President's Day – A Look at Girls With Impact Leadership
By Jody Bell
Who are some of the leaders in your life and community?
As someone who has been involved with Girls With Impact since their first class 5 years ago, I know that the organization and it’s mentors have been guiding me throughout the entirety of my teenage years. I recall coming home from college after graduating the program years earlier and getting coffee with Jennifer Openshaw – CEO of Girls With Impact. We sat for hours laughing and talking about everything from life plans to college courses. Truthfully, my life would be entirely different without the key stakeholders at Girls With Impact, and I’m sure plenty of our current and past students can agree.
So, while President’s Day is traditionally a day to reflect on our nation’s past presidents, we wanted to take that a step further and also reflect on our leaders at Girls With Impact. The core team guiding the organization are some of the most supportive and driven women I’ve ever met, and their backstories are more than inspiring.
Without further ado, here’s a look at the miraculous women that are changing female representation in the business world one girl at a time.
1. Jennifer Openshaw – CEO of Girls With Impact
After understanding Openshaw’s background in business, it makes perfect sense as to why she started Girls With Impact – her own life helped inspire the organization!
At the age of 5 Openshaw was the eldest child to a divorced mother of three. By the time she was 7 her mother worked two jobs full-time to support the family, and she was tasked with caring for her two younger brothers. By 14 she took her first “real” job as a maid in a motel while also continuing to help raise her two siblings.
She went on to finance her own education and graduated from UCLA with an BA and MBA. During her time in college she dabbled in entrepreneurship – founding two startups before she even graduated!
After working at a number of different firms/agencies she went on to found Women’s Financial Network in 1999 as a start-up coming out of Silicon Valley. This was the first online financial firm created for women and was launched during a time where female financial literacy was not the norm. The breakthrough venture was acquired by Wall Street legend Muriel Siebert, and in recognition for her work Openshaw was named one of the Internet’s 25 Rising Stars in 2000.
She went on to be a notable columnist and commentator on multiple platforms, and held female-focused roles at global consulting firm Mercer along with JP Morgan Chase.
By 2017 Openshaw once again turned towards entrepreneurship. After a career working to embed females into male dominated spaces, she knew how deeply rooted the problem was. So, she founded Girls With Impact as a way to give young girls a leg up before they graduate college (for some – before they even graduate from high school!) As she says “I know first-hand how difficult it is for women to get ahead – and stay ahead. That’s why it’s time to create the first generation of women who will lead from the top. Women who will think nothing of creating a business or being the next CEO of their own business.”
2. Jessie Schutt-Aine – President, Philanthropy & Corporate Engagement
Schutt-Aine has spent her entire life giving back to the community after graduating with a Masters in Public Health and Master in International Affairs from Columbia University.
After graduation, Schutt-Aine went on to work with the International Planned Parenthood Federation before going on to work a number of different positions in the global fight to end HIV/AIDS. This included roles with the World Health Organization, UNAIDS, and more.
Schutt-Aine has worked around the world fighting for major public health issues, and has specifically worked to advance the rights and treatment of women and children. Here at Girls With Impact we are lucky to have such an inspiring and philanthropic leader.
3. Neha Shukla – Content Creator
At 16 years old, not only is Shukla on the Girls With Impact leadership team, but she is an inventor and entrepreneur herself.
Growing up during COVID-19 Shukla saw the world adapt to this new life that the pandemic brought on and the challenges that came with it – specifically social distancing. In March 2020 she created SixFeetApart – a wearable social-distancing device and app that uses ultrasonic technology to alert users when they are less than 6 feet away from someone. Her work was recognized by the late Princess Diana and the Royal Family through the Diana Award as well as by President Biden through the National Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award. She was also named a 2021 Global Teen Leader, representing the United States for her innovations and outreach.
SixFeetApart is just one of 5 different inventions that Shukla has brought into the world. Along with constant innovation and her involvement with Girls With Impact, Shukla has impacted 54,000 students from around the world through her Innovation & STEM workshops.
Plus, did I mention her book will be released in Spring 2022? It will be a guidebook breaking down the innovation process into 3 steps; saying I’m excited to give that a read is an understatement!
Each of these amazing women impacts the trajectory of Girls With Impact, and thus, the trajectory of the thousands of girls guided by the organization. This President’s Day, let's give these women, along with the other leaders in your life, a bit of gratitude and appreciation.
Jody Bell, 20 is Girls With Impact’s Editor in Chief and a program graduate from Greenwich High School. Girls With Impact is the nation’s only online, business and leadership program for girls 14-24, turning them into tomorrow’s leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators.