Girl with Grit Program

The Vision

For the past year, I watched students entering my retail front and studio space with their handmade products in hand. I watched the talent and the interest in selling. I watched them create brand names. Price their products. 

As they went through the motions, I sat back taking stock in these young women creating businesses, blissfully unaware that they had taken the direction from a maker to an entreperneur.

My background is in launching ideas. Blending a thought of a business with a passion to put it in motions and make it a reality.

I realized that it was time to take a leap pf faith and let my space go to them. They needed equipment, an open studio, a think tank. But beyond that, they needed to see a variety of women in business, how we turn passion into profit.

Knowing that no reasonably strong educational and mentoring program could be for-profit, I quickly pulled a board, the 501c3, and put the idea in motion for a nonprofit. I understand parents can only pay so much for programming for their kids. I realized the best skills for these young women were also to learn to fund this program independently. To learn profit margins, how-to sell, how to develop ideas that people want to buy.

As time marches on, I hope to also get them a mobile storefront. That is right, we are not just seeking funding for a space, but also for a truck to be redone in this project that allows them to take their products to different locations under the Girl with Grit name. Please read about our truck project and lend support if you can.