FOUNDER & PARTNER
Laura Barnard founded BREAKTHRU with a no-limits mindset. By empowering women and her LGBTQIA+ community to break barriers, Barnard is on a mission to close gender gaps in leadership.
Leveraging her two decades of experience in marketing and branding, Barnard has focused her agency on building leadership brands for those boldly leading us into the future.
Collaboration is central to Barnard’s personal brand. As a former Division I athlete, she has experienced the power of teamwork and the importance of each teammate. She brings energy, openness, and perseverance to collaborative environments while motivating others to self-actualize into clear and confident contributors.
Her BA in Psychology from Harvard University and MBA in Marketing & Strategic Management from the University of Chicago have informed her belief that great brands start with great leadership.
And as she builds brands for purpose-driven leaders, Barnard aligns with their drive to end prejudice, eliminate discriminatory obstacles, and advance equity.
BRAND MANAGER
Lorrie Cardwell-Panfil is motivated by helping others find genuine contentment.
With a BA in Sociology and a career focused on the development of people and communities, Cardwell-Panfil’s 15 years of professional experience have been centered around empowering others to live authentically and purposefully.
From leading classrooms to community centers, Cardwell-Panfil is passionate about learning and development. And these very personal, hands-on experiences have informed her human-centric approach to marketing, branding, and personal growth.
From clients making big decisions to colleagues navigating next steps, she has always been someone others turn to in order to find clarity. And at BREAKTHRU, Cardwell-Panfil provides a trusted ear and safe space for purpose-driven leaders to discover their own motivations.
CEO & PARTNER
Lindsay Gaskins propels people, ideas, and organizations forward. As a magnetic, award-winning CEO, Board Member, Founder, and Activist, Gaskins drives progress by challenging societal standards and innovating for future growth.
As CEO of BREAKTHRU, Gaskins guides women to build disruptive, leader-centric brands that encourage bold thinking and brave initiative. And as an active Founding Member of Chief, the largest women’s network, and Board Member for an LGBTQIA+ non-profit, she is on a mission to spark action through empowerment.
Over the past 20+ years, innovation has followed where Gaskins has led. Since her Crain’s 40 Under 40 recognition early in her career, Gaskins has grown a portfolio of barrier-breaking brands for nationally-known entities, emerging executives, and growing startups–including her own.
And as Gaskins lives out her purpose, she is helping replace a legacy of patriarchy with women who are building connection and inclusion.
With a well-rounded background in marketing, creative writing, and the arts, Katherine “Kat” Yocum is uniquely positioned to empower clients to build their own authentic leadership brand.
Throughout the course of her academic and professional careers, Yocum has honed her skills in long-form writing, editing, and organization. Her MA in Creative Writing and BA in English have helped her both in copywriting and proofreading; they have also enabled her to become an excellent researcher and critical thinker.
Yocum enjoys putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys), and she prioritizes creativity and collaboration to fully understand a client’s needs and bring their ideas to fruition.
Personally and professionally, Yocum is passionate about academia, justice, equity, arts and culture, health and wellness, and, of course, writing.
