EMPOWERING STRONG GIRLS FOR LIFE
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to empower girls to be strong, confident, and resilient through sport and physical activity alongside mental health and well-being activities.
We accomplish this through:
- Inspiring girls through programs led by FEMALE ROLE MODELS
- Evidence based curriculum that teaches MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL SKILLS
- Trauma-informed and culturally responsive MENTORING
- Physical activity, sport, and play to remind all girls and young women of the FUN
- Programming and opportunities to get involved for ALL, starting at Kindergarten through the college student-athlete and beyond.
OUR MOTTO
STRONG BODIES
Taught through fitness & sport.
We believe in providing a safe space and opportunity for girls to engage in sports and physical activity, developing their strong bodies.
KIND HEARTS
Taught through lessons grounded in the positive psychology and the science of wellbeing.
We believe in teaching girls tools to inspire them to both feel good and do good.
UNSTOPPABLE MINDS
Taught through lessons grounded in the science of sport psychology, mental skills training, and mindfulness.
We believe in equipping girls with the skills in becoming mentally strong with lessons centered around mindfulness and sport psychology.
OUR VISION
Where every girl recognizes their inner I CAN!
OUR VALUES
Our core values are grounded in the FUEL that helps each person recognize their inner I CAN and the collective power it creates.
FUN:
Embracing the spirit and fun of community.
UNITY:
One team. All in. We are stronger together.
EMPOWERMENT:
The courage to show up and raising the bar on self belief.
LEADERSHIP:
Become part of the solution in shaping a better future.
OUR WHYS
14
By age 14, girls drop out of sport at twice the rate of boys.
40%
of teens are not participating in sport.
1 in 3
young people will grow up without a mentor.
41%
Female high school athletes are 41% more likely to graduate from college within six years compared to female students who did not participate in sports.
1.3 MILLION
fewer opportunities for girls to participate in high school sports than boys.
77%
of female leaders reported lack of female coaches as role models limiting girls' sports participation
94%
of women who hold C-suite level positions are former athletes.
1 in 7
people ages 10-19 are said to experience mental health conditions globally according to the WHO.
OUR IMPACT
OUR TEAM
LANI SILVERSIDES
FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Lani Silversides is a native of York, Maine. She is a 17+ year educator and coach (15 years were spent teaching and coaching at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts). Sport has long time been a passion for Lani. A graduate of York High School in York, Maine, Silversides is the second all-time basketball scoring leader (male or female.) She was also an all-state soccer goalie and state champion hurdler. She was Maine female athlete of the year in 2001.
Lani continued her athletic career as a 4-year basketball player of the University of Vermont. She finished her career ranking among the all-time leaders in 10 different categories. In 2013, Lani was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in recognition of her contributions as both a coach and player.
Lani now coaches and teaches, not in the classroom anymore, but through this organization and through her mental performance consulting business.
She is a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed with stage three cancer in 2018. She credits her experience as an athlete and being part of a team as well as the educational foundation and practice in sport psychology, mindfulness, and mental skills training as key components fueling her through treatments.
Lani founded Strong Girls United shortly after finishing her active cancer treatments, realizing there was no better time than the present to teach these important skills to all girls through sport and mentorship. Her north star is to impact many, one person at a time.
EMAIL LANISKYLER SAMUELSON
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF FAM
Skyler is a lifelong athlete, and brings a passion for "I CAN" to our team. She grew up as a runner, but was looking for the next challenge when she walked on to the D1 women's rowing team at Columbia University as a sophomore. She counts her most important accomplishment from her collegiate career being awarded the Ed Hewitt Award for "Dedication, tenacity and inspirational leadership" her senior year. She then went on to win a national championship with the Stanford lightweights while pursuing her master's degree. Following her retirement from rowing in 2018 she started a career in track cycling, and is now a 4 time national medallist. She also coached the Stanford lightweights for 2 seasons before taking time off to ride bikes in circles a little more seriously, and work part time for SGU! She rides bikes, bakes and hangs out with her husband and her high maintenance dog in the Bay Area in California.
EMAIL SKYLER
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SHEILA ADAMS
Adams brings more than 25 years of sales, marketing and management experience to Strong Girls. She has had leadership roles within technology companies in all stages of growth from venture-backed start-ups to high growth, including several successful IPO’s and Merger & Acquisitions.
LYNN MANNA
Lynn is a New York City public school teacher with 30 years of experience. She received her master’s degree from Teachers College, Columbia University in Special Education. She has worked as an elementary classroom teacher, literacy staff developer, and academic intervention specialist and in all roles has supported children by creating positive, inclusive settings for students.
MICHELLE HANSON
Michelle Hanson has over 20 years of experience in law and has served as in-house counsel for Timberland and Bauer Hockey. She has also run the Boston marathon 6 times and will run her 7th this coming April.
BOARD OF ADVISORS
JACLYN SODERLIND
Jaclyn brings more than 12 years of accounting and tax experience to Strong Girls. She currently is a tax manager at Baker Newman Noyes, working primarily with high-net-worth family groups across the country.
LAURA NALDRETT
Laura Naldrett is based out of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and brings over a decade of human resources and project management experience to Strong Girls.
BIZZIE GONRING
Bizzie holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling, with a concentration in Sports Psychology, from Boston University. Currently, Bizzie is an assistant coach for Milwaukee Sting Volleyball Club and also works full time as a school-based mental health therapist.
LINDSEY REYNOLDS
Bio coming soon!
SHEILA SILVER
Sheila Silver is a Registered Massage Therapist (CMTO) and a Certified Movement & Mobility Specialist (M|WOD Institute). She has a full time practice in a multi disciplinary clinic in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
ASHLEY KUCHAR
Ashley is currently pursuing a PhD in educational psychology at The University of Texas at Austin with research in sport psychology. She is using her expertise to conduct research on the SG United programs.
JAMIE WALKER MOPA
Jamie Walker Mopa is based out of Atlanta, Georgia and brings over 14 year of strategic marketing experience to Strong Girls United.
TRACY SWEET
Tracy Sweet is Director of Academy Communications at Phillips Academy, in Andover, Mass. She oversees strategic communications, creating institutional messaging across digital and print platforms, as well as media relations.
LIV MASSEY
Olivia "Liv" Massey is a mental performance coach and mental health counselor for SportStrata, a performance coaching group and mental health practice in New York City.
ANNUAL REPORTS & FINANCIALS
2021-2022
2020-2021
2020-2021
Financials
2021-2022 990
2020-2021 990
2019-2020 990
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ABOUT US
SG United Foundation ("Strong Girls United") is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission is to empower girls to be strong, confident, and resilient.
EIN: 84-2731661
