THE TEAM
Crista Samaras
Founder & CEO
A graduate of Princeton University, Crista was selected Rookie of the Year, was a three-time All American, three-time All Ivy League pick, two-time Ivy League Player of the Year, and still holds the record for number of career points at Princeton. Crista was on the US Women’s Lacrosse Team from 1995-2007 and competed in both the 2001 and 2005 World Cup Games winning gold and silver medals. In 2005, she was twice named Player of the Match (vs. Canada and England).
Crista coached at Yale University before she started her own lacrosse companies in 2004, which focused on empowering female players. In the next ten years, Crista coached thousands of junior women before she sold her teams in 2014. In 2012, she was the interim Head Coach at the University of Richmond and led the team from a #33 national ranking to a #13 national ranking in just three months. Her work with these players convinced her of the need for Bravery Training, not just for young women, but for everyone.
Katie Carroll
Research Analyst
Katie graduated from Georgetown University in 2009, and from The George Washington University in 2016 with a Masters in Public Health. A D1 athlete at Georgetown, she has coached high school lacrosse for the past 6 years. She came to BRAVE after witnessing the character programming as a coach and experiencing the impact in her own professional and personal life. Katie examines the data generated in the live sessions to monitor, evaluate, and influence the growth of BRAVE’s programming.
Jasmine Docal
Programs Manager
Jasmine Docal graduated from Northwestern University in 2017 with a degree in Human Development and Psychological Services. She was actively involved in the Wildcat community, as she played on the D1 lacrosse team and graduated with a certificate in Leadership. She enjoys working with kids, especially when it helps them to realize their own potential. Jasmine is originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She is passionate, has an incredible work ethic, and wakes up every day ready to CRUSH IT.
Annie Zhai
Multimedia Designer
Annie is a multidisciplinary designer from China. She came to New York City to pursue her master's degree in Communication Design. She pours her creativity into Brave to help the materials match the energetic programming.
Holly Austin
Director of Business Development
Holly graduated from Harvard University in 2001 and Duke University in 2006 with a Masters in Business and the Environment. At Harvard she was a four-year Varsity Heavyweight rower, elected the Team Commodore ("Enforcer"), selected the MVP, and was the first Harvard athlete ever to race all four NCAA Championships in a Varsity boat. She is also the shortest (5'6) Harvard/ Radcliffe competitor to race the Varsity Heavyweight 8+ for three years.
Holly coached at Harvard University in 2003 helping to lead the Harvard/Radcliffe women to win the NCAA Championship and EAWRC Championship for the first time in history. After coaching at Harvard, Holly worked with the USGS and University of Florida studying (and catching) alligators for science before she attended Duke University to focus on ESG and corporate sustainability. At Duke,Holly was selected for a Doris Duke Conservation Scholarship and a Presidential Managerial Fellowship. She worked for Cherokee Investment Partners, a private equity firm with over $1B under management before starting her own rowing company Ready Set Row. Leading camps, clinics and virtual training she empowers juniors to begin to define their values, motivation and purpose through sport. Bravery training is a critical component of the curriculum at RSR and has proven to build athletes' confidence and speed.
"Brave is a once in a lifetime experience for people of all ages and genders. Through a series of impactful exercises, Crista and her team help you dig deep inside of yourself, find your fear, examine it, and ultimately change the way that you look at it. A must for anyone looking to elevate themselves and shake hands with their inner badass."
