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Register for the GWI Innovation Academy

Join the Innovation Academy—a live, online program designed to help you launch your dream project, build real leadership skills, and gain the confidence to stand out.

Five women sitting around a conference table, some with glasses, smiling, and looking at a laptop in an office with large windows

Innovation Academy: What to Expect + How to Join

Girls With Impact 10-Week Academy Starting week of September 14 Girls With Impact 10-Week Academy Starting week of September 14 Girls With Impact 10-Week Academy Starting week of September 14 Girls With Impact 10-Week Academy Starting week of September 14
Girls With Impact 10-Week Academy Starting week of September 14
$995.00

Program Overview:

Welcome to the Girls With Impact 10-Week Business and Leadership Academy, the nation’s only live, online mini-MBA program designed with leaders from Harvard University. This dynamic and engaging program empowers young women, ages 14-24, to turn their passions into real-world ventures, whether it be a business, non-profit, or impactful project.

What You'll Gain:

  • Personalized Coaching: Benefit from the guidance of a dedicated coach who will help you navigate and develop your ideas.

  • Entrepreneurial Skills: Discover why entrepreneurship is crucial for success in any career path and gain the skills needed to excel.

  • Confidence and Competence: Build the confidence and competence to stand out from the crowd and make a significant impact in your community and beyond.

Class Schedule:

Classes start the week of September 14, 1 hour classes are hosted 1 time per week for 10 weeks. Choose from the following sessions:

  • Tuesdays 7pm/EST

  • Wednesdays 8pm/EST

  • Saturdays 12pm/EST

Note: All sessions are hosted and listed in Eastern Standard Time.

How to Register:

Fill out the required enrollment form and then navigate to the cart in the upper right hand corner. Register now to secure your spot in this transformative program. If you have a scholarship code, please use it at checkout to enjoy full tuition coverage. Join us and start your journey to becoming a leader and innovator today!

Girls With Impact 10-Week Academy Starting week of October 12 Girls With Impact 10-Week Academy Starting week of October 12 Girls With Impact 10-Week Academy Starting week of October 12 Girls With Impact 10-Week Academy Starting week of October 12
Girls With Impact 10-Week Academy Starting week of October 12
$995.00

Program Overview:

Welcome to the Girls With Impact 10-Week Business and Leadership Academy, the nation’s only live, online mini-MBA program designed with leaders from Harvard University. This dynamic and engaging program empowers young women, ages 14-24, to turn their passions into real-world ventures, whether it be a business, non-profit, or impactful project.

What You'll Gain:

  • Personalized Coaching: Benefit from the guidance of a dedicated coach who will help you navigate and develop your ideas.

  • Entrepreneurial Skills: Discover why entrepreneurship is crucial for success in any career path and gain the skills needed to excel.

  • Confidence and Competence: Build the confidence and competence to stand out from the crowd and make a significant impact in your community and beyond.

Class Schedule:

Classes start the week of October 12, 1 hour classes are hosted 1 time per week for 10 weeks. Choose from the following sessions:

  • Tuesdays 7pm/EST

  • Wednesdays 8pm/EST

  • Saturdays 12pm/EST

Note: All sessions are hosted and listed in Eastern Standard Time.

How to Register:

Fill out the required enrollment form and then navigate to the cart in the upper right hand corner. Register now to secure your spot in this transformative program. If you have a scholarship code, please use it at checkout to enjoy full tuition coverage. Join us and start your journey to becoming a leader and innovator today!

GWI Innovation Academy

The Innovation Academy helps you turn ideas into action, build real-world business skills, and gain the confidence to lead in school, work, and life. Explore each session below.

  • What You’ll Learn:

    • Understand what entrepreneurship means

    • Learn about different types of ventures (for-profit, nonprofit, social enterprise)

    • Explore real examples from past GWI students

  • What You’ll Learn:

    • Embrace uncertainty in entrepreneurship

    • Use design thinking & gather feedback

    • Turn feedback into action

  • What You’ll Learn:

    • Write your vision and mission statements

    • Define your “Why”

    • Create customer personas and identify your target market

  • What You’ll Learn:

    • Use SWOT analysis to understand your venture’s potential

    • Apply strategic thinking to your business

  • What You’ll Learn:

    • Map out your business flow

    • Create a prototype plan

  • What You’ll Learn:

    • Learn what a Minimum Viable Product is

    • Build your business model using the BMC framework

  • What You’ll Learn:

    • Build a value proposition & catchy slogan

    • Learn how to reach your audience at every step of their journey

  • What You’ll Learn:

    • Get confident with spreadsheets

    • Learn how to price your product or service

    • Create a 2-year business budget

  • What You’ll Learn:

    • Craft and deliver a compelling business pitch

    • Use visuals and storytelling to sell your idea

    • Practice professional presentation skills

After completing the enrollment form, do not forget to navigate to the cart in the upper right-hand corner to complete your registration!

About the GWI Innovation Academy

Program Details

  • Develop a venture idea (no idea, no problem!)

  • 10 1-hour classes + 9 activities = a lifetime of success

  • Live and online - small classes led by expert instructors

  • Access instructors 1:1 as needed

  • Classes evenings / weekends (from where ever you are!)

  • Access all materials and class recordings online

  • Graduation ceremony and certificate

Why Join?

  • Set yourself apart

  • Boost your confidence

  • Build leadership and public speaking skills

  • Innovate and make an impact

  • It's flexible - attend from anywhere!

  • Have a chance to win our quarterly GWI Ignite Venture Contest. See some of our most recent winners below!

