Caroline Bierbaum is the founding partner of Empire Athletics Management.   She was a decorated athlete at Columbia University in New York City, where she was a five-time All-American in cross country and track and field and the 2005 recipient of the Honda Award, an award which is given to the nation’s most outstanding athlete in women’s cross country, according to results of national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools.  She has track bests of 32:44 for 10k and 15:52 for 5k.

Caroline graduated from Columbia in 2006, with a degree in history, and was selected as an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient. She attended the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York, where she graduated Cum Laude in June 2009 and passed the July 2009 New York State Bar Exam.

Caroline was professionally sponsored by Nike from 2006 to 2008 and now runs competitively for the New York Athletic Club.

Andrey Baranov met Caroline in May 2006, when he became her agent and negotiated her Nike  sponsorship.   Andrey currently represents dozens of Russian athletes, many of whom are the  world’s most prominent marathoners and track runners, including Lidiya Grigoryeva, winner of the 2007 Boston and 2008 Chicago Marathons, and Liliya Shobukhova, the Russian national record holder in the 5000 with a time of 14:23. Liliya recently placed third in her marathon debut at London and won the 2009 Chicago Marathon later that year.

Andrey studied physical training at the Pyotr Leshaft State Academy of Physical Training, founded in the year of 1896.  It is the oldest academy of physical training in Russia.

Lesley Higgins, also a member of the New York Athletic Club, ran for the University of Colorado, where she was a 2-time All-American in the indoor mile and outdoor 3000 meter run.  She has a personal best of 4:42:36 for the mile and 9:58:63 in the Steeplechase, which she ran in 2008 en route to qualifying for the 2008 US Olympic Trials. She is coached by Brad Hudson.  Lesley helps find and refer athletes who could benefit from the services of Empire Athletics Management.