Meet our team

We're a spirited, women-led organization passionate about helping students build a bigger, brighter, and more inclusive future.

Linda Mullen Executive Director
Sarah Cronk speaker
HaliLedesmaTrainingDirector
  • Founder, Chief Strategy + Growth Officer, Lead Speaker

    Sarah helped to create and coach the nation's first school-based inclusive cheer team in Bettendorf, Iowa, when she was just 15 years old. Since then, she has not only served as the Generation Spirit's primary visionary, she has also become a nationally recognized inclusion advocate and public speaker, delivering Generation Spirit's message to audiences nationwide. Sarah graduated with a degree in psychology from Whitman College in 2015.

  • Executive Director

    A lawyer by trade, Linda worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in both Washington D.C. and the Central District of Illinois for close to 20 years, where she specialized in criminal appellate practice. As the mother of a son with a disability and a passionate advocate for inclusion, Linda has advised countless parents of children with disabilities. She educates and advocates for inclusive practices nationwide at conferences for parents, teachers, administrators, coaches, and students.

  • National Training Director

    Hali was a member of the nation's first high-school based inclusive spirit squad. She attended Iowa State University, where she founded the Iowa State Generation Spirit team and was an Iowa State cheerleader. Hali graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education-Special Education and a minor in Child, Adult, and Family Services. When Hali is not traveling the nation to train Generation Spirit teams, she enjoys her career as an elementary school teacher in Colorado.

Want more? Check out this mini-documentary about our organization’s history: