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.

Announcing

The Girls Who Start
National Leadership Team
2024-2025

Girls Who Start
Impact Internship for Your Future of Work

In partnership with University Startups, The Impact Internship places students in a simulation as an intern where students work individually and in teams to build skills in social entrepreneurship, college counseling, and career development.

Program goes from

October 16 - December 16

Applications are open and accepted on a rolling basis.

“The Girls Who Start Impact Internship has taught me a wide range of skills that I am excited to apply to my future to become a successful female leader. For example, we learned how to present ourselves in interviews, ask the right questions, and respond in a unique way. This is an amazing program that I am excited to continue.”
— GWS Impact Intern

What

THROUGH THE IMPACT INTERNSHIP, YOU HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO

Topics

  • 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

  • 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

Any Many More!

Girls Who Start

featured on Harvard Alumni

Global Development Global Minds Podcast

Presenting the 2024 Summer Writing Workshop

A weekly class, starting July 19th, to develop research and writing skills in young women K-12 who are curious about women in business. Students will acquire new found writing skills used to produce a final article. Selected student articles will be featured in the GWS Publication, with the top three being showcased on the front of the Girls Who Start website. Information on last year’s workshop can be found here.

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!

  • “My experience at Girls Who Start has been amazing. Set by the traditional stereotypical values, a lot of older-generation people in Hong Kong are not accepting of girls hitting the workplace and even starting their own businesses. By expanding this mindset of gender equality to my city (and to Greater Asia), I feel like I am changing a lot of lives and inspiring a lot of my peers to embrace themselves for what they love. Through holding speaker events and networking, our chapter has expanded quite a lot, having been listed as a supporting org for the SIIP Conference, and featured on magazines and radios. I have met a lot of passionate individuals who aspire to do great things. I also got to meet people around the world who share a common belief.”

    – Sydney Lei
    Co-Founder and Co-President
    Girls Who Start Hong Kong Chapter

  • “What distinguishes Girls Who Start from the other 80-plus student-led clubs at Sidwell’s Friends is its visionary leadership. Since its formation 5 years ago when its Founder and President, Ariel Beck, has expanded the club’s impact strategically by creating 54 chapters across the country and around the globe.

    This expansion led to a greater impact in girls involved in Girls Who Start (GWS) programs. One of the most impactful activities has been GWS leadership in start-ups competitions. These competitions are learning labs where participants learn to think critically about intentions vs impact, environmental sustainability, entrepreneurship, decision-making, and empowerment.

    Having been a faculty advisor to GWS has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my work as principal. I learned so much from just being there as an attendee during start-up competitions. I heard successful women-entrepreneurs speak about their successes and failures—speakers who have inspired a plethora of young girls in our schools. These speakers give our young women the confidence and resilience they need to succeed in the men-dominated fields of business, investment, entrepreneurship.”

    – Mamadou Guéye
    Sidwell Friends Principal
    Girls Who Start Sidwell Chapter Advisor

  • “Girls Who Start has made a major impact on our high school experiences, as well as has changed our lives for the better. We started the chapter in 2020 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas and recruited over 100 members. We were able to secure guest speakers who made an impact on our entire chapter. As we are now in our first year of college, Girls Who Start is still a very successful chapter at our school and will continue to change the lives of future young female entrepreneurs. The entire organization has inspired women all over the country. Its significant goals have made transformative impressions on the world.”

    – Abbie Daniels and Sarah Louis
    Alum Co-Founders and Co-Presidents
    Girls Who Start Marjory Stoneman Douglas Chapter

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

There’s still time to sign up! Join us tomorrow in Rockville, MD for the Girls Who Start Impact Summit, featuring speakers from Glossier, Huffapost, Shiffon Co., and more! Link in bio to register.
Introducing the 2023 Girls Who Start Impact Summit speakers! Get excited! First 100 tickets for only $2.50 with code GWS23 Link in bio to sign up.
Sign up for the Girls Who Start Impact Summit happening on April 22! First 100 in person tickets are only $2.50 with promo code GWS23 Speaker announcement coming March 22! All are welcome!
Happy International Women’s Day! Here’s to all of those incredible women out there who are working, studying, building something new, mothering, and supporting one another.
Congratulations to the Girls Who Start 2022 Hackathon winners! Our 1st place winners are Yabesra Ewnetu, Atilia, and Céline Cheng for The Childcare Network. In 2nd place is Annika Jobanputra, Alanna Yang, and Ananya Gupta for Selene Jewels. We
Ellis Island Honors Society 2023 Beacon Award Ceremony The Conrad Hotel New York City, New York January 18, 2023 The Beacon Awards selects 20 individuals each year for their influence in business, politics, philanthropy, and social justice. Thank y