3 Day Startup is an education program catered to entrepreneurship and learning by doing. It is designed for university students all over the world, and now UCLA has the opportunity to host. The goal of the program is simple: build a startup company in 3 days. Sounds like a fun challenge!

In 3 days, students will come together, form groups, and start building a technology company. Students with different skills and backgrounds are invited to attend – because together, we can create something great!

The event’s ultimate goal is to build momentum among students that will hopefully motivate them to continue to create the startup past the 3 days. If that doesn’t work out, the event still has its benefits. Students will be able to connect with other like-minded students, improve their current skills and learn new ones!


GirlsUp member Shel Han took the initiative to host this event. We're so proud of her! Way to go! 

The event will be held February 6-8th at Kerchoff Grand Salon, UCLA

To learn more about 3 Day Startup, please visit: http://ucla.3daystartup.org

Silvia is a junior undergrad at USC's Marshall School of Business. She is interested in the fields of Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Education. Silvia is also a member at the Latino Business Student Association and the Student Alumni Society. Currently, she's working with Yang Camp, a startup which uses concepts from Finland's education system and the Lean Startup entrepreneurship method to teach urban youths how to solve problems in their communities. Thanks to Pocket and GirlsUp, Silvia was able to find this opportunity to develop her entrepreneurial skills, and simultaneously, be able to be involved in what she loves!

Why Did You Join GirlsUp?

GirlsUp is an organization that fit what I was looking for as it helps me grow as an entrepreneur. We always hear that networking and maintaining connections are powerful and I couldn't agree more. GirlsUp has greatly contributed to my professional career as I was able to find many internships of  interest and more importantly, I have met many passionate and innovative leaders that have made an impact in the world.

At GirlsUp, I learned that there are endless possibilities around us and we have to maximize our resources, focus on what we want, and work hard to achieve it! I couldn't be more grateful and happy to have joined GirlsUp and meet inspiring entrepreneurs. It has opened up many doors for me to make a direct impact in children's education, further solidifying my passion to guide them towards a brighter future.

 

GirlsUp members, meet Melissa! Melissa is a current graduate student at USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. She is a Masters candidate for the Strategic Public Relations program. When she's not a school, she blogs part time at Melrosa Avenue, a lifestyle and travel blog. She is also the VP of Internal Relations for TriSight Communications (a student run PR agency) and is a social media & PR volunteer for GirlsUp!

 

Why Did You Join GirlsUp?


Immediately when I saw GirlsUp's Facebook page, I knew I wanted to be part of this community, not just as a member but as a volunteer as well. The mission and vision of GirlsUp aligned with my personal goals and I wanted to be part of something that helped me achieve these goals. I also wanted to part of a community that allowed me to help others achieve their goals.

 

I've always wanted to join a community of smart and ambitious women, because I truly believe the people you surround yourself with impact your life. If I want to achieve my personal and professional goals, I knew I had to surround myself with like-minded individuals. I clearly evident that this community supports and encourages each other to go after their dreams.

 

I also joined GirlsUp for its endless opportunities. Not only do I get to meet like-minded people, but I also get to network with inspiring mentors and entrepreneurs. The events put on by GirlsUp also convinced me to join, as they are memorable, fun and beneficial. GirlsUp is unlike any other organization dedicated to young female entrepreneurs and that is what makes it so great! It's one of a kind. I can't wait to see what the future holds for GirlsUp!

 

This new series shares advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
 Written by GirlsUp member Melissa Ariganello from melrosaavenue.com

If I could define 2014 for me personally, I would say it was the year of personal branding. This time last year, I started a blog, got active on Twitter, networked like crazy – all for the purpose of growing my personal brand. What is a personal brand? It is something that defines you. It allows you to communicate aspects of yourself to others, that helps to differentiate you. It comes in handy, especially when job hunting. You're often encouraged to sell yourself, and personal branding allows you to do just that.

If you're new to the concept of personal branding, you may not know where to start. At the beginning of 2014, I had no idea how to create my personal brand, but I learned along the way. It has helped me tremendously, and I encourage every aspiring entrepreneur to work on building theirs today. Here are 3 things you can do to start building your personal brand:

Get On Twitter
Twitter is the best tool around to help you build your personal brand. Twitter allows you to connect with others that have similar interests, so that you can expand your network. It also helps you to become an influencer in your field/industry, by allowing you to share insight and articles. If you want to use Twitter to shape your personal brand, make sure to use it correctly. Keep the personal status updates at bay, and use this platform professionally to expand your network. You never know who you can meet through Twitter! From industry experts, to mentors, to potential bosses – Twitter is the perfect online networking tool.

Create A Blog
We all have something to share with the world. Whether it be helpful tips or opinions, you can use blogging to share a part of yourself that ultimately contributes to shaping your personal brand. Having a blog also improves your skills and makes for a great portfolio. Through blogging, you will learn to improve your writing, learn new computer languages, and learn new design skills. Your blog can focus on one interest or various interests, just make sure it fits your personal brand and vision. Blogging is a tool you should take advantage of because the benefits are endless!

