I believe in the power of entrepreneurship. I believe it is one of America’s super powers.

I also believe that entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting a business; it’s about finding a problem worth solving and mobilizing the resources to solve that problem. It’s about shaping the future around you. It’s one of the most powerful tools we have for shaping the future—and for building wealth. Yet too many young women are subtly taught that entrepreneurship isn’t meant for them. That’s not just a missed opportunity for them—it’s a loss for all of us.

At Girl Gonna Launch, we’re on a mission to change this.

Women have always been inventors, innovators, and changemakers. Women invented Kevlar, the life raft, the alarm system, the dishwasher, duct tape, the Murphy bed, the first programming language, frequency-hopping technology (that laid the groundwork for wifi, GPS, and Bluetooth), the first computer language, and I could go on and on...

For hundreds of years, women have designed products and services that have improved lives. And yet, we often find ourselves written out of the story of innovation and entrepreneurship. And here’s the truth: when women-led ventures get funded, they generate higher returns on that investment. Because women design solutions that address the needs of a huge portion of the population, and we take on challenges that have been long ignored.

Yet, despite all this, women are still less likely to see themselves as entrepreneurs, inventors, or investors. Not because we lack the skills or the drive, but because we’ve been conditioned to think we will fail. That needs to change.

Women can and do succeed as entrepreneurs. And we want girls to clearly see this path to success.

For nearly a decade, I’ve taught entrepreneurship at colleges and high schools in the midwest. I had the privilege of working with thousands of students from all 50 states and across the globe—from Asia to Africa to Latin America. These students weren’t just business majors; they came from backgrounds in art, creative writing, data science, psychology, and politics. And that diversity of thought made them exceptional entrepreneurs.

I’ve built an entrepreneurship curriculum with students and for students, one rooted in active learning, resilience, human-centered design, and the power of persuasive storytelling. My goal isn’t just to prepare students to launch ventures; it’s to equip them to think like entrepreneurs wherever life takes them—in business, in community, and in every challenge they choose to take on.

Over the years, I’ve seen the same pattern play out: smart, capable young women holding back, hesitating to see themselves as founders. They’d say, “Entrepreneurship is for guys.” “They’re more likely to get funded.” “Startups weren’t built for people like me.” But here’s the truth: that’s not a fact, it’s a lie we’ve all been sold. And it’s time we unlearn it.

Women can and do succeed as entrepreneurs. The problem isn’t ability—it’s visibility. If girls don’t see women leading companies, pitching to investors, securing funding, and launching ventures, they won’t see it as a viable or feasible option for themselves.

You have to believe you can do it in order to do it. And others have to believe in you, too.

That’s why I launched the Girl Gonna Foundation.

I knew I could use my experience to rewrite this story, writing girls back into the story of entrepreneurship. Around the world, women are seen as risk-averse, as fearful of failure, as less trustworthy leaders. They receive less funding from venture capitalists and angel investors—not because their ideas aren’t good, but because they don’t fit the outdated stereotype of what an entrepreneur should look like.

But here’s the thing: when female founders get funded, we all win. Consumers finally get products designed with them in mind. Problems that have been ignored get solved. The world becomes more innovative, more equitable, and more reflective of the people who live in it.

Research shows that women-led ventures not only outperform over time, but they’re also driven by purpose, creating real social and economic impact that prioritizes making life better for everyone

Let’s face it—if we want real solutions to the problems women and girls face right now, we will need to make it happen. Period. No one else is going to step up for us the way we can. It was women who designed the bra because she understood the need. A woman invented the dishwasher because she knew the weight of the labor. A woman who created the rape kit because she saw justice slipping through the cracks. And that’s exactly why we need more women entrepreneurs—because if we’re waiting for someone else to solve the problems that affect us and our children, we’ll be waiting forever.

The Girl Gonna Launch Foundation is committed to helping more girls see the value and potential in their BIG ideas and to develop their confidence to step up, take risks, advocate on behalf of themselves, and launch their BIG dreams.

When more women and girls succeed as entrepreneurs, the world changes for the better.

I believe fiercely in the promise & potential of entrepreneurship. And I am energized by and motivated to expand entrepreneurship to all and for all so that everyone gets a fair shot at achieving the American Dream.

Girl Gonna illuminate the path forward…