PRESS RELEASE: Honolulu Teen Girl CEOs Among Nearly 1,000 Girls With Impact "COVID" Grads Unveiling Businesses to Drive Change
“Muse” and “Next Wave,” among those created through live, online entrepreneurship program; “Women are more than secretaries”
September, 24, 2020 -- Armed with business skills and a passion for social change, teen girls from Honolulu and across the nation are embarking on their entrepreneurial ventures -- the result of completing Girls With Impact’s live, online Entrepreneurship Academy.
The graduates included three students from Honolulu, Hawaii, who participated in the 10-week program.
“Our girls from Honolulu are part of Girls With Impact’s COVID Relief Effort – dedicated to keep girls learning and advancing even from home,” said Jennifer Openshaw, CEO of Girls With Impact and a nationally known financial expert and author.
“We’re proving that remote education, done well, can drive our girls’ confidence, skills and college readiness no matter where they live. I’m so proud of these girls, Hawaii’s leaders of tomorrow.”
Research shows that 60% of GenZ wants to personally drive social change. Indeed, with #BLM, bringing diversity front and center, these Girls With Impact graduates are taking matters into their own hands.
Ventures developed by these Hawaiian girls include programs to support local change, gender equality in the workplace, and an app to inspire artists.
The girls, ages 12-18, underwent Girls With Impact’s live, online mini-MBA for girls – the nation’s only such program. Over 10 weeks, through live, online classes, dedicated business coaches guide students from idea to business plan, teaching them design thinking, marketing, finances and more along the way. As a next step, the girls will join the Boardroom program, where they can be paired with mentors and continue to learn and connect with their peers from across the country.
A sampling of the girls’ ventures:
AnnaSophia Dao, 13, CEO, Next Wave - AnnaSophia developed Next Wave, a service that organizes and collects food donations for local food banks. As a result of the program, she learned “how to market my business, stay organized and learn how to make my business a non-profit.”
Girls With Impact also helped AnnaSophia further align with her purpose to drive change. “There’s nothing quite like this in Hawaii,” she said about the program. “I wanted to start small and focus my efforts on the local level.”
“Girls WIth Impact helped me connect with other girls I normally wouldn’t have otherwise known. It was really interesting to see their ideas and share my own, which was helpful for marketing and brainstorming.”
And AnnaSophia isn’t done yet. At only 13 years old, she hopes to continue to grow Next Wave, find more volunteers, and continue to spread the message about her mission.
Surely she’ll get there: “Girls With Impact helped me to get out of my comfort zone,” she adds.
Nia Bakari, 16, CEO, Hard Working Ladies - Nia created Hard Working Ladies, a website that promotes women who are working in male-dominated workplaces and careers.
“There is inequality in the workplace,” she points out. “I wanted to make a website to bring awareness to women who work as a mechanic or a science engineer or a truck driver. I wanted to show everyone that woman can do a ‘man's job’ and that women are much more than secretaries and housewives.”
The girls who went through the program also learned life skills that they will continue to tap into. “I learned to be more confident and improve my public speaking skills,” says Nia.
Bella Samtani, 16, CEO, Muse - Bella created Muse, an app that provides inspiration for young artists, allowing them to collaborate and connect with other creators.
“The idea of starting my own business seemed daunting. However, as time went on, my excitement about the idea of starting an app that I was passionate about grew exponentially.”
“Girls With Impact has helped me understand how my passion for art and design can be something I do in the future,” Bella added.
Students interested in turning a passion into impact, building leadership skills or getting a college advantage should apply. Programs are offered year-round, each quarter. To learn more, go to www.girlswithimpact.org.
About Girls With Impact: Girls With Impact, a 501c3, is the nation’s only live, online mini-MBA for girls 12-18, designed with Harvard leaders. Offered year-round, the 10-week, after-school Business and Innovation Academy moves girls from ideation to a business plan and venture pitch, driving improvements in confidence, leadership, college readiness and professional skills for success. Programs offered include virtual camps, workforce readiness workshops and virtual mentoring. Girls With Impact was developed by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Jennifer Openshaw to increase the number of diverse women leaders and innovators in today’s workforce. Watch this.
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AnneS Dao, CEO of Next Wave and her team of volunteers.
Nia Bakari, CEO, created Hard Working Ladies through the Girls With Impact Academy.