Network – online & offline!
If you want to strengthen your personal brand, you'll need to connect with others and expand your network. Part of your personal brand consists of what people associate with you. Do people see you as a driven entrepreneur? Think about what you want to portray, and use networking to cement that idea. Attend networking events and mixers (such as GirlsUp's Magic Mixers!) to be more strategic with your personal brand. As for online networking, use Twitter to make connections with those that you can later touch base with offline.

Hope these tips have provided a good foundation for building your personal brand!

(This series highlights studies relevant to aspiring female entrepreneurs. Written by Isabel Hirama)

For decades, we’ve known about the infamous “glass ceiling” that gets in the way of women rising to high-level positions.  Unfortunately, it’s not the only invisible force that’s sabotaging women’s careers. Research has also revealed a “glass cliff” phenomenon: women who do reach top leadership roles are more likely than men to lose this status and fall from their positions. Read on to find out if you could soon be teetering on the edge of a glass cliff, or worse, pushing someone off it.

What they did:

In 2010, researchers from Yale and HEC Paris proposed a theory that could explain the glass cliff phenomenon. Their theory was that for women in stereotypically “male” roles, small mistakes are judged more harshly and can quickly make them lose reputation and status.

To test this theory, the researchers created fictional scenarios with main characters who were police chiefs or CEOs of aerospace engineering firms – jobs traditionally associated with men. They had participants read various versions of the scenarios. In the different versions, the main character was either male or female, and he or she either completed a job-related task without making a mistake, or completed the same task but made a mistake.  The participants then rated the characters for competence and how much status they deserved.

What they found:

The researchers’ first comparisons were encouraging: in scenarios where no mistakes were made, male and female characters were given equally high ratings. Characters that made a mistake were given lower ratings, overall.  Fair enough.

The damaging “glass cliff” effects became obvious when comparing the mistake scenarios.  While ratings dropped somewhat for male characters that made a mistake, they plunged for women, even though the fictitious mistakes were identical.  Female characters that made mistakes instantly lost far more perceived competence and status than their male counterparts.

What this means:

Clearly, there is a double-standard at play here. When participants read about male characters making a mistake, it seems that they wrote it off as an exception. When females made one, they assumed it was the rule. It seems that high-profile women are perilously perched at the edge of the cliff, and a small slip can lead to a great fall.

So are men safe from the glass cliff? According to this study, no. When the researchers switched the profession in the scenarios to a traditionally female job (president of a women’s college), the results flipped. Women who made a mistake were rated only slightly lower, while the ratings men who erred took quite a tumble.

Here’s another surprise: throughout the study, these biased responses came from both male and female participants. This means that it is not just men pushing women off the cliff, or women pushing men. Neither are immune to this bias. This makes the work of organizations like GirlsUp especially important. Not only do we help girls climb to great heights, we must make sure we’re not unintentionally pulling each other back down.

This study reminds us of the dangerous power of assumptions, and challenges us to reexamine our perceptions. Everyone makes mistakes, including competent, brilliant leaders – male and female. When they do, let’s allow them to dust themselves off and carry on, defying the threat of glass cliffs, glass ceilings, and anything else that tries to get in their way.

You can read the full text of the study, “Hard Won and Easily Lost: The Fragile Status of Leaders in Gender-Stereotype-Incongruent Occupations” here, published in the September 2010 edition of Psychological Science.

(Written by Isabel Hirama) 

At GirlsUp, we believe that when the power of female entrepreneurship is fully unleashed, the world won’t know what hit it. In this series of Research Spotlights we’ll be unpacking studies that back up this belief with empirical evidence. In each post, we’ll lay out one study’s core details and results. Then we’ll discuss how this can help you on your quest towards entrepreneurial success.

Our first study, conducted in 2012 by Dow Jones, asked a simple question: “Do female executives drive startup success?” You won’t be surprised by the answer, but you may be taken aback by the stats that go along with it. Let’s take a look at the study.

What they did:
The Dow Jones VentureSource research team examined data gleaned from 15 years of tracking over 20,000 VC-backed companies in the US. They split up the startups into three groups:

Successful companies had either become consistently profitable, gone public with an IPO, or were sold for more than their initial VC investment.

Unsuccessful companies were those that did not meet any of the above criteria. That is, they had not become profitable, even if they were still running.

Failed companies made up a subset of the “unsuccessful” group. They were companies who not turned a profit and had gone out of business.

The researchers then looked at the companies’ high-level executives (over 150,000 of them) to compare the three groups’ amount of women leaders, with striking results.

