Hildie Edwards (she/her) is a trans actor/performer who advocates for affirmation and celebration of trans kids. After experiencing gender-based discrimination in kindergarten, Hildie has become a passionate advocate for the affirming spaces trans kids need to thrive. Hildie appears in the Welcoming Schools’ video, “What I need to Succeed at School”, that is shown to thousands of educators in whole-staff professional development every year. Hildie is also a featured actor in Warner Media and HRC’s “Let Us Play” campaign to fight for inclusion of trans kids in sports. Hildie frequently delivers powerful speeches at rallies, protests, and LGBTQ+ fundraisers across the Twin Cities on the needs of trans and gender expansive youth. Hildie has also spoken out out the state Capitol for trans rights even testifying to the senate about the trans refuge bill. She stood next to Governor Walz.

Hildie has always loved performing. She’s been in her school plays and played Becky the bully in the world premiere of Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress at The Children’s Theater. This winter Hildie got to be a model for the Planned Parenthood Ready or Hot fundraiser.

Hildie has also sung at the Twin Cities Pride since she was 5 years old at both the Power to the People Stage and the Rainbow Stage. Hildie was the “Future So Bright” Grand Marshal of the Pride Parade 2022 – making her the Twin City’s youngest parade Grand Marshal in history.

Session: Keynote Speaker and Panel of Firsts

Ileini Hirt is a mixed-Polynesian 16-year-old hockey player, violist, mental health advocate, and big sister from Duluth, MN. She has played hockey since the age of 6 and has also played softball and lacrosse. After an experience with mental health struggles, Ileini became a Youth Advocate for Mental Health through the U.S. Center for Mental Health and Sport. She has infused these skills with her experience of overcoming adversity as a mixed-Polynesian female athlete with the hopes of inspiring others.

Session: Trailblazers Rising: Talks from Youth

Vice President of Capstone Programs, Junior Achievement North

Jennifer has spent more than 16 years with JA North enhancing and expanding impactful programs, including JA BizTown and JA Finance Park. Before JA, Jennifer spent years as a classroom teacher and has a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of St. Thomas. Jennifer is committed to experiential learning and providing equitable opportunities for all students across our state to thrive.

Session: Money Matters: A Fun and Interactive Guide to Personal Finance

Journalist, Kare11

Jessica joined the KARE 11 news team in June as multiskilled journalist. She grew up in the Mahtomedi/White Bear Lake area and is happy to be telling stories in her hometown. Jessica loves community-based storytelling and believes journalism has the power to change communities for the better.

At KARE 11, she works general assignment, meaning she covers some of the biggest news stories of the day. When you work in news, every day is different. Most days, Jessica comes to work not knowing what she’ll cover, but she will have a complete story shot and edited by the time she clocks out. Something Jessica loves about her job is meeting new people, visiting different neighborhoods, and collaborating with her team to tell the best possible story.

She has covered a variety of topics ranging from crime to politics to sports. Sometimes she’ll shoot, write, and edit her own stories. Jessica enjoys telling human-interest features stories the most because she likes to highlight positive things happening in her home state and the people who make it great.

Jessica previously worked at TV stations in Cincinnati, OH and Jefferson City, MO as a multimedia journalist.

Sessions: Moderator, Panel of Firsts; Career and Mentor Exploration

Founder, Youth in Law

Jorja Wodziak founded Youth in Law (YL) to address the lack of opportunities for law preparation courses in her hometown of Rochester, MN. Growing up in Rochester, home of the Mayo Clinic, she noticed that all the official ways to gain hands-on experience were medical-based, and the only way to get a law mentorship was through personal connections. Jorja strongly believes mentorship opportunities should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their personal connections. In February of her junior year, she launched YL to connect students to mentors in the government center. The organization seeks to provide students with valuable mentorship experiences in the field of law, promoting equal opportunities for all.

Session: Trailblazers Rising

Capstone Outreach Manager, Junior Achievement North

Dr. Karen Ruth-Jarmon is currently a Capstone Outreach Manager for Junior Achievement North. She resigned from Farnsworth Aerospace Upper Middle School in June 2022 to begin her retirement, after nine years of teaching. For more than 25 years she held various management positions in veterinary vaccine production, cleanroom validation, and 13 years in various leadership positions within Medtronic, Inc. While at Medtronic, she was instrumental in achieving regulatory approval for several pacemakers in the challenging Japanese market. She was also the first African American to lead a team of engineers in the company’s history. Dr. Ruth-Jarmon is the president of the Association of Black Women in Higher Education for the Minnesota chapter, and serves as the Financial Secretary for the National Committee. Dr. RJ’s love of science was encouraged by her parents, a Methodist minister, and a housewife. Her passion is to spread that love to as many young people of color as possible. In addition to her professional career, Dr. RJ is wife to Jeffrie and mother to Jamaal. Her hobbies include tennis, watching Marvel movies, and dancing.

Session: Money Matters: A Fun and Interactive Guide to Personal Finance

Program Coordinator, Ann Bancroft Foundation

In January 2023, Lauren joined the Ann Bancroft Foundation (ABF) as the Program Coordinator. Her commitment is to support the mission of the organization while developing and expanding programming efforts. Lauren is responsible for building and sustaining the outreach network across Minnesota, managing the granting programs, and supporting alumnae relations programming.

