Future Founders and Google Spend Week Empowering Female, Trans, and Nonbinary Leaders of Tomorrow

April 9, 2024

Future Founders believes in a world where more young girls, trans, and nonbinary individuals are empowered to become entrepreneurs. That’s why we’re thrilled to share that we just wrapped up another week partnering with Google for Startup Spring Break, a free week-long camp for girls, trans, and nonbinary middle schoolers who are builders, makers, and dreamers.

Working with the amazing team at Google, Future Founders built a full slate of programming that offered our 21 Chicago Public School students the opportunity to:

• Connect with successful female, trans, and nonbinary entrepreneurs and tech employees
• Create a peer group of like-minded, talented students
• Gain exposure to Chicago’s entrepreneurial ecosystem
• Develop the 21st Century Skills they need to become entrepreneurs and future leaders
• Build their own business concepts and mobile app prototypes

Here’s what a few of the participants had to say about their time in Startup Spring Break, including the important lessons they learned:

“You shouldn’t give up on what you would like to accomplish. If you see an opportunity, take it, don’t pass it down.”

–Chloe Woodfork, Great Lakes Academy

“Startup Spring Break helped me make new friends and learn more about entrepreneurship.”

-Addison Smith, Alain Locke Charter School

Future Founders would like to thank all the amazing volunteers who participated in the various Startup Spring Break events, including:

• Dalia Albassam (Academic Atlas)
• Cherie Griffith-Dunn (CYPROTECK)
• Steph Lyman (The Private Bank at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.)
• Catrice Malone (Battling Butterfly Brigade)
• Taylor Morrison (Inner Workout)
• Jamie Smith (ActiveCampaign)
• Dan Wolff (Jabian Consulting)

Many of these volunteers joined us as judges for the Startup Spring Break Pitch Competition. While judges were impressed with all the student teams, they ultimately selected one business pitch as the winner:

ImmediHelp

ImmediHelp is an app that makes it easier for seniors and those with disabilities to coordinate their care and track their medication.

• Amal Balogun, 6th Grader at Alain Locke Charter School
• Asia Cox, 6th Grader at Alain Locke Charter School
• Damaya Hines, 8th Grader at Powell Elementary School
• Paige Morgan, 6th Grader at Alain Locke Charter School
• Abby Mueller, 8th Grader at Beaubien Elementary School

Congratulations to our winning team, and to all the students who participated in Startup Spring Break!

Future Founders is incredibly grateful to all the amazing students, speakers, mentors, volunteers, judges, and other individuals who made the Startup Spring Break program possible. We also want to thank Google for their continued support of our programming, and their dedication to youth and entrepreneurship across Chicago.

To stay up to date on new programming and opportunities at Future Founders, including future Startup Spring Break cohorts,  join our mailing list.