our MISSION
Leaders League is a leadership and character development platform that supports youth as they use their gifts and talents to navigate life’s challenges and drive community impact.
our TEAM
ANNIE HAWKINS
Annie is a former professional soccer player who played pro for 13 years. She grew up playing soccer and basketball competitively and eventually went on to play collegiate and pro soccer. She has spent the majority of her non-playing career in marketing and specializes in social media marketing. She’s worked for a range of companies including tech companies, sports teams, pro athletes, and consumer brands. She got her BA of Psychology from Gonzaga University.
Annie is passionate about the experience of youth athletes in sports. One of her favorite things to do is to give back to the games that have given her so much. It is her goal to share the life lessons she learned in sports with young players and help them find the confidence and belief in themselves so they too can choose a purpose that is anchored in putting their best influence forward – in life, spirit, and sport.
BRITTANY BAKER
“Basketball was my favorite sport growing up, but it was not always the place I felt the safest to fail. I was so scared to make mistakes that it actually kept me from developing as a player. When I met my best friend, Annie Hawkins, we both connected on our love of sports. We also talked about toxic environments that are normalized and how difficult it is on your identity when you play your last game. Through those conversations, we started dreaming about a space where youth athletes were empowered and challenged through their sport to create change in themselves and the world around them. Welcome to Leaders League.”
Brittany has spent the majority of her career building creative businesses ranging from consumer products to home renovation and design. She also served as the team chaplain for the Utah Royals (NWSL) providing support for the team. Brittany’s creativity and passion for the youth experience are a key to our leadership programming and activities.
JACKIE SKINNER
Jackie Skinner has spent the majority of her career in the social impact space, having worked for several nonprofits, co-founding a global girls sports leadership development organization, and leading corporate philanthropy and social responsibility for billion dollar companies. Her career has included implementing impact projects all over the world including the US, Peru, Ecuador, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nepal, South Africa, India, and Tajikistan.
Jackie received her BA from Brigham Young University, and is a current Public Administration master’s student at the University of Utah. She has received professional certificates from Cornell University (Financial Success for Nonprofits) and Stanford University (Leveraging Diversity and Inclusion for Organizational Excellence).
Jackie is passionate about empowering women to be financially independent, using sport for leadership development, supporting refugee resettlement, mentoring youth, and helping businesses create meaningful change in communities around the world. In her free time, you can find her hiking in Utah’s mountains, kayaking rivers and jamming on her harmonica.