My name is Siddhi Pal, and I am a 22-year-old college graduate from Delhi, India. Over the course of the last few years, I founded one of India’s first Girl Up clubs, served as a Girl Up Regional Leader for South Asia, and hosted a workshop on healthy activism at the Girl Up Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. Almost a decade ago, I co-founded India’s first Gay-Straight Alliance at the school level, and since have established an NGO that advocates for gender and sexuality-based equality in India and Sri Lanka, launched an international e-magazine with readership in over 13 countries, consulted with NGOs in 8 South-Asian countries while at a Commonwealth Youth Network, led a national organ donation drive, became the founding member of a start up in San Francisco, started a podcast to shift the narrative around conventional leadership with listeners in 17 countries, and developed an acute caffeine addiction. My advocacy efforts have been recognised by international organizations including the We Are A Family Foundation (New York), Global Changemakers (Switzerland), the Royal Commonwealth Society and the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust (United Kingdom). Often the only woman, person of colour, or the youngest person in the room, I have built unique perspectives on inclusivity. These experiences introduced me to the widespread application of Psychology and inspired me to pursue a BA in Psychology and Entrepreneurship from Ashoka University in New Delhi, which I followed up with an MSc in Organisational and Social Psychology at the London School of Economics and Political Science. The support of an international network of young women with shared passions has been a key driver in my journey so far, with the Girl Up community in particular inspiring me at every step of the way. I am incredibly excited about Girl Up’s partnership with the WealthiHer Network, and the opportunity it presents to meet more female peers, leaders, and experts from around the world. I look forward to theWealthiHer Network x Girl Up Next Level Leadership Program, growing myworkplace leadership skills, learning to make successful financial decisions,and becoming the most empowered version of myself.

For 10 years, Girl Up has been supporting a generation of young leaders, and I’m proud to lead our movement. Over the years it’s been my greatest privilege to see our community realize – and activate – their infinite potential to become changemakers and harness the self-confidence to lead their peers and make a global impact. While previous generations were concerned with glass ceilings and a seat at the table, girls and women today are shattering stereotypes and demanding that everybody stand – stand for something and stand together.  Girl Up’s programming works to close gender gaps in leadership across industries. Today, I’m excited to see young leaders apply the skills they learned in Girl Up workshops, boot camps, and Clubs to advocate for themselves as they enter the working world. The best time to prepare young women for equality in the workforce is before they get there. I’m excited to partner with WealthiHer to provide professional growth resources for our leaders who are learning to lead as they begin their careers. At Girl Up, our movement is measured in more than facts and figures – we want to make the world a better place for every girl, everywhere, starting with the impact girls can make in their own communities and everyday lives

My name is Maria Antônia Carvalho Dezidério, and I’m a 20-year old student at the University of São Paulo in Brazil.  I was born and brought up in Doron, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Salvador, Brazil. Growing up amidst underfunded and understaffed schools, social inequality, and gender violence, I was motivated from a young age to help find a solution to these issues. I learned about Girl Up through a friend I met at the Latin American Leadership Academy, a program for young leaders in Latin America that I participated in on a full scholarship. Girl Up’s goal to empower young women resonated strongly with my personal values, and only a few weeks later after being introduced to the organization, I founded Salvador’s first Girl Up club. There was only one problem: I had studied my entire life in a military school, where the subject “feminism” was something that we are not allowed to talk about. However, armed with the resources and confidence that my fellow club members and I had gained through our involvement in Girl Up, we began to speak up, to question the silence we had grown accustomed to. I continued to host club meetings, participated in the Girl Up Leadership Summit, and recruited more girls to the club. Today, although my school still does not encourage our club’s activities, more girls than ever before are participating in it and talking with their families about the importance of feminism and gender equality. The fact that these conversations had begun to happen, and that our Girl Up club was a safe space for all those who wanted to make a social impact, remains to date my biggest victory.  Currently, as a student in law school, I continue to face the same silence around gender and race discrimination as I did in high school – and continue to advocate for greater conversations on the issue. This is one of the reasons why I am tremendously excited for the upcoming Next Level Leadership Program because it will give me the tools that I need to become a stronger leader in my college and eventual workplace and help others in becoming empowered to speak up in their own communities. Also, my family comes from a difficult financial background, and I am especially interested in learning how to become financially independent. Finally, I hope also that this opportunity will help me find mentors who I can depend on for my growth and success.

