Girls With Impact Announces Winners of Winter 2026 Venture Competition

Girls With Impact (GWI) has announced the winners of its Winter 2026 Venture Competition, recognizing three young women entrepreneurs whose innovative ventures address challenges in education, student wellbeing, and literacy access.

The competition, an extension of the GWI Innovation Academy, challenges participants to develop and pitch business and nonprofit ventures that solve real-world problems. This winter, 22 students submitted ventures that were evaluated by a panel of GWI professionals on vision, innovation, market understanding, financial planning, presentation quality, and potential impact.

Sarah Nayani earned first place and a $1,000 prize for InterFaith Planner; Chloe Lee received second place and a $750 prize for the Open Minds Project; and Jolene Luong was awarded third place and a $500 prize for Book Sprout.

First Place: Sarah Nayani – InterFaith Planner

Sarah Nayani's winning venture, InterFaith Planner, addresses a challenge many students face: balancing academic schedules, extracurricular activities, volunteer commitments, and faith-based observances through multiple disconnected tools.

Inspired by her own experience managing a demanding schedule, Sarah created a mobile app platform that combines productivity and inclusivity. The app's prototype features a multifaith calendar, AI-powered scheduling assistance, a school schedule scanner, a community feed, and faith-based reflections.

"What inspired me to create InterFaith Planner was my own busy schedule," Sarah said. "Balancing school, extracurriculars, volunteering, and everything else, my schedule sometimes looked more like a puzzle than a plan."

After surveying fellow students, Sarah found that more than half of respondents wanted a better way to organize their lives, helping validate the need for the platform.

"Winning first place means a lot to me because it showed me that an idea I came up with between homework assignments and religious events could actually make an impact," she said.

Sarah credits the GWI Innovation Academy with helping her better understand entrepreneurship as a process of solving problems and continuously improving ideas.

"My biggest GWI takeaway was that entrepreneurship is a lot more than just having a good idea. It's about people. It's about solving problems. It's about being willing to improve your idea."

Second Place: Chloe Lee – Open Minds Project

Chloe’s Open Minds Project is a nonprofit focused on addressing educational inequities through affordable math tutoring for elementary school students.

"The inspiration for my nonprofit organization, Open Minds Project, came from my personal experiences of being surrounded by peers of so many different backgrounds in elementary and middle school," Chloe said. "Growing up, I saw that many elementary and middle school students who fall behind in math often did not have access to affordable tutoring resources."

The venture addresses a growing educational challenge: nearly one-quarter of fourth graders struggle with basic math skills, while many families face financial and transportation barriers that limit access to tutoring and academic support. Through affordable small-group instruction and one-on-one tutoring for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, the Open Minds Project aims to help students build confidence, strengthen foundational math skills, and improve long-term educational outcomes.

Chloe shared that earning second place was both validating and motivating.

"Winning 2nd place is both an honor and a huge source of motivation," she said. "It truly validates the mission of the Open Minds Project and shows that even in a world like today, people do see the value in expanding educational opportunities for students who are in need of it."

Reflecting on her experience in the GWI Innovation Academy, Chloe said the program showed her how an early-stage idea can evolve into a fully developed venture, going from thought to reality. Looking ahead, Chloe hopes the Open Minds Project can become a meaningful source of support for students and families facing educational barriers.

"Everyone, not just some, should have access to education, no matter their background," she said. "Accessible and affordable tutoring is vital because it ensures that students from low-income families can overcome systemic educational disadvantages, catch up on lost learning, and be able to achieve career opportunities."

Third Place: Jolene Luong – Book Sprout

Third-place winner Jolene Luong developed Book Sprout, a nonprofit initiative designed to increase access to books while reducing unnecessary waste.

The venture addresses two challenges simultaneously: millions of books are discarded each year while many children in underserved communities have limited access to reading materials.

Through donated books and community-based pop-up events, Book Sprout creates opportunities for families to browse and take home books at no cost.

"I wanted to create a nonprofit, and I combined a couple of my interests, which include reading and traveling," Jolene said. "I liked that I could solve two issues at once, which is providing underprivileged communities with books and preventing book waste in more affluent areas."

For Jolene, earning third place provided important validation for the concept.

"Winning third validates my idea because even though Book Sprout wasn't physically implemented, it shows that the concept has real potential and impact."

She said one of her biggest lessons from GWI was learning how to transform an idea into a viable and purposeful venture.

"My biggest takeaway from GWI was learning how to turn an idea that resonates with your interests into something purposeful. While working on this project, I had to think about feasibility and long-term impact."

Ready to Launch Your Own Venture?

These winning ventures reflect the creativity, leadership, and entrepreneurial thinking that Girls With Impact works to cultivate through its programs for young women ages 14 to 24.

Learn more about the GWI Innovation Academy and discover how you can build the future you want to create: https://www.girlswithimpact.org/register