Inspiring Women

Inspiring Courageous Women

Hosted by Blaze Credit Union, this complimentary event celebrates the power of women—featuring inspiring keynote speakers, insights from local leaders, recognition of an exceptional woman, authentic connection, community giveback, and a shared moment of celebration.

More information coming soon!

Agenda

Check-in
Networking
Optional Complimentary Headshots
10:30—11:30

Lunch & Program
11:30—3:45

Resilient Surprise!
3:45—4:30

Give Back Opportunity

More information coming soon!

Lisa Lehman

Vice President of Marketing, Blaze Credit Union

As Vice President of Marketing at Blaze Credit Union, Lisa leads the advertising and brand strategy at Blaze. She brings that same energy to the national credit union community, serving on the Executive Committee for the Marketing, PR and Development (MPRD) Council for America’s Credit Union and chairing the MPRD Council Conference Committee. In 2021, Lisa was named a Credit Union Rockstar by Credit Union Magazine; in 2022, she was recognized as a notable person in marketing by Twin Cities Business Magazine; and in 2023, she was honored as a Top Woman in Finance by Finance and Commerce. In 2025, Lisa proudly earned her Certified Credit Union Marketing Executive (CCUME) designation.

Beyond her work at Blaze, Lisa invests her time and leadership in the community through board service with The Bond Between, the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Blaze Foundation.

Lisa and her husband of 28 years have two adult children—one with a wedding on the horizon—and two adorable, if enthusiastically undertrained, Malti-poo/Bichon pups.

Danielle Pfeifer

Vice President of Relationship & Service Experience, Blaze Credit Union

Danielle is the Vice President of Relationship and Service Experience at Blaze. In 2021, she received her graduate degree in banking. For over a decade, she has led Blaze's fearless frontline of nearly 250 employees to achieve and deliver exceptional service standards, receiving top awards and recognition. 

A boy mom to a 7th grader, 5th grader, and a golden retriever—all three keep her energized and constantly on her toes, aka heels. 

For the second year in a row, Danielle was elected to the Next-Up Strategic Council of Top Innovators in Banking and served as vice chair of fundraising and community events on her children’s school board from 2019-2021. 

Danielle has entered into a new stage in life AAA—traveling baseball, football, and basketball. She is contemplating adding professional chauffeur to her resume.

Courtney Clark

Speaker

Courtney considers herself the luckiest unlucky person in the world. After witnessing the terrorist attacks of September 11th from her office just 18 blocks north, she thought she had escaped unscathed. Little did she know the events of 9/11 would cause a cascade of issues in her life a few years later.

Her experiences caused her to become a recognized change resilience strategist and speaker whose groundbreaking national research studies reveal critical insights into how modern teams face challenges in transition and obstacles.

Courtney teaches growth-minded professionals and teams to overcome resistance by changing their plans to meet their goals—empowering them to build resilience, adapt faster, and achieve more.

Beth Z

Your Nerdy Best Friend

Since her first Motorola RAZR flip phone, Beth has made a verb out of the word "nerd." She's here to help you filter through thousands of apps, gadgets, widgets and doodads to find the perfect free and bargain technology tools for work and home.

Although the only real trophy she ever won was for making perfect French fries at McDonald's in high school, Beth Z has been featured on Best Speaker lists by several organizations who write best speaker lists. She has written a whole shelf of books on apps and has spoken to more than 100 thousand audience members just like you. 

Greta Myers

2026 Olympic Speedskater, Minnesota Native

Quickly emerging as one of the top-ranked skaters in the world, Greta Myers is well known for her speed, talent, and achievements on the ice oval. Off the oval, she is genuine, authentic, and deeply cares about improving lives within her community—it’s these qualities that make Greta an inspiration to many and a strong Blaze Partner.

Originally from Lino Lakes, Minnesota, Greta’s love for skating developed at a young age. In her short time on the World Cup Circuit, twenty-two-year-old Greta Myers has won five World Cup medals, including a gold medal performance in the Women’s Mass Start in 2025. She has broken the US National Record four times in 2025/26 and currently holds the National Record in the Women’s 3,000m event. She has finished in the top 5 at World Championships (2025) and placed 10th overall at the World-All-Around Championships in Inzell, Germany—a trip Blaze was proud to sponsor.

In 2026, Greta qualified for the US Olympic Team and competed in the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games. She served a crucial role in the Women’s Mass Start where she assisted her teammate to a bronze medal as a domestique racer. At the Winter Olympic Games, she competed in the 1500m, 3k, Team Pursuit, and Mass Start. Her highest placements were 4th and 12th place, respectively.

