Andi Burgis –Owner & Founder of Challenge U, LLC
Andi started designing and facilitating experiential learning programs in 1990. Using formats that included Challenge Courses, Equine Experiential Learning, The Samurai Game® and The DISC® Personal Profile System; she has become known to her clients as a true leader of transformation and growth. Her programs are targeted for companies as well as individuals who want to improve their effectiveness in leadership, teamwork, communication and life balance.
In 1996 she started her own company, Challenge U, specifically for the purpose of providing services of experiential team development and leadership training to business teams and individuals.
Andi’s strengths lay in her ability to effectively relate to people and to quickly establish trust. She excels at moving people from the learning from the program to action in their daily lives.
Andi is one of a handful of individuals in the world licensed to lead the Samurai Game®, a powerful leadership simulation developed by George Leonard. She is certified to facilitate the DiSC® Personal Profile System. Her most recent accomplishment is the completion of The Epona Center Equine Facilitator Apprenticeship. She will be using the methods of The Epona Center as the primary format to facilitate equine experiential programs.
Andi’s horse experience started at the age of 11. She worked for several of the most prestigious Arabian horse ranches over a period of 16 years. The most prominent was Lasma Arabians in Scottsdale, Arizona. After leaving Lasma, she went to work for KEG Arabians, managed the entire artificial insemination breeding program, training and conditioning of the show string, and day to day ranch responsibilities for 5 years. She completed her Arabian horse employment with Peach Creek Farms in Brenham, Texas where she had similar duties to the other ranches. She left the industry in 1986 to focus on raising her two sons, Keith and David.
Cathy Huddleston – Director of Equine Division
At 2 ½ years old with her first pony, Franco, Cathy Huddleston began her teaching and training career devoted to honoring the lessons she has learned from horses. She started showing horses at age 7 and continued through three decades.
Cathy began competing successfully as a youth in a variety of events including showing horses at halter, equitation, western pleasure, reining, barrels and poles. She competed at the State level and ended her youth career by receiving the Kansas State Horse Project of the Year Award in 1987 and was recognized in the AQHA Journal.
Cathy went on to attend Park University as a scholarship recipient and collegiate competitor in both Western and English disciplines, including hunter/jumpers, competing for Park’s collegiate show teams. After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Equine Studies, she worked for world renowned trainer and author Jack Brainard as an assistant trainer in the reining horse industry. Jack and Cathy focused on futurity reining horses. When it was time to move on, Cathy chose to focus on helping clients and their horses develop partnership skills and improve on communication and goal based achievements. She continued to compete successfully in everything from western pleasure, taking an AQHA/ABRA mare to the top 20 in the world at the ABRA world championship to competing and coaching on different breeds of horses in dressage.
Cathy brings passion and a lifetime of experience in training, showing, and teaching, to her work with people and their horses. She teaches how to open the lines of communication between horses and humans through her “Ask, Allow… Encourage” model. She is an Epona Advanced Instructor and was a faculty member at the Epona Center owned and run by Linda Kohanov in Sonita, AZ.
In June of 2009 Cathy took her skills to Southern California and joined the Challenge U Team. She is currently the Director/Head Trainer/Lead Facilitator of the Equine Division. Challenge-U focuses on both personal growth and Leadership/Team development through a variety of experiential formats including Equine Experiential Learning.
Denise Ouellette – Director of Challenge Course Programs
Denise has always loved working with people of all ages and supporting them in discovering new possibilities for themselves. A driving curiosity about what makes us who we are led her to study psychology at University of California at San Diego. There she started her career in experiential education leading extended wilderness trips in sea kayaking, canoeing, backpacking and rock climbing that spanned terrain across the southwestern United States, Baja California, Mexico and Canada. Facilitating challenge course experiences was a natural continuation of Denise’s journey. Since 1996 Denise has facilitated programs around the country for a variety of different companies, including Challenge U since 2005. Most recently, before joining the Challenge U family full time, she was the first director of UC San Diego’s Challenge Course and Teambuilding program from 2004 until 2008.
Clients consistently recognize the high level of commitment and passion that Denise brings to her work. She truly enjoys creating innovative programs that not only support a client’s goals but also helps them develop a greater sense of community.
In her spare time, Denise loves to travel and get to know people, places & cultures and indulge in her love of photography and water sports.
Helene St. Pierre – Facilitator Extraordinaire
Helene is a Leadership Consultant, specializing in teambuilding and one–on–one coaching. She speaks fluent French. Her strengths are facilitating individual and team development utilizing various assessment tools including but not limited to Disc Profile, Focal 360 Feedback, and Thomas-Kilman Conflict Mode Instrument. Helene holds a B.A. and M.A. in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University and a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Development. She is currently a member of ASTD, SHRM, and AEE.
Helene enjoys spending time with her family.
