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Today's newsletter is dedicated to making you the most interesting person in the room through nonpartisan, trustworthy news that’s actually enjoyable to read. Brought to you by The DONUT. |
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Hey Glow Gang! |
I’m so excited to share this week’s newsletter with you! |
First, we have an interview with a woman I admire so much: Alexia Hilbertidou. She’s the founder of GirlBoss NZ where young women are empowered to lead and change the world in STEM, entrepreneurship and leadership. |
Second, we’re giving away a $2,000 shopping spree! Whether you want to treat yourself, or focus on the basics (because, cost of living crisis), this giveaway will make your day for sure. Details below. |
Let's get glowing |
-Shilpa |
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Special Announcement |
Win a $2,000 shopping spree! |
We’re adding a little bit of spice to your life 🤌🏽 We’ve partnered with The GIST, The DONUT, Female Startup Club, Roca News, and The Future Party for a giveaway to win a $2,000 gift card to ANY brand of your choice! |
Name a better way to support your favourite woman of colour founded brand 👀 |
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News Of The Week |
The Willow Project And … Unicorns?! 🦄 |
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Environment |
What happened to saving the planet?! 😳 The Biden administration has approved the Willow Project in Alaska. The project’s estimated to produce 576m barrels of oil over 30 years. And, more than twice as many emissions than all renewable energy projects on public lands by 2030 would cut combined. Whoa! |
The local indigenous community is protesting the project, including Quannah Chasinghorse: “Why are we as Indigenous people continually told that we must sacrifice our lands, our way of life and health for other people’s jobs and the nation’s oil dependence?” Why indeed.
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Business and Entrepreneurship |
We love unicorns 🦄 A recent report found nine Black and Latina female founders have reached a $1 billion or higher valuation. A huge milestone considering less than 2% of VC funding went to women in 2022. The list includes founders across the health, finance and beauty industries. And some famous names - we see you RiRi 👋🏽 |
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More News Nuggets |
Extra Nuggets 👀 |
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Glowreel Recos |
What we’re loving this week: |
Make - Salpicón de Frutas (Colombian fruit cocktail - an alcohol free dessert) by Erica from My Colombian Recipes. Honestly, this dessert sparks joy 🍉 |
Watch - The Elephant Whisperers. The most beautiful, Academy-Award winning, short documentary that follows a couple in south India who devote their lives to caring for an orphaned baby elephant 🐘 |
Read* - The DONUT for unbiased, trustworthy news that’s actually enjoyable to read. Join 80,000+ daily readers and subscribe for free! 🍩 |
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Support BIPOC Women Owned Businesses |
‘Bossy’ Earrings by Haus Of Dizzy |
$35.00 (AUD, ships worldwide)
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Trailblazing Woman Interview |
Alexia Hilbertidou: Closing the gap in STEM, Leadership & Entrepreneurship through changemakehers |
 | Image: supplied. |
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Alexia Hilbertidou founded GirlBoss NZ in 2015 - when she was just 15 years old! Her aim? To tackle the lack of diversity in STEM, leadership and entrepreneurship. |
GirlBoss NZ provides young women with the tools, support, and network they need to succeed in these fields. |
We had the pleasure of chatting to Alexia to hear more behind her story and vision for GirlBoss NZ. Let's go! |
Hi Alexia! So exciting to have you here to today. Before we get into it, can you tell me a bit about yourself? |
As a woman of Greek and Samoan descent passionate about tech and business, I was acutely aware of the lack of representation of women in male-dominated industries, particularly tech, coding, and business. This lack of diversity inspired me to create GirlBoss NZ, an organisation that provides young women with the tools, support, and network they need to succeed in these fields. |
Through GirlBoss NZ, I've been able to help young women overcome the barriers to entry in these industries and achieve their full potential. We've created a community of 13,500 high school-aged members nationwide, many of whom are interested in STEM, Entrepreneurship and leadership. Our programs provide them with access to mentors, training, and opportunities to gain hands-on experience in these industries, helping to break down the gender and diversity barriers that have held them back. |
As someone who has personally experienced challenges due to my gender, I am passionate about creating a future where everyone has equal opportunities to succeed, regardless of their background or identity. My goal is to encourage more young women, particularly women of colour, to pursue their interests in these industries, and to provide them with the tools they need to succeed. |
Through my work with GirlBoss NZ and my own experiences as a woman in male-dominated fields, I am committed to advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and creating a world where everyone can reach their full potential. |
GirlBoss NZ is a much needed changemaking organisation - congratulations on all your success so far! Can you share more about what GirlBoss NZ aims to achieve and who the organisation is for? |
Thank you so much! At GirlBoss NZ, we aim to empower young women with the skills, confidence, and community they need to succeed in the 21st century. We believe that the gender gap is an issue that we must all come together to solve, and we're dedicated to providing young women with the support they need to achieve their full potential. |
Our programs are for high school-aged young women across New Zealand, from Northland to Invercargill, and we're proud to say that our members reflect the diverse makeup of our country. We're dedicated to ensuring that all young women, regardless of their background, have access to the tools and support they need to succeed. |