What they found:
The study’s results fill over thirty pages with graphs and data, but even just a few important results paint a vivid picture. For example, among the study’s 20,194 businesses, the researchers found that: 

  • 45% did not have a single female executive (leader with high-level decision-making power). 
  • Just 9% had four or more female executives, while 81% had four or more male executives.  
This alone would convince most people that we need more female entrepreneurs. But there’s more. Results also showed that:
  • At unsuccessful companies, a median of 3.1% of executives were female, while at successful companies the number was over twice that, at 7.1%. 
Although the proportions in both groups were disappointingly low, it’s clear who was on the right track. Reaching success as an entrepreneur is no easy feat, and any advantage is a good one. In their next comparison, between the “successful” and “failed” groups, the researchers found that: 
  • 49.7% of these companies had succeeded and 50.3% had failed. 
Very few factors seemed to change this almost fifty-fifty chance, except for one: 
  • Among companies with five or more female executives, 61% were successful and only 39% failed. 
Too bad, as we saw earlier, that so few of the companies had even four women leaders. 

What this means: 

These results strongly suggest that yes, women do drive startup success. Clearly the 45% of companies with no female leaders are missing out. It’s important to note that the correlation between female execs and success does not guarantee that women caused each and every success. Still, alternate explanations are equally encouraging. Perhaps successful founders wisely made sure their teams included women, or women were better at predicting which startups would succeed, and joined accordingly. The truth is likely is a mix of all these explanations, and more. 
In any case, this research is significant to anyone embarking on the unpredictable adventure that is entrepreneurship. Men, keep this in mind when choosing your co-founders. Women, know how vital you are as trail-blazers and team-mates. The startup world needs more smart, savvy women leaders, and if you’re part of the GirlsUp community, you are well on your way to becoming one of them. 
You can read the full text of the Dow Jones VentureSource study, “Women at the Wheel. Do Female Executives Drive Start-up Success?” here.

Joining GirlsUp has empowered me by opening doors to an entirely new career and lifestyle: entrepreneurship. It was a year ago when I started thinking about entrepreneurship in the future because I longed to run a business that I believe in and have control over. However, I put my thoughts about entrepreneurship at the back of my head as I knew that it will be a long time before I am financially and intellectually ready for the venture.

Meeting GirlsUp changed that mindset.

Some of the entrepreneurial ideas I had before joining GirlsUp included developing mobile Apps. I had neither the skills nor the financial resources to start the project. If I hadn't met GirlsUp, I would have kept the app idea at the back of my head as I normally would. However, learning about GirlsUp and hearing the stories from young entrepreneurs I met through GirlsUp gave me the “Just Do It” mindset.

Pocket, the founder of GirlsUp, is an excellent example of this mindset. It was about three months ago when she first had the idea to start a group aimed at empowering young female entrepreneurs. A month later, she established the organization and hosted its first event. The pioneering event attracted an astonishing number of guests to RSVP, of almost two hundred! The event was complete with thoughtfulness put into every little detail, from the intricate decorations, mouthwatering cupcakes, to the strong support from the guest speakers. In a very short amount of time, she has not only transformed an idea into reality, but also built a powerful brand for GirlsUp.

Working alongside with such a dashing girl is inspiring to me though she wasn’t the only one that changed me. The entire team of GirlsUp embodied this “Just Do It” spirit. Every staff of GirlsUp has shown such passion, dedication and faith to the shared mission of our group. In merely a few meetings, we have planned and executed the second and third events without time wasted in between. We just got to it and got it done right away. And it was this kind of execution power that led me to look at entrepreneurship differently.

GirlsUp taught me that ideas are worthy, but those actions that make the ideas real are truly of value. This was also the conclusion I have reached after hearing multiple speakers talk about their own entrepreneur stories. With entrepreneurship, you will never know when you are fully ready because entrepreneurship cannot be learned, it is experienced through trial and error. The longer you wait, the more likely your ideas will be taken, and the more time you are losing to building potential success.

I have heard many girls who have ideas, but are afraid that their ideas may be turned down for being naive and ignorant. But here, at GirlsUp, the mentors whom I have personally met at our events don’t judge. They listen. I felt that quality of patience and willingness to offer help in every mentor I’ve talked to. Having the right mentor or established entrepreneurs listen to your ideas and mentor you through your plans of action is so important in the early stage of entrepreneurship.

I have gone to other career development club’s mentorship events and experienced that those mentorship relationships were too fragile and business-oriented. On the contrary, GirlsUp’s mentors felt different. It didn’t take long to get to know them because there was no business wall of barrier to start with. These are all made possible since those mentors strongly believe and support the mission GirlsUp is pursuing to achieve.

At the Magic Mixer event, I pitched my mobile app ideas to the mentors and was connected to other professionals and resources that will help me further my ideas. In addition, I was also invited to another networking event the very next day that helped me land an internship. With new members joining us at every event, GirlsUp is like a home to ambitious and talented young girls.

Being surrounded by like minded individuals gave me the courage and support to start exploring different ways to make my ideas real. In fact, the inspiration I have received from GirlsUp prompted me to start a club of my own, which will launch in 2015 at USC. “ I will do everything I can to support and make this happen!” was what I got from Pocket when I told her about my ideas!

With a beautiful mission, a strong “just-do-it” spirit, and a team of ambitious and creative individuals, GirlsUp has gifted me with a confident heart and showed me I was ready to be showered by entrepreneurship.