Amanda
Amanda's professional background in start-ups and real estate in the Bay Area has shown her how important it is to manage stress and make small shifts to enable a better health span. Joining the REAL Pilates Teacher Training program is part of Amanda's years-long commitment to training with the best of the best to gain that intuitive teaching experience that all great instructors have.
Baobao
Baobao’s Pilates journey began during her postpartum recovery, when classical Pilates helped her rebuild strength, restore balance, and reconnect with her body. That personal experience inspired her passion for helping others discover its benefits.
In 2024, she completed the Real Pilates® Teacher Training Program. She is especially drawn to the design and purpose of the classical apparatus and how precise, thoughtful movement supports strength, flexibility, and body awareness.
With a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree from Nankai University, Baobao brings curiosity, attention to detail, and a lifelong love of learning to her teaching.
Fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese, she offers a welcoming, supportive environment where clients can build confidence and find greater ease and joy in movement—both in the studio and in everyday life.
JoLynn
With a performing arts background, Jo Lynn understands the importance of a fitness practice that embraces mind, body, and spirit. She originally pursued Pilates to maintain strength and flexibility after menopause but discovered its healing value following a car accident. Through the Real Pilates Teacher Training program, Jo Lynn wants to deepen her practice and acquire the teaching skills that will allow her to meet her clients wherever they are in their journey toward wellness, inspire them, and empower them to achieve their goals. (If we are adding personal info- Jo Lynn currently works for a national membership and advocacy organization for people who are blind or have low vision.)
Nicole
Nicole Kennedy
Studio Owner /
REAL® PILATES
Teacher Trainer
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PLEASE NOTE:
To work with Nicole, you must register for one of her group classes. She is no longer accepting Private session clients.
Nicole Kennedy, the Founder and Owner of Empowered Body Pilates, discovered Pilates during her time as a dancer with the renowned San Francisco Ballet. This transformative practice quickly became her preferred cross-training regimen, enhancing both her strength and stage performance.
In 2013, Nicole earned her initial certificate with Power Pilates and was promoted to the role of Teacher Trainer shortly thereafter. In 2018, she decided to return to the student position to deepen her understanding of the method, earning her second Comprehensive Certificate through Alycea Ungaro’s esteemed REAL® Pilates program. In 2022, she was elevated to the position of Lead Trainer for REAL® Pilates.
Nicole proudly leads the sole host studio in California selected to impart this exclusive, lineage-based Classical Pilates certification. She is committed to preserving the integrity of the Classical method while fostering sustainable and fulfilling careers for Pilates professionals within the South Bay region.
Julia
Julia Kolbeck
Instructor
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JULIA’S SCHEDULE
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Monday–Friday
9am–12pm
Julia brings over five years of Pilates teaching experience, supporting clients through every stage of life—from postpartum recovery to maintaining strength and mobility as they age. As a mother of two, she understands firsthand the demands of family life and the challenge of prioritizing fitness while keeping up with busy schedules, children, and even grandchildren.
Before becoming a Pilates instructor, Julia worked as a lawyer in Germany, where she experienced the physical toll of long hours at a desk, including chronic neck and back pain. Pilates became a transformative solution for her, improving both her strength and overall well-being—an experience that continues to inspire her work with clients today.
Julia’s teaching style blends focused, effective training with a sense of humor, creating an environment that is both supportive and motivating. Her goal is simple: to help every client feel stronger, more balanced, and at their very best.
Sarah
Sarah Shen
Instructor
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SARAH’S SCHEDULE
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Saturday
9am–1pm
Sarah first came to Empowered Body Pilates as a client recovering from a knee injury. What began as a way to heal soon became her favorite form of exercise, changing how she understood movement and her own body.
Sarah guides clients through safe, effective workouts that help them move with more awareness, control, and confidence. She believes intentional movement builds pliable strength, resilience, and balance. She hopes to share the transformative benefits of Pilates that she found in her own practice.
Liz
Liz
Instructor
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LIZ’S SCHEDULE
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Monday
9am–1pm
Liz first discovered her passion for Pilates after coming off the road from years of touring as a professional musician. She immersed herself in her Pilates, practicing to correct her body and rehabilitate from travel and performance fatigue and chronic injuries.
Liz trained with Real Pilates, a classical training certification program under Alycea Ungaro, headquartered in NYC. She is dedicated to encouraging clients to leave classes feeling stronger, inspired and excited. She is often accompanied by her trusted service animal, Theo, also a Pilates aficionado.
Stephanie
sTEPHANIE
Instructor
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Stephanie’S SCHEDULE
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Monday& Friday
9:30am-1:30pm
Stephanie comes to teaching Pilates after a career as a lawyer and legal tech entrepreneur. After a knee injury caused by running, she transitioned to other exercise methods, including a combination of classical Pilates, stationary biking, barre, strength training, and archery. After finding Pilates, Stephanie has continued to practice the system as a way to support all of the other activities of her daily life, including work at her second career as a small business owner of a letterpress printshop and bookbindery.
Stephanie works with clients to reach their personal movement goals and maintain strength and stability across the different phases of their lives. A GenX perimenopausal mother of two, she understands that simply making it to the studio to exercise can feel like a big accomplishment on some days. She looks at the full picture of a client's daily routines, life circumstances, and existing exercise routines to customize a Pilates workout that will support their lifestyle. Through that personalized training experience, she hopes to encourage her clients to tap into their strength, reconnect their minds with their bodies to live their healthiest lives.
Shannon
Pilates has helped Shannon learn how to use her body with more awareness, resulting in improved strength, fitness, alignment, and posture. As a result, she views Pilates as improving her energy and health across all dimensions of life. Shannon’s teaching focuses on safe and effective workouts for all clients, coaching to expand awareness of healthy movement patterns, and helping clients to reach their goals.
Shannon has been practicing Pilates since 1999, and was certified to teach the comprehensive classical system through Alycea Ungaro’s Real Pilates ® Teacher Training program under the mentorship of Nicole Kennedy at Empowered Body Pilates.
Grecia
Grecia
Instructor
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GRECIA’S SCHEDULE
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Tuesday–Thursday
1pm–7pm
Friday
9am–2pm
Saturday
10am–1pm
Grecia accidentally found Pilates as a college student while attending College of San Mateo. She became certified by Balanced Body in 2015 and has been teaching full time ever since. As a late comer to the fitness world, she understands challenges we all face to stay motivated and excited about movement. Grecia wants her clients to feel the same mental, emotional, and physical well-being she feels after a great workout.
Grecia completed the REAL Pilates bridge program in 2022.