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