From the Shy, Quiet Student to the Confident Young Woman: Jody Bell’s, "I Feel Kind of Powerful"

It’s 2017, and Jody Bell, a shy 15-year-old at Greenwich High School, silently knew the answer to the question her teacher posed. 

Yet, she sat there, “in the back of the room and refused to raise [her] hand.” 

It wasn’t just that Jody was shy. She felt invisible in her classes – feeling safe while shrinking into the back of her classrooms and staying as quiet as possible. 

Yet, behind these feelings was a girl with so much passion that she often felt she was going to burst. She would attend protests – the one time where she was proud to use her voice – and engage in activism when she could. Her passion was the one thing that gave her confidence.

That’s why when she heard about Girls With Impact from a guidance counselor, she was intrigued. 

Three weeks into the Academy program, she notices a change – she says – “I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel kind of powerful.” 

She dives headfirst into the program. Learning business skills, harnessing her passion, and creating her very own business plan. 

In 2018, Jody launches “In Case of Deportation (I.C.O.D.) to help classmates and families address possible immigration separation issues.

She expected it to be a tool to help her friends and community. Yet, as she researches, she realizes that this is a national issue. She decides to take her venture to the next level. 

Only a few weeks after its release, Jody and I.C.O.D. are featured in an AP story that goes international. 

Her face begins to appear in headlines. She starts getting requests for speaking engagements. Even schools reach out to her asking for guidance on the topic. She embraces her newfound role in her community and realizes just how capable she is. 

Now it’s 2019 and Jody is going off to college. Her resume reads “Founder/CEO” at the very top, and she applies to every school with a recommendation from Girls With Impact. 

While she got into the vast majority of the schools she applied to, like many students, economic factors drove her decision. Her first choice school was out of reach – “my mom’s mouth dropped at $60,000 a year.” 

In an attempt to get a scholarship, Jody brings a copy of her I.C.O.D. press kit to the admissions office of her second-choice school.

After discussing her financial constraints with her admissions officer, she gets a call the next day – “they called me into guidance, offered me a $20,000 scholarship, and put me into the honors program in their business school.” She enrolled that very day. 

Now it’s 2020 – year 2 of college. With another GWI recommendation, she applies for more scholarships and gets a full ride at the College of Charleston. 

With time to explore more of her interests, she continues to pursue social entrepreneurship through her school’s ImpactX accelerator and launches her second venture. 

She launches a tech start-up with Caroline Greer after noticing the discrimination that women face in the tech field. While the pandemic halted the official commercialization of their venture, the two friends felt inspired by this intersection between impact and business. 

In the summer of 2020, Caroline and Jody launch a podcast discussing topics such as impact investing and social entrepreneurship. 

Jody recommends Girls With Impact to Caroline, who excitedly enrolls in the Academy program. Only a few weeks in, Caroline “learned that business and impact were not mutually exclusive.” The two of them remain friends and co-founders, and can still be spotted bouncing business ideas off one another at the local coffee shop. 

By her third year of college, Jody realizes that entrepreneurship may be the key to solving social/environmental issues. She declares a major in Finance and becomes embedded in impact-oriented investment strategies. 

Now, she is spending her summer in New York City, working for Blackrock’s sustainable investing team. 

The same girl who refused to raise her hand just 5 years ago is working at the world’s largest asset manager, has launched two ventures, and has found her life’s passion. Oh, and did we mention she’s done a TEDx Talk? 

As she states, “I wouldn’t be where, or who, I am today without Girls With Impact.”