We offer a range of programs, including mentorship, training, and hands-on experience in fields such as tech, coding, and business. Our online career accelerator program has been particularly successful, reaching thousands of young women across New Zealand and beyond. |
Through our programs, we aim to inspire young women to use their skills and passions to create positive change in the world. We believe that the decisions made while young are crucial in paving the way, and we're committed to supporting the next generation of women leaders in New Zealand and beyond. |
You founded GirlBoss NZ in 2015 - how old were you at the time, and what motivated you to create your organisation? |
When I was 15, I met a female software engineer for the first time and it was a life-changing experience for me. It opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities, and I realised that I didn't have to conform to the stereotypes that society had laid out for me. |
But as I looked around my classes in high school, I saw very few girls who were interested in tech, coding or business - and even fewer who looked like me. I was the only girl in my Technology class and the only girl in my Physics class at my Co-ed High School. |
That's when I decided that something had to change. I wanted to create a community where young women like me could come together to learn, grow, and support each other. And that's how GirlBoss NZ was born. |
The biggest challenge and highlight of building GirlBoss NZ? |
The biggest challenge of building GirlBoss NZ was definitely overcoming my own self-doubt and imposter syndrome. I was only 16 at the time and wondered who I was to solve the problem of the gender gap in tech and business. But then I realized that if not me, then who? Why not me? I could learn anything I needed to learn along the way. |
Imposter syndrome is something that I still feel every day, but I'm constantly reminded of the inspiring women who have come before me and who have faced even greater challenges and self-doubt. Women of colour who have defied the odds and blazed the trail for others like me to follow. Women who were suffragists and threw themselves in front of carriages, or who fought for our rights and faced violent opposition. If they could overcome their doubts and fears to fight for what they believed in, then surely I can speak up in that meeting or take on a new challenge. Their strength and resilience are a constant source of inspiration and motivation for me. |
On the other hand, the highlight was seeing GirlBoss grow so quickly and make such a big impact. It was amazing to see how much our message resonated with young women across New Zealand and beyond. I was a passionate 16-year-old girl just chilling in my coding class, and suddenly GirlBoss NZ was growing at an unprecedented scale, with more and more young women joining us every day. It's still surreal when people tell me that because of GirlBoss they started a business or studied engineering. It's been an incredible journey, and I'm excited to see what the future holds for GirlBoss and for all the amazing young women out there who are making their own mark on the world. |
What’s next for GirlBoss NZ? |
Overall, my vision for GirlBoss NZ is to create a community of strong, ambitious, and unapologetic women who are breaking boundaries and pushing past their own self-doubt to achieve their goals. I believe that by supporting each other and lifting each other up, we can create a world where every woman has choices, purpose, and power. |
Your top tip for women who also want to blaze their own trail, and make a difference in the world? |
My top tip for all the badass women out there who want to blaze their own trail and make a difference in the world is this: Just Start! You don't need anyone's permission or validation. You already have everything you need within you. |
Take it from me, I started working on GirlBoss NZ while I was still in high school, juggling it with my studies. And it took me a while to realize that I could actually turn it into a real, full-time job. But when I finally did, it was the best decision I ever made. |
Now, I get to wake up every day and do what I love, helping amazing women like you make a difference in the world and make some serious cash while they're at it. And you know what? You can too! |
So just start taking action towards your dreams, no matter how small the steps might be. You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish when you believe in yourself and put in the work. |
And remember, there's enough success to go around for all of us. So let's lift each other up, support each other, and make our dreams a reality. Because when we do, we're not just changing our own lives, we're changing the world. |
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Take Up Space! With The Spill |
In partnership with The Spill. |
This week's recommended read from The Spill: Recognising the Trauma African Daughters Encounter in Families Privileging the Lives of their Sons. |
Angel Nduka-Nwosu breaks down why we need to address and end the culture of the "golden son.” |
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Lioness Thoughts |
Don’t listen to those who say YOU CAN’T. Listen to the voice inside yourself that says, I CAN. | | | -Shirley Chisolm
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Nominate A Shoutout |
Tell us about someone doing cool shit. |
It can be you, your friends or family or someone else you know. Whether you’ve just started a book club, are creating artistic makeup looks for fun, or are doing some research and want to hear from women of colour. We want to share thing cool things you’re doing with a community shoutout! |
Please send your nominations to hello@glowreel.co or DM us on our socials :) |
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This week's email was brought to you by Shilpa Bhim, founder of Glowreel. You can see more of her work at www.shilpabhim.com or follow her on Instagram @shilpa.bhim |
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