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Speakers Bureau Conversations That Inspire Leadership

The Global Community Speakers Bureau connects schools, conferences, organizations, and leadership groups with dynamic voices who are shaping the future of high school sports.

Our speakers bring authentic experience, practical leadership insight, and meaningful conversations designed to support growth, connection, and lasting impact.

Jen Brooks

Unlocking the Power of Being the Only Woman in the Room

Leadership, Resilience, and the Real Work of Going First

For more than 30 years in high school athletics, I have often been the only woman, or one of very few women, in the room.

What once felt isolating eventually became a source of clarity, courage, and purpose.

My work is rooted in helping women navigate leadership honestly. Not through buzzwords or perfection, but through real conversations about resilience, visibility, burnout, confidence, boundaries, allyship, and the emotional weight of constantly going first.

Through storytelling, practical leadership strategies, and decades of experience in education-based athletics, I challenge organizations and leaders to rethink what authentic leadership and inclusion truly look like.

Speaking Topics Include:

• The Power of Being the Only Woman in the Room
• Trailblazing Isn’t Glamorous: The Real Work of Going First
• Mentoring Female Coaches Into Leadership Roles
• Building Cultures Where Women Stay, Lead, and Thrive
• Leadership Fatigue and the Invisible Labor Women Carry
• Finding Your Voice in Male-Dominated Spaces
• Moving From Isolation to Influence in Sports Leadership
• Creating Spaces Where Leadership Looks Different
• The Importance of Male Allyship in Educational Athletics
• Strengthening Leadership Through Diversity of Thought and Experience

My presentations are designed for athletic directors, coaches, school leaders, conferences, leadership organizations, and teams seeking conversations that are authentic, actionable, and transformational.

I don’t just speak about leadership.
I speak about what leadership costs, what leadership requires, and what becomes possible when women stop shrinking to fit spaces that were never designed for them in the first place.

Because the goal is not simply getting a seat at the table.
It is creating environments where more people are invited to lead, belong, and thrive.

Let’s create a conversation that leaves people thinking differently long after the event ends.

Coaching Kapwa

Coaching Kapwa

You Are The Gift!

Let’s Practice Holistic Wellness With Professional Development “I am You and You are Me” Motivational Sports Storytelling / Sports Culture Co-Strategist / Well-inars / Sports Identity Affirmationist

CoachingKapwa Sports Consultants, LLC offers wellness-based professional training programs to high-level educational sports personnel and athletic departments.

Hi I’m Carolyn. People call me Coach Sideco. I journey with athletic administrators in deepening, and ultimately, aligning their personal values with their professional skill emergence and practice. Partnering with CoachingKapwa builds wellness capacity, efficacy, and longevity of humans working in the service of youth who play sports.

Kapwa is a Filipino language word that conveys the collectivist worldview of interconnectedness and interdependence. “I am You and You are Me”.

Kapwa energies include

  • Trauma-informed, DEI, Restorative Justice, Critical Consciousness Development
  • Social & Racial Equity Practices + Ethnic Studies Pedagogy
  • Nature-based & Outdoor Education Professional & Wellness Coaching
  • Decolonization approach
  • mmigrant, Woman of Color-identified approach
  • NIAAA CAA & LTI Teaching Faculty Member
  • Firm belief that sports is FUN (Yes! Even American sports)
Headshot: Kari Ehmer

Kari Ehmer

Leadership & Mindset Coach | Professional Speaker | Mentor

Kari Ehmer is a sought-after speaker and mindset coach who blends elite leadership experience from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, U.S. Army service, and a lifetime of competitive sports to help athletes, coaches, and leaders thrive under pressure.
A former Division I basketball and softball player, National Championship Team Handball captain, and 2024 South Saint Paul High School Hall of Fame inductee, Kari knows what it takes to perform at the highest level and to lead teams to victory. Her military training honed her skills in discipline, resilience, and decision-making in high-stakes environments, while her decades as a Certified Personal Trainer and Sports Performance Coach have given her a deep understanding of how mindset impacts performance, both on and off the field.
Kari works with student-athletes, coaches, and parents to develop confidence, mental toughness, and leadership skills that translate far beyond the scoreboard. Through her interactive presentations and coaching, she equips young competitors to:
  • Lead with integrity and influence in the game and in life.
  • Stay composed and confident in high-pressure situations.
  • Build resilience to overcome setbacks and challenges.
  • Translate athletic leadership into life and career success.
Her approach aligns with the mission of the Global Community of Women in High School Sports by fostering growth, connection, and service. Kari’s work empowers athletes to not only excel individually, but to elevate their teammates and communities, creating a positive ripple effect in high school sports and beyond.
Off the stage, Kari is a proud mom of three, a lifelong learner, and an active community volunteer. Whether guiding a team through a championship run or coaching a student to believe in themselves, her mission is clear: to develop leaders who have the mindset, confidence, and courage to create lasting impact.
Click here to inquire about a speaker