SOUTHEAST SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — What started as one conversation between a mother and daughter has grown into a leadership program helping dozens of girls discover their confidence.
The Boss Babe Academy returned for its fourth year in Colorado Springs, bringing together over 60 girls ages 11 to 18 for a four-day experience focused on leadership, mental health, business skills, and self-expression.
For founder Kristen Faith Sharpe, the idea began with her own daughter.
“I created it because my daughter came to me and said that she was struggling with her mental health and confidence,” Sharpe said.
Her daughter was 13 years old when she opened up about what she was experiencing.
Sharpe, an entrepreneur who has spent the last 15 years building businesses, started thinking about what she could create for girls who needed a place to feel supported.
“What can I create for girls just like you?” Sharpe said.
The first year of Boss Babe Academy looked much different.
“It was at our studio Anthem Live Studios on Garden of the Gods, and it was a small intimate program,” Sharpe said.
She brought together women from her own network to create a space where girls could learn from other women.
“We had self defense, we had inspiring women's speeches and it was special,” Sharpe said.
That first year included 15 girls.
Four years later, the program has grown into a nationwide leadership academy.
This year, Boss Babe Academy was held inside Colorado Springs City Hub, where girls created their own “town” complete with different jobs and businesses.
The girls worked in areas like hospitality, banking, social media, real estate, and a kindness café while learning skills they can use outside the academy.
Savannah Romero, a 15-year-old student who lives near Widefield, said the experience helped her become more confident.
“It’s like the sisterhood and the support from a lot of these women and knowing how successful I could be once I grow up,” Romero said.
She worked in hospitality during the academy and said the experience taught her the importance of teamwork.
“We were a team. We need each other,” Romero said. “We communicate and we’re here for each other.”
For 18-year-old Nayellie Herrera, the program came at an important time.
Herrera is preparing to start college at Pikes Peak State College and said Boss Babe Academy helped her prepare for adulthood.
“I just feel like it’s a great opportunity to learn how to manage life because life is really hard, especially since you’re new to this stuff,” Herrera said.
Herrera, who grew up in Southeast Colorado Springs, said programs like this can make a difference in a community she feels is sometimes overlooked.
“We don’t get that much stuff honestly because not a lot of people focus on Southeast,” Herrera said.
Olivia Castañeda has been part of Boss Babe Academy for three years.
She first joined when the program was much smaller.
“I just took my opportunity and I applied and here I am,” Castañeda said.
Now, she helps support younger girls in the program.
Castañeda said the academy helped her become more comfortable with who she is.
“I think if I wouldn’t have made that first step to be here, I still would’ve been really lost in who I was,” she said.
Sharpe says confidence and mental health continue to be at the center of the program.
“A lot of youth struggle with mental health, and if we can give them a fun creative space to find their voice and to find confidence, that’s life changing,” Sharpe said.
While Boss Babe Academy is not a nonprofit, the program partnered with Thrive Network, a nonprofit organization that serves as its fiscal sponsor, to help provide scholarships.
Sharpe said the partnership helped raise more than $10,000 in scholarships this year.
“I wanted to make sure that no girl got left behind,” Sharpe said. “We truly meet families where they are.”
Sharpe says the goal is to continue expanding the opportunity for more girls.
“I wish that more girls have the opportunity to experience this,” Sharpe said. “If you don’t know how great you are, the Boss Babe Academy is the place to find it.”
