Ten years ago, I made a decision that quietly transformed the way I lead, serve, and show up for my community. As a working professional, mother, and community advocate, I enrolled at Western Governors University to earn my bachelor’s degree in business marketing, and later my master’s in leadership.

That experience reshaped my understanding of access, mentorship, and what becomes possible when education meets courage. It affirmed something I had long believed: when women are supported, they build pathways not just for themselves, but for the next generation.

Access Changes Outcomes

In many of our neighborhoods, girls are growing up with talent and ambition, but without consistent access to spaces that nurture both. That belief — that access changes outcomes — is the heartbeat behind Yes Girls Create, the New York-based nonprofit I founded to empower girls ages 8 to 18 through creativity, mentorship, and wellness programming.

Our mission is simple but urgent: to ensure girls have spaces where their voices are heard, their ideas are nurtured, and their potential is affirmed early. We bring girls together with women leaders across industries for hands-on experiences that connect imagination to real-world opportunity.

Creativity as Confidence

At Yes Girls Create, creativity is a strategy for confidence and connection.

Each month, our participants engage in collaborative labs led by artists, entrepreneurs, engineers, wellness practitioners, and educators. A session might involve designing a product, creating a personal fragrance, building a small-business concept, or exploring STEM through tactile, engaging projects.

Whether the focus is financial literacy, leadership, mental health, or technology, we infuse each experience with a creative component that helps girls process what they are learning and see themselves reflected in possibility.

We have learned that when girls create with their hands, they begin to shape their identities. They speak up more. They ask sharper questions. They imagine futures they may not have previously seen modeled.

Just as important, they build community with one another. Many of our participants come from neighborhoods where access to enrichment programs can be inconsistent. Yes Girls Create works to close that gap by providing safe, affirming spaces where girls can explore their talents without pressure or limitation.

The Ripple Effect

To date, we have served more than 500 youth.

Families now gather at our annual Create Her Well Girls Conference, where girls and their parents engage in a full day of mentorship, wellness conversations, and career exploration. Parents also participate in a “Parent Academy” designed to strengthen legacy planning, financial literacy, and personal growth alongside their children’s journeys.

We have watched mothers enroll in college after attending our sessions. We have seen girls who were once shy step into leadership roles, present their ideas, and mentor younger participants.

These moments remind us that when you invest in one girl, you often uplift an entire household — and sometimes more.

Making STEM Feel Possible

We also launched WISELY — Women in STEM and Engineering Leading Youth — an initiative that connects girls directly with women working in science, technology, engineering, and math.

When a girl meets a woman who looks like her in a field she has never considered, the distance between aspiration and achievement narrows. Our goal is to make those introductions early and often, so possibility feels familiar, not far away.

Building What Comes Next

We have seen increased confidence in our participants, stronger peer relationships, and a growing network of women committed to mentoring the next generation. Our girls leave sessions with tangible projects and a renewed sense of belonging in spaces that once felt out of reach.

My journey as a graduate student taught me that leadership is about building bridges.

As we look ahead, our work continues to expand across New York City and beyond. We are forming new partnerships with schools, community organizations, and corporate leaders who understand that mentorship and creative development are essential.

This work matters now because the challenges facing our girls — from mental health pressures to economic uncertainty — show up in our homes and classrooms every day.

When I think about the future, I think about the girls who walk into our programs curious, cautious, and hopeful. I think about the moment they realize their dreams are valid and their creativity is powerful.

One decision — one “yes” — can ripple outward in ways we may never fully know.

Yes Girls Create exists to ensure that ripple continues, reaching more girls, more families, and more communities.

Because when girls are supported, their possibilities are limitless. And when a community invests in its girls, it invests in a future that is brighter for us all.

Therese L. Myers is the founder of Yes Girls Create Inc.