The World Needs More Female Entrepreneurs

OUR MISSION 

inspire by creating events that showcase female entrepreneurs.

build by giving young women tools and opportunities to make their entrepreneurial ideas a reality.

connect by creating an international community of young women who want to change the world.

2024 design challenge hackathon

This year's Girls Who Start Design Challenge Hackathon brings together young women from around the world in middle school, high school, and college. The challenge is to design innovative products related to women's mental health and social justice with the theme of 'Innovate, Elevate and Advocate'.


CHALLENGE

WHEN

WHERE

PRIZES

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Learn how to create an idea, prototype, and develop a pitch to promote your model with no past experience necessary!

April 7th | 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Virtual Event on Zoom.

1st Place: $1,000 | 2nd Place: $500

There will be about 20 teams of 3 to 5 young women! Sign up by March 29th with your team name, or sign up individually and we will place you on a team!

Last chance to apply for the scholarship program for free tuition!

Impact Internship
Scholarship Program 2024

The Girls Who Start Impact Internship Scholarship Program supports over 100 underrepresented young women in gaining access to the University Startups social entrepreneurship, college counseling, and workforce readiness programs.

Last chance to apply to the Girls Who Start Impact Internship Program for FREE tuition. Applications for Cohort III are due April 30th @ 11:59pm and can be submitted on a rolling basis.

WHAT

Through the Impact Internship,
you have the opportunity to:

  • Work directly for University Startups

  • Gain valuable career skills and an entrepreneurial mindset

  • Build your resume

  • Work on your college applications

  • Contribute towards school community service and graduation requirements

  • Earn points and compete on a leaderboard by

    • Attending live webinars with professors on special topics

    • Completing lighting lessons to develop your skill set

Topics:

  • Social entrepreneurship

  • College counseling

  • Employment search

  • College essays

  • Transitioning to high school

  • Resume building

  • Brainstorm and pitch a new business idea

  • Choose the right college major

  • And many more!

INTRODUCING THE GWS PUBLICATION’S SENIOR WRITERS

NEHIR TOPALOGLU

DEA PANCE

After 5 months as primary writers themselves, the two girls take on a larger role as senior editors for the GWS Publication in overseeing the work of primary writers.

DID YOU KNOW

16%

of angel capital goes to female led startups and 84% of the decision makers at venture capital firms are men. (source: NAWB/Crunchbase)

2.3%

of venture capital goes to female led startups. (source: Crunchbase).

$4.9b

went to female founders in the venture capital sector, compared to the $200 billion that went to all-male founders in 2020. (source: Crunchbase)

Introducing

The Girls Who Start
2023-2024 National Leadership Team

Ariel Beck – Founder and President

Brielle Ohana – Vice President

Ceane Corbett – Director of Multimedia

Vera Chaudhry – Vice President, Chapter Coordinator

Fay Hu – Co-Director, Hackathons & Startup Competitions

Toyosi Ajiboye – Co-Director, Hackathons & Startup Competitions

Rona Ismael – Co-Director, Summit

Jinara Weerakoon – Co-Director, Summit

Ellis Chung – GWS Publication Team, Editor in Chief; Co-Director, Summer Writing Workshop; Co-Director, Chapter Outreach

Olivia Castel – Co-Director, Chapter Outreach; GWS Publication Team, Advisor

Margaret Huai – Co-Director, Chapter Outreach

Abby Pashkoff – Co-Director, Chapter Outreach

Tania Patel – Co-Director, Chapter Outreach; Assistant Director, Mentorship Program

Eva Ross – Director, Mentorship Program

Ava Ohana – Assistant Director, Mentorship Program

Story Kummer – Assistant Director, Mentorship Program

Diya Jain – Director, Scholarships; Co-Director of Technology & Data Analytics

Zara Sule – Co-Director of Technology & Data Analytics

Ava Goodwich – Co-Director of Technology & Data Analytics

Sophie Bakshi – Co-Director of Summer Writing Workshop; Primary Writer, GWS Publication Team; Advisor of Hackathons & Startup Competitions

Suomo Quarshie – Primary Writer, GWS Publication Team

Ariana Tavakkoli – Primary Writer, GWS Publication Team

Yasmin Kahkesh – Primary Writer, GWS Publication Team

Nehir Topaloglu – Primary Writer, GWS Publication Team

Dea Pance – Primary Writer, GWS Publication Team

Ava Guarino – Primary Writer, GWS Publication Team

Check out the recap!

GIRLS WHO START
IMPACT SUMMIT 2023

This year’s Impact Summit was a one day event where attendees heard from inspiring female leaders, engaged in a leadership workshop, and connected with fellow young women interested in business in leadership!

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Shilpa Yarlagadda, Founder, Shiffon Co.

Check out the recap!

DESIGN CHALLENGE
HACKATHON 2023

This year’s Girls Who Start Design Challenge Hackathon brings middle, high school, and college young women from around the world together to design products with the theme of “femovation-” innovation that improves women’s lives.

Learn how to create an idea, prototype, and develop a pitchto promote your model with no past experience necessary!

KEYNOTE
SPEAKER

Professor Lori Rosenkopf, Vice Dean of Entrepreneurshipat Wharton

2022 diller teen Award Recipient

Girls Who Start and our Founder and National President, Ariel Beck, have been recognized by the Helen Diller Family Foundation as a 2022 Awardee of the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards. This award recognizes 15 Jewish teen leaders across the United States engaging in Tikkun Olam, "repairing the world." Thank you to all of our members, advisors, mentors, and supporters for believing in the Girls Who Start mission. We look forward to using this recognition to spread our mission and enhance our programming!

why start a chapter?

  • Connect with girls across the world interested in entrepreneurship and leadership

  • Hear from inspiring female entrepreneurs and leaders

  • Develop leadership skills by creating events at your school, impacting your school community, and interacting with your school administration

  • Learn how to reach out to leaders in the business community and how to market events

  • Gain access to social entrepreneurship, college counseling, and career development courses

  • Opportunity to apply for a national position

CHECK US OUT ON INSTAGRAM @GIRLS.WHO.START