Welcome to StartUpGirl™!
...Where inspired girls and opportunity meet
StartUpGirl™ is a one-of-a-kind event dedicated to providing girls ages 11-17 with the opportunity to pitch their entrepreneurial ideas in a healthy, supportive, competitive environment.
In addition to 'pitch time' young female entrepreneurs will gather for the day to hear successful young business women speak and to participate in a variety of fun, dynamic and interactive activities and workshops presented by REALgirl®. Our goal is to inspire confidence and provide tools necessary for girls to successfully create their own personal and professional path in the world.
Who can apply?
Any girl between the ages of 11 – 17 (special exceptions will be considered for exceptional girls below the minimum age).
How do I apply?
To apply you must complete and send in the online application. Once we have received your application, we will contact you via email with a registration form and photo consent form, both of which must be completed, signed by your parent(s) and post marked by February 11th, 2012.
What are we looking for in a business idea?
All you need is the drive to create something (and a great idea doesn't hurt!). We'll be looking for ideas with potential. Ideas that would create jobs, solve problems, inspire others, or just plain sound like something people will want.
What will I win?
Thousands of dollars in seed money, an online storefront, and six weeks of mentoring and consulting with a successful local business woman.
Additional prizes will be given to girls whose proposed business promises to bring positive change to their communities.
These include:
- The proposed business that boasts the ability to create the greatest number of new jobs
- The proposed business that boasts the ability to empower girls and women
- The proposed business that boasts the ability to help the environment
How many winners are there?
Three semi-finalists will be chosen. Additionally, some girls who demonstrate a talent for marketing, organization, and public relations may be "hired" to help with the winning ideas to receive a "salary" of $500 for their role.
Then, six weeks after the event, on April 16th, the progress of each of the semi-finalists in creating her business will be assessed and one finalist will be announced!
Where is it?
Our first event will take place in Los Angeles at a soon-to-be-disclosed location.
When is it?
StartUpGirl™ will take place on March 3rd and on the morning of March 4th, 2012.
What Else?
All participants are required to sign a media release form, as cameras will be capturing footage for possible televised programming.
Does StartUpGirl™ own my idea?
NO! StartUpGirl™ is not looking to start a business. We're in the business of encouraging growth in young women.
But what if someone steals my idea?
You can't make your dreams come true, if you keep them in your head. StartUpGirl™ will use the utmost discretion in making sure that the only people who hear and see your ideas are interested in helping you to bring them to fruition. And if footage airs that contains your idea, you just created a market audience…and the world can see that it's your idea!
StartUpGirl™ Creator & Facilitator Anea Bogue
A highly sought-after contributor to various media outlets, Anea Bogue is an acclaimed self-esteem expert who specializes in working with women of all ages, including adolescent girls. The mother of two daughters, Anea is absolutely passionate about the empowerment of girls and women and has dedicated more than half her life to this cause. She brings 20 years of experience to her work as an educator, certified life coach, consultant, writer and speaker. Anea is also the creator and director of REALgirl™, a revolutionary empowerment program for girls ages 9 – 16, yielding incredible transformations in girls. Whether through her upcoming television special, featured articles or speaking engagements, or as a highly-credentialed coach, confidant and consultant, Anea is committed to helping each girl and woman discover her authentic self and reach her highest potential. To learn more about Anea please visit www.AneaBogue.com.
StartUpGirl™ Lani Lazzari
Lani ( Lay-nee) Lazzari ( La-ZAR-ee) is the CEO and founder of the all-natural skincare company Simple Sugars. Simple Sugars manufactures and sells handmade all-natural body, facial, and foot scrubs. Lani founded Simple Sugars in Dec of 2005, when she was 11 years old, in an effort to create natural skincare products that would be safe to use on her very sensitive skin.
Now six years later, Lani's brand has been endorsed by beauty editors at some of the world's biggest magazines and has garnered a loyal fan base all over the country. Lani is a role-model for young women everywhere and her passion for inspiring girls to follow their dreams has made her an ambassador for female entrepreneurship.
Lani attends the Ellis School in Pittsburgh PA and will begin her senior year in September. Lani is a lifelong resident of Pittsburgh where she lives with her mom, dad, and two younger brothers.
StartUpGirl™ Juliette Brindack
The Miss O & Friends® brand is created and managed by girls who've outgrown Barbie but not ready for Britney. #3 ranking "Girls Only" websites worldwide (Amazon Alexa Data), The Procter & Gamble Company is our largest investor. At age 10, Juliette created what is now Miss O & Friends. Cool, age appropriate and esteem building, Miss O reflects the needs of our community, offering character building opportunities (like girls getting their original stories published and sold in bookstores nationwide). Through www.missoandfriends.com, tweens can socialize, play, create, learn, exchange ideas, get help, compare experiences, get published and much more ... all within a safe, non-chat environment.
As a two time invited participant to the International Economic Forum YIEF in St. Petersburg, Russian, Juliette believes strongly in self-development, coupled with responsibility.
This past November, 2011, Juliette returned from the G20 Summit as a delegate of the United States, representing the Entrepreneur Organization.