My name is Necta Richard Mwitory, and I’m a 21-year-old programmer studying computer science at the University of Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania.  In 2017, I participated in Girl Up’s Women in Science (WiSci) STEAM Camp in Malawi, learning about science, technology, engineering, art & design, and mathematics alongside100 other teenage girls from around the world. This opportunity to explore my interests in STEAM and learn from experts based at Google, Intel, Nasa, and the American Society of Microbiology was a dream come true. The experience taught me many new things, especially the importance of empowering young girls to pursue careers in STEAM. As such, in my current role as Innovation and ICT Lead at the non-profit organization She Codes for Change, I teach young Tanzanian women basic computer and coding skills, in an effort to increase the number of women working in computing and technology in my country.  Just as women should have the opportunity to learn the digital skills they need to succeed, I believe women should also have the chance to learn about financial literacy— especially now, with the COVID pandemic disrupting the world economy, causing unemployment, and leaving many women uncertain of their future. Women have the right to financial freedom and economic independence, and I’m excited that Girl Up and WealthiHer are working to make this a reality for girls around the world.

My name is Jenan Abu-Hakmeh, and I’m a 24-year-old Senior Proposal Specialist at Charter Communications in New York City.  I learned from my professors at the New Jersey Institute of Technology the importance of establishing and maintaining professional relationships. I consistently kept in touch with those I studied, volunteered, and worked with, and doing so has paid off for when I needed recommendations or references for various opportunities, including a 2019 Fulbright Research Grant from the U.S. Department of State.  Networking has helped shape my personal and professional life immensely, allowing me to find reliable friends and mentors who are invested in my success. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to grow my network through the WealthiHer Network x Girl Up Next Level Leadership Program, and look forward to connecting with and learning from other female professionals.

My name is Lindsay Schrier, and I’m a 25-year-old Research Analyst at AEW Capital Management in Boston, Massachusetts.  I joined Girl Up during my senior year in school, and it was one of the most impactful decisions of my entire high school career. I was interested in social justice and activism, but I wasn't able to find many people my age in my community who were interested in the same things. I applied to be a Girl Up Teen Advisor and was so lucky to be selected. The experience introduced me to a whole cohort of girls from around the country who were passionate about the same things as I was — gender equality and female empowerment. We learned from each other and worked to find the best strategies and skills for fundraising, political advocacy, community organizing, and fostering leadership in our clubs. I loved my experience with Girl Up so much that I decided to continue my involvement with the organization in college, serving as the president of the Girl Up Boston Coalition, interning at Girl Up’s office in Washington, D.C., and participating as a counsellor for the 2018 Women in Science STEAM Camp in Windhoek, Namibia. My involvement with Girl Up guided my academic choices, and I majored in International Studies and minored in Women's & Gender Studies to learn even more about economics, politics, and fighting for gender equality. Since graduating from Boston College in 2018, I have been working in finance as are search analyst for an investment management firm based in Boston. Outside of my role at work, I've become increasingly focused on the importance of personal finance, as my friends and I have had to consider making our first real budgets, paying off student loan debt, and saving for our future goals. I have started listening to podcasts, reading blogs, and following social media accounts that highlight what skills are needed to empower women to take charge of their financial well-being. I am so excited for the WealthiHer Network’s and Girl Up’s Next Level Leadership Program. I am particularly looking forward to the workplace leadership development workshops and financial literacy sessions. I know that being able to effectively manage my finances offers me the freedom to make the decisions I want in my personal and professional life, and I am excited for the opportunity to learn from and support other women as we gain these skills together through the NLLP.

My name is Linh Nguyen, and I’m a 20-year-old political science student at the University of Toronto in Canada. I am incredibly excited for the upcoming Girl Up Next Level Leadership Program. As a youth leader and financially independent student, I understand the importance of financial literacy. Not only does it equip us with the knowledge and skills we need to manage money effectively, it can also empower women, helping build a solid foundation for success. In my eyes, this is an excellent opportunity to make strides in our effort to address larger societal issues, such as equality and justice, poverty, and domestic issues like financial abuse, as well as income security and retirement. Globally, we cannot achieve holistically empowered communities if women do not have access to the same opportunities to thrive and be successful.  Throughout my work, education, and time with Girl Up, I have been able to develop strong relations with mentors. By extension, my relationships have allowed me to connect with professionals within my career field, seek guidance in achieving my professional goals, as well as feel supported. Having experienced this, I am ecstatic to see that these opportunities are being expanded globally, through the Girl Up Next Level Leadership Program.