Girls With Impact CEO Jennifer Openshaw on her passion for empowering girls

In this episode, the Women on the Move podcast host Sam Saperstein talks with Jennifer Openshaw, CEO and Founder of Girls With Impact, an online business education platform for young women. Jennifer shares how her diverse experiences across Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and Main Street have shaped her leadership style and passion for empowering the next generation of women leaders.

Inspired to Empower

Jennifer was raised by a  single mother who worked two jobs to support her family. By age 7, she was already taking on caregiving responsibilities at home,  babysitting her siblings until midnight. At 12, she realized she wanted to achieve financial mobility. Starting as a motel maid at 14, she put herself through college, learning from role models outside her family about succeeding in business.

Before founding Girls with Impact, Jennifer worked in politics, asset management, and Silicon Valley. She served as press secretary to Kathleen Brown, helped her win the California State Treasurer office, and became a leader in financial education, later authoring her books  "The Socially Savvy Advisor" and "The Millionaire Zone."

Success Story

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Jennifer was inspired to focus on training the next generation of women leaders. She envisioned a "mini MBA" program to equip young women with essential skills and confidence.

This vison led her to create Girls With Impact, offering small live online classes based on Harvard Business School concepts. Her goal was to reach young women who might not have access to in-person meetings and level the playing field for women of all backgrounds.

Girls With Impact has empowered 16,000 young women so far. Jennifer believes the business world is eager for women at all levels, and Girls With Impact fills a crucial gap by providing ready talent from day one.

Disclaimer: The speakers’ opinions belong to them and may differ from opinions of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its affiliates. Views presented on this podcast are those of the speakers; they are as of November 12th, 2024 and they may not materialize