one by one®: Young Women LEAD
Young Women LEAD was established after female executive leaders in the Cincinnati and Louisville areas teamed up to create opportunities for high school girls to gain confidence and leadership abilities. The nonprofit now provides opportunities in leadership, education and development (LEAD) through conferences and clubs. Its founder and CEO, Sally Schott, wanted to show young girls the range of what’s possible—a perspective that wasn’t available when she was growing up.
In the 15 years since its launch, Young Women LEAD has hosted 67 conferences and reached more 46,000 girls. Annual events are held in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, sometimes bringing together 1000 girls to learn and see what’s possible for their futures. Young Women LEAD clubs share positive messages about the organization year-round. Supported by an online platform, its clubs are in U.S. high schools coast to coast, and there’s one club in Africa.
Inspiration and empowerment
Despite its lasting impact, Young Women LEAD has no full-time employees, and the growing organization is primarily powered by volunteers. It provides curriculum, clubs and experiences free to all young women. “This truly is an organization that’s community-driven and driven by people who have a passion for the mission,” said Kimberly Code, executive director.
“Some people might wonder how much impact a one-day event can have, but it changes lives because it plants a seed,” Code said. “We all have these micro-moments in our life where something happened and it changed the trajectory of our life. We see little moments like that over time, and we have girls come back and tell us their stories and the impact Young Women LEAD had on them.”
Conference swag bags welcome attendees
A one by one grant provided drawstring sportpacks that were used as conference swag bags for a fall gathering of 350 girls in Ashland, Kentucky. Each bag, imprinted with the Young Women LEAD logo, included a copy of the keynote speaker’s book, a T-shirt and giveaway items from local businesses.
Code said the bags become a keepsake from the event to remind the girls of the experience and help carry the organization’s message forward. “The girls loved them,” she said. “The bags were something they could take back to their schools with them and something to keep them connected to the event.”
A note from Cheryl
Young Women LEAD has spent 15 years helping girls gain confidence and leadership skills. Its work broadens the horizons for young women and prepares future generations of leaders. We were honored to support this mission by providing conference swag bags. If you’re interested in a one by one grant, visit onebyone.4imprint.com.