Carrie Tollefson

2004 Olympic Runner, Minnesota Native

As an influential figure in the running community, Carrie Tollefson knows what it means to help others meet their goals. Her personal successes are the direct result of her “get after it” spirit.

Born and raised in Dawson, Minnesota, Carrie won 13 state championships setting a national record of five consecutive individual cross-country state championships plus eight state track championships. She attended college at Villanova University where she won five NCAA championships individually and was a member of the 1999 NCAA Cross Country Championship team. Carrie was named NCAA Indoor Track Athlete of the Year in 1998 and was the first person in NCAA history to win both the 3k and 5k.

In her post collegiate career, Carrie was a three-time national champion and after winning the 1500m trials in 2004, she represented the United States at the 2004 Olympic Summer Games in Athens, Greece. In September 2013 Carrie was inducted into the USA Track and Field Minnesota Hall of Fame. 

As a wife and mother of three, Carrie continues to be an active member of the Twin Cities running community serving, as a coach for Moms on the Run and Girls on the Run as well as hosting running camps and clinics.

Carrie currently is an analyst and commentator for the major networks at events such as the New York City and Boston marathons, Olympic Games, and locally for the Twin Cities Marathon. 

Christine Cordell, CCE

SVP/Chief Project Learning Officer, Blaze Credit Union
Panel Moderator

Christine is an innovative credit union executive with over 30 years of experience in driving operational excellence through strategic project deployment and comprehensive learning. She has experience in directing transformative projects, including projects in support of the largest credit union merger to date in the state of Minnesota at Blaze Credit Union. Christine brings a data-driven approach to solving complex challenges while optimizing performance across credit union operations.

Throughout her career, Christine has been a founding member of two newly formed credit union foundations, and the Minnesota Credit Union Women's Leadership Network. With a passion for learning, Christine has a proven record track record for designing and executing innovative programs devised to empower employees to invest in their career development, promoting a highly engaged workforce.  

Christine is the Blaze Credit Union Foundation Board Chair, National Credit Union Foundation Secretary, Minnesota Credit Union Women’s Leadership Network Ambassador, City of St. Paul’s Office of Financial Empowerment Community Committee Member, Spare Key Board Member, and Filene Research Institute’s Think Tank Member.  

Shelee Brennhofer

Shelee Brennhofer   leads teams focused on delivering exceptional service and member engagement at Blaze.  She has extensive experience in customer experience, operational leadership, and team development within the financial services industry. Throughout her career, she has been passionate about creating positive member experiences and empowering employees to succeed. 

Outside the office, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and is always looking for new ways to learn and make a positive impact.   

Tami Cybulski

Tami Cybulski helps lead the people strategy for more than 640 employees across the Blaze organization. With a background in branch operations, customer service, and human resources, Tami brings a practical, people-first perspective to leadership. During her four and a half years with Blaze, she has helped position HR as a strategic business partner that supports organizational growth while creating a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to succeed. She works closely with leaders across the organization to align workforce strategies with business objectives, strengthen leadership effectiveness, and create employee experiences that drive engagement, development, and performance.

Tami is passionate about developing leaders, building inclusive workplaces, and creating environments where both people and organizations can thrive. In 2026, she was recognized as an Honorable Mention recipient for the Minnesota HR THRIVE Good Leadership Award, which celebrates HR leaders who make a lasting impact on strategy, culture, and business results. Beyond Blaze, she serves on the Ramsey County Workforce Board and Youth Committee, helping advance workforce development initiatives throughout the community.

Tami is also a proud wife, mother of three daughters, and dog mom to Maxx. Her experiences as a wife, mother, and HR leader continue to shape her approach to people leadership, reinforcing her belief that organizations are strongest when they support employees both professionally and personally.

Cassandra Sandstrom

Vice President of Enterprise Risk Management, Blaze Credit Union

Cassandra has been with Blaze Credit Union for over 20 years and currently oversees the BSA & Specialty Accounts Department, Collections Department, Compliance & Risk Department, Information Security Department and also manages legal, bond coverage, corporate projects, mergers and acquisitions and works very closely with the Audit Department and other areas within Blaze.

Cass has a wealth of knowledge within the credit union industry including both mortgage and consumer lending, collections, legal, bond coverage and enterprise risk management. Cass has completed the MNCUN Executive Leadership Certification and NAFCU’s Management and Leadership Institute. She obtained her CCURM certification from ACUARP in 2023 and is currently on the ACUARP Board of Directors and ACUARP Risk Committee as an advisor and presenter. Cass most recently received the ACUARP Randy Manscill Excellence in Service Award in June 2026 for her contributions, dedication and commitment for her volunteer efforts within ACUARP.

In her free time, Cass loves spending time with her husband, four kids, family and friends, volunteering and watching sporting events.