Lauren is a 2018 ABF Trailblazer and used her grant to pursue her dream of playing volleyball at the collegiate level. Her Trailblazer experience led her to play volleyball as a four-year right-side hitter at St. Catherine University. During her time at St. Kate’s, Lauren was the Program Intern at the Ann Bancroft Foundation for the 2022 calendar year and supported programming efforts in that year.

Lauren graduated in December 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Public Policy, and Economics with a minor in Spanish.

In her free time, she likes to be outdoors year-round! Her favorites are hiking, camping, and canoeing in the summer and alpine or Nordic skiing in the winter. She is looking forward to being involved in a non-profit organization that recognizes and supports the pursuit of a young girl’s dream in Minnesota.

Session: Human Bingo

Managing Partner. Bread and Butter Ventures

Mary Grove is Managing Partner of Bread and Butter Ventures where she leads digital health and enterprise SaaS investing. She brings two decades of leadership experience in technology, early stage investing, and startup ecosystem growth. Mary began her career working on the Google IPO, and went on to lead new business development partnerships, negotiating early stage product and technology deals worldwide. Mary then served as the founding director of Google for Startups, leading the company’s global efforts to support entrepreneurs in over 100 countries.

After her 15 year career at Google, Mary worked as an investment partner at Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund where she led dozens of investments in a range of sectors including healthcare, enterprise software, and fintech. She also built the fund’s portfolio support platform and built a network of over 150 mentors and partners to guide startup growth.

She is the Co-founder and Executive Director of Silicon North Stars, a nonprofit that she and her husband Steve founded in 2013 to help young Minnesotans from underserved communities pursue careers in tech. Mary serves on the boards of The Minneapolis Foundation and the Bush Foundation where she also chairs the Investment Committee. She earned her BA and MA from Stanford University. Mary and her family moved from Silicon Valley to Minneapolis in 2018 and she loves cooking, hiking, and getting to know Minnesota through the eyes of her seven-year-old twins. Mary's bread and butter is helping organizations build teams and infrastructure to operate at scale, building partnerships, and home cooked Thai recipes.

Session: Panel of Firsts

Student & Community Volunteer

McKenzie is a dedicated senior at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, deeply involved in her community through her work at V3 Sports, a faith-driven local center in the Northside community that focuses on teaching swimming. Passionate about making a positive impact, she finds joy in helping others learn an essential life skill. When she’s not in the pool, McKenzie enjoys expressing her creativity through ceramics, experimenting in the kitchen, and embracing the serenity of nature.

Session: Trailblazers Rising

Entrepreneur (Founder of TELO) & Associate Director, Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship, University of Minnesota

Morgan Kerfeld is a serial entrepreneur, strategist, and educator. As the Associate Director for the Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Minnesota, Morgan is dedicated to fostering student entrepreneurship through innovative experiential courses and co-curricular programs. Alongside her role at the University, Morgan is also an entrepreneur herself, currently scaling her third startup, TELO. This company is leading the way in developing groundbreaking innovations to mobility aids, marking the first significant advancements in over 40 years.

Session: Entrepreneurial Design Thinking

Co-Founder (Sweet Troo•vi Waffle) and Assistant Basketball Coach (Minnesota Lynx)

Rebekkah Lamar Brunson is a former Women's National Basketball (WNBA) player, where she made history as the only player to win five WNBA championships.

She is currently the Assistant Coach of the Minnesota Lynx and Co-Founder of Sweet Troo•vi Waffle. On and off the court, Rebekkah uses her platform to stress the importance of diversity and inclusion. She continues to be an ambassador for her community and is committed to outreach and enriching the lives of all Minnesotans.

She attended a diverse, high school in Oxon Hill, Maryland, before attending Georgetown University and realizing there always needs to be a space created to cultivate, express, and empower diversity.

Session: Panel of Firsts

Vice-President of Brand Partnerships and Business Development, Target

Reham Habib works as the Vice President of Brand Partnerships and Business Development at Target, where she drives the identification, exploration, and implementation of new strategic partnerships. Reham joined Target following a thirteen-year career at Nike and the Jordan Brand where she served in various Senior leadership roles in Merchandising, Product Creation and General Management. Previously, Reham worked for fashion industry leaders Polo Ralph Lauren, Nautica Jeans and Marc Ecko in various planning and merchandising roles. Reham invests her time in mentoring women in the industry and supporting Black/POC in their career ambitions to advance diversity and inclusion. She attended the University of Minnesota & studied Finance & Economics. By hobbies, Reham is a sneaker & art collector, travel aficionado, and avid sports fan. Originally from Egypt, she has lived in several states across the US and abroad.

Session: Career & Mentor Exploration

Pediatric Psychologist, Children’s Minnesota

Sara Gonzalez Rodriguez, PhD, LP (she/her) is a bilingual (Spanish-English) pediatric psychologist at Children’s Minnesota. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez, PR. She completed her graduate studies in school psychology from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, NE. She went on to complete her one-year pre-doctoral clinical internship at Texas Child Study Center at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, TX. Following her internship, Dr. Gonzalez finished a post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric psychology at the Minnesota Epilepsy Group, PA in St. Paul, MN. Dr. Gonzalez has been with Children's Minnesota since 2019 with a focus on outpatient therapy for children and adolescents and also works with medical inpatients. She has a pediatric focus in various outpatient clinics such as endocrine/diabetes, gender health, and neurology. Dr. Gonzalez is committed to providing evidence-based treatment for her patients, utilizing cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, behavioral interventions, and integrative medicine approaches.

Session: Mental Health and Self-Esteem Building
 

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