Shermin Kruse is a negotiation consultant specializing in weaponizing empathy and stoicism training and a law professor at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. She is the author of Stoic Empathy: The Road Map to a Life of Influence, Self-Leadership, and Integrity (2025). Prior to her academic and consulting work, Kruse was a partner at the law firm of Barack Ferrazzano, where she represented international and Fortune 500 companies for 17 years. She was named Woman Extraordinaire by International Women Associates, featured by WomanScape, and named one of the nation’s Top 100 "Women to Watch" by BizWomen, one of Chicago’s Most Influential Women by Chicago Business Journal, and named a Woman of Inspiration by Today’s Chicago Woman magazine. She previously served as a director of the ACLU of Illinois and Lincoln Park Community Services. Kruse is a regular contributor to international publications including The Huffington Post, WomanScape, and Fete Lifestyle Magazine.