About YWL
15 years.
65 live events.
46,000 girls.
And growing.
Young Women LEAD is creating a national movement. On top of our 65 events, we’re offering YWL Clubs, leadership curriculum and more.
65 live events.
Expanding the horizons of teenage girls
“When I was a girl, I had limited possibilities. But that’s different for you. That’s because of the thousands of women who have come before you.”
Sally Schott
YWL Founder and CEO
YWL Clubs
YWL Clubs utilized in high schools carries forward and keeps alive the messages girls learn at Young Women LEAD events.
YWL ClubsOur Sponsors
Thanks to our sponsors’ commitment to developing strong girls, we provide free programming to all girls!
Volunteer
Behind every amazing nonprofit is a legion of dedicated volunteers. We welcome your expertise, skills and passion.
VolunteerA buzz that blossoms into a national movement
Young Women LEAD is the nation’s leading trusted provider of life-changing and experiential leadership events for high school young women that take place online, and on the campus of colleges and university partners.
Founded by Sally Schott on the premise of “women helping women,” Young Women LEAD launched in 2009, as the result of a team of diverse female executive leaders in the Cincinnati and Louisville regions who came together because they were concerned about a lack of opportunities for high school girls to build confidence and leadership — and felt that girls deserved to be prepared to face the challenges unique to their gender and generation.
Sally Schott, the CEO of SOAR — one of the nation’s leading-edge provider of peer-to-peer leadership development programs for high-potential women and minorities globally — teamed together with Julie Carrier, “America’s #1 Speaker for Teen Girls,” and what started as a local conference for girls has become a national movement supported by our nation’s most trusted brands.
Notable highlights:
- With more than 44,500 girls impacted through 65 events and registrations filling up often within 24 hours, Young Women LEAD is an established nonprofit with a proven track record of success in partnering with extraordinary women role models.
- In 2020 and 2021, the nonprofit delivered its first virtually delivered events. The Young Women LEAD Live! events presented by Toyota, attracted high school girls from 28 states and 4 countries!
- In 2021, Young Women LEAD expanded its reach with the creation of YWL Clubs and leadership curriculum.
- 2022 saw expansion to Robinson, Illinois and return to in-person conferences in Jasper, Indiana, and Kentucky conferences in Ashland, Highland Heights and Lexington.
- 2024, we expanded to Ottawa County, Ohio and are sparking a conversation and igniting a movement.
Our Mission
Drive a national movement to create generations of confident girls who know they can make their own choices and are given tools to control their own relationships, experiences, decisions, and futures.
Our Vision
To create generations of confident girls.
Our presenters and trusted brands provide experiences that engage young women to be confident and strong leaders. With the support of select brands and corporate impact partners, the events, clubs and curriculum are free to all young women.
The 3 Ws
As women, we succeed in large part because of the women who have come before us. Our logo reflects the contributions of each generation.
The first “W” represents the women whose sacrifices brought about the benefits we enjoy today.
The second “W” represents the women who have attained success by standing on their predecessors’ shoulders.
The top “W” is the young women of today whose foundation comes from the women leaders of today and yesteryear. We know they’ll give rise to future generations and lead in ways we may have only dreamed possible.