Cass Benadum

Hello! I’m Cass, the founder of GIRLAB. I was not fond of running growing up but was reintroduced just before turning 20, at a time I was struggling with mental health. In many ways, running saved my life; initially as an outlet, then by providing me with the space to grow in all the ways I needed to in order to thrive and find my path and purpose. Over the last decade or so, running has given me ample opportunities to learn new skills/tools (both mentally and physically) as well as develop healthy habits and perspectives. It’s never been about speed or metric-based achievements for me; rather I run because of everything else it brings - clarity, empowerment, balance, purpose, and so much more. Over the years, it became clear to me that my purpose was to pay forward the support, skills, lessons and perspectives I had gained over the years and I found myself bringing together a group of 25 women at the start of 2020 in our first ever GIRLAB season. A LOT has happened between then and now, but one thing hasn’t changed - my purpose lies in empowering and supporting women through all aspects of life. My goal is to build teams, programs and partnerships that enable women to better lead, support and empower each other in all aspects of life; from running to motherhood to career growth. I am incredibly grateful for the women who give life to this community, the incredible individuals who make up our internal team, and our supporters. 

Outside of GIRLAB, I have 3 kids, run a second company (Atomic Headquarters) with my partner, Blue, and spend my weekends exploring the local trails and mountains or on other outdoor adventures with my family. 

Building big things here… Hope you’ll join us for the ride!