How to Leverage It?

  • Make it your Capstone or Community Service Requirement

  • Top extra-curricular in college applications

  • Incorporate into college essay, scholarship applications

  • Show initiative in college/internship interviews

  • Boost your resume

We have created a robust and detailed program that covers a wide range of professional development topics and objectives. All students receive a micro-credential upon completing our graduation requirements.

What is a Micro-Credential?

A micro-credential is a focused, verifiable recognition of the skills and knowledge you gain through our programs. Upon completing the program, you’ll earn a digital badge—a shareable, online credential that showcases your achievements and expertise.

How Can You Use It?

  • Showcase Your Skills: Add your digital badge to your LinkedIn profile, resume, and professional portfolio to stand out to employers and schools.

  • Share Your Accomplishments: Post your badge on social media to highlight your success and inspire others.

  • Build Your Professional Brand: Use your micro-credential to demonstrate your readiness to lead, innovate, and make an impact in your field.

  • Boost Your Applications: Include it in college essays, scholarship applications, or internship interviews to showcase your initiative and skills.

Your micro-credential is more than a badge; it’s a powerful tool to help you achieve your career and academic goals while setting you apart in today’s competitive world.

Certificate of completion for Jane Doe from Girls With Impact, dated March 18, 2025, signed by Jennifer Openshaw, with a QR code in the bottom right corner.

Join our GWI Ignite Venture Contest Winner Circle

  • A young woman with dark skin and short hair wearing a black top, sitting at a table with a wooden slat wall behind her.

    1st Place Winner, Feesah A., 21

    Founder of Empower Her, a non-governmental initiative designed to ignite potential in young girls and women across the globe.⁠

  • A young woman with long brown hair, sitting in a dimly lit restaurant booth, smiling at the camera.

    2nd Place Winner, Isabella Z., 17

    Founder of Oasis, a shared workspace specifically designed for women, particularly mothers who work from home. ⁠

  • A young girl holding a sign with the text "Introducing: BudgetBite" and a cartoon burger character making a peace sign. The sign promotes a venture pitch competition.

    3rd Place Winner, Aadya U, 16

    Founder of BudgetBite, a free app dedicated to helping users find cheap, local eats while supporting small businesses.⁠

FAQs

  • Below are the steps a student will go through:

    1 - Reserve a place – students fill in a short form and complete checkout with or without provided scholarship code to reserve their place

    2 - Introduction - Students recieve class information 2 weeks prior to the session start date

    3 - Attend Classes Online – Students meet for a live, engaging online class led by their coach

    4 - Updates - Students and Parents are updated with course status throughout the 5 or 10-weeks of live classes

    5 - Graduation - Students and their guests are invited to join a graduation event, live-online. Students are emailed digital certificates of completion.

    • Select the Start Date & Time that works best for your schedule.

    • Fill out a 3-5-minute enrollment form.

    • Click cart, which is found in the upper right-hand corner of the Register Page.

    • If you have a scholarship code, add it to adjust the final rate.

    • Mark your calendar and get ready for a fun adventure!

  • Yes! Over 90% of our students participate at no cost. If your household income is below $80,000, use code GWIWEB at checkout for full tuition assistance - thanks to support from our corporate sponsors, donors, and grant partners.

  • The Innovation Academy: we should be specific

    "The live, online academy program consists of 9 live classes.

    Our summer live, online academy is 5 weeks"

  • A computer with internet access, smart device / Ipad to join the weekly live classes via video conference

    A computer with internet access to be able to complete the weekly assignments

    Webcam on the computer is preferable but not absolutely necessary

    A quiet place to attend class each week

  • 30 girls max. This allows us to have an engaging class with a powerful back-and-forth exchange

  • They are:

    Professionals experienced in entrepreneurship and business

    Hold an MBA and/or other related degrees

    Excited and committed to help young women succeed

  • Yes, standards are:

    Respect for others – listen without interruption and respond to communications within a 24-hour time period

    Attendance – Attend class on time and at the specified times

    No distractions — No eating or texting during class

  • Girls With Impact has two Mentorship programs available for all graduates after they complete the Academy Program. Student may opt into either of these programs at any time. See here for additional details on our mentorship programs.

  • Students must either attend, or watch the recordings, for ALL classes. The program is structured so that each class builds on the next and missing a class would result in key components of the program being missed.

    We provide students with bite-sized pre-recorded modules of each session within their Google Classroom course shell. If they have missed a class or expect to miss a class they can keep up with session by watching these modules.

    If a student is not going to be present for a live class, please inform your coach in advance.

  • Our program is referred to a “mini-MBA” because we educate girls on many concepts learned in a true MBA program. Our program also includes many personal development learnings.

    To view our curriculum overview, go here.

  • The program’s development was led by team of experts from Harvard Busieness School's Career Center, GWI's CEO -- who has taught business and entrepreneurship at New York University and to groups at Fortune 500 companies, GWI's Chief Learning Officer Susan Fleming, and a 30-year guidance expert, Linda Woods.

  • We say 2 hours a week for a lifetime of success.

    Classes are 50-60 minutes each.

    Weekly exercises or “BringBacks” to move your project forward take about 1 hour.

    The entire program is 10 weeks. Live classes are weekly for 9 weeks.

    Note – summer program is 5 weeks total (2 classes/week for 5 weeks, 4 hours/week commitment).

  • Often, yes. Talk to your guidance counselor or other school representative first. Tell them that the curriculum offers 20 hours of instruction

    Simply email us at ops@girlswithimpact.com for any documentation needed

Still have Questions?

Contact us