Other current accomplishments include:
- Selected by Fortune Magazine as a member of "The Next Gen Entrepreneurs under 25," October, 2011
- Selected, "America's Coolest College Start-Ups," Inc. Mag., Feb., 2011
- "Top 50 Women Who Inspire Us," Self-Made Magazine, Nov., 2010
- GSEA Global Finalist - best student entrepreneurs competing worldwide, Kauffman Center, Nov., 2010
Syndicated columnist, Miss O's "KidsCounsel" (Dear Abby for young girls), distributed via McClatchy/Tribune – over 700 papers worldwide
StartUpGirl™ Jean Brittingham
Jean Brittingham is the founder and author of The SmartGirls Way. She is an expert in sustainable development, communication, leadership and culture, economic and cultural innovation, women's equality, and the future of entrepreneurism. Jean is a member of the Katerva Challenge Global Experts Panel, and has served as an advisor and faculty member for the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership, and sits on numerous business and nonprofit boards. Jean founded SmartGirls way after a 17-yr career in business. While working as a consultant to some of the world's largest brands, Jean began to see a significant need for the unique views and attributes that women can bring to the design of a sustainable future. Fueled by her passion and driven by integrity, Jean established SmartGirls Way and began creating the products and approaches to help rapidly scale the women's entrepreneurial movement to create the next economy--an economy designed as if the future matters. "From a very early age I wanted to make a positive difference in the world. My breakthrough moment came in 1993 when a Future Search conference introduced me to the concept of sustainability. I knew that working to help create a planet where the economy works for all people and leaves a positive legacy for the future has guided every decision I have made since."
StartUpGirl™ Kyle Smitley
Kyle Smitley is the owner and founder of barley & birch, an American made 100% certified organic clothing line for children, which pledges to give over half its profits to environmental and social causes around the globe. To date, barley & birch has given over $3 million to small groups to fund everything from sustainable agriculture education in El Salvador to providing shelter to victims of abuse in Belize.
This year, barley & birch announced the creation of its own foundation to streamline the giving of the company and allow them to collaborate with its countless friends within the childrenʼs and green industries. These companies will come together to co-sponsor everything from schools to clinics, in areas in which barley & birch has first-hand experience. Smitley also proudly opened their first self-funded orphanage in Haiti in June 2011.
Through various speaking opportunities at some of the top business schools and education centers around the nation, Smitley shares her knowledge on how to improve local communities and showcases new topics of interest in social good and philanthropy, which can be inserted into any business model. Smitley empowers young men and women on the message that anything is possible with drive, determination, and passion. She showcases how she began in business as a 23-year-old surfer with no experience and lead barley & birch to a now multi-million dollar, profitable, responsible, and sustainable company. At the age of 26, Smitley has led barley & birch to substantial growth since its inception in 2008 and the collection is now carried at over 100 of the top retailers around the country as well as over 200 retailers internationally. Smitley is a graduate of DePauw University and has been featured in publications such as Inc. Magazine, Fortune, and The Huffington Post.
StartUpGirl™ Melanie-Rae
Melanie Rae wrote the GUIDED Business Plan and GUIDED Social Media Plan books to enable entrepreneurs to easily convert their ideas into a coherent plan of action. Her process is basic. Write, research, edit, format, proof. Her company licenses training materials to non-profit business development organizations. She has written business plans, manuals and training documents for a variety of clients in industries ranging from entertainment to financial services to home goods. In October 2010, she sponsored and hosted the first Entrepreneur Executive Briefing: Network, Plan & Take Action six-hour forum. Previously she organized two Dream Makers: Access to Business Capital seminars, one of which was sponsored by Microsoft Corporation. She is a Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor who has taught over 1,000 software application classes to adult students during the past decade. Melanie graduated from Boston University with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance. Melanie is a facilitator, trainer, author, curricula designer and scrappy entrepreneur.
StartUpGirl™ Krystal Harell
FORTUNE named Krystal Harrell the Next-Gen Female Entrepreneur during their annual Most Powerful Women Coverage. Economic America says, "She has a keen financial know-how and entrepreneurial spirit in starting and operating her own business." Krystal is an honoree of the Merrill Lynch Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and nationally recognized as "Miss Business".
Before selling her mobile boutique in 2009, Harrell got her start as an entrepreneur over a decade ago with a $20 loan from her mother. She began by selling pajamas door- to-door and later expanded into customized apparel and accessories. After studying at Columbia College and The Art Institute of Charlotte, Harrell represented top-notch brands across the country such as Disney, DirecTV, Operation Smile and Dare America.
In 2010, Harrell started Create Exposure, a youth marketing agency specializing in market research, creative development and technology solutions that help brands to better understand and connect with young consumers. She serves as a National Youth Speaker working with international brands, corporate entities and small businesses, providing practical advice on the field of entrepreneurship and small business development.
She has been featured on WhiteHouse.gov, CNN Money, MSNBC, and more. She is set to launch an online media lounge for young entrepreneurs (KrystalTalk.com) in January 2012.
StartUpGirl™ is a division of REALgirl® and is presented by:
