November is national entrepreneurship month, and what better way to celebrate than with Girl Scouts? Did you know that more than half of female business leaders are Girl Scout alums? That’s an awesome track record of building future entrepreneurs. This month at Girl Scouts, we celebrate the spark of curiosity, confidence, and innovation that sets girls on a path to a bright future.
Research shows that while girls are actively interested in becoming entrepreneurs, they also face roadblocks: the fear of failure, concerns about bringing big ideas to life, and the perception that men are more likely to be entrepreneurs than women. Sadly, their concerns are valid. Did you know that women represent 51% of population, but only 33% of the business owners with employees?
At Girl Scouts, we are changing that. Through our more than 60 entrepreneur badges, workshops, panel discussions, and of course the cookie program, Girl Scouts are two times as likely to participate in entrepreneurial activities than other girls.
This month you will read about a Girl Scout troop whose successes could fill a garage - literally! You will read about the youngest Girl Scouts flexing their entrepreneurial muscle, and you'll read about a Girl Scout alum who became a successful entrepreneur while still in college, and today paves the way for the next generation.
The courage to fail and keep trying, the tools to create an independent future, and the power to make the world a better place -- these are the the things you make possible when you support Girl Scouts. Thank you for creating a brighter future for girls.
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Roni Luckenbill
Chief Executive Officer
Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
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What a cookie can do
Not only is Girl Scouts the premiere leadership organization for girls, but the Girl Scout Cookie Program is the gold-standard when it comes to teaching girls entrepreneurship skills.
Take it from Troop 11002, a Girl Scout troop from Toledo, Ohio. This past cookie season, the girls began the year with a clear goal: to sell enough cookies to get to the “Camp Cookie,” a celebration for top cookie sellers, and to earn a camp credit. Applying skills they learned from the cookie program - goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics - the girls not only met their goals but they crushed them!
In the end, Troop 11002 sold 11,000 packages of cookies; for perspective, that’s more than will fit in a one-car garage! The girls were the top cookie sellers in all of western Ohio and the top sellers in the state! With the cookie proceeds, the girls took a fun-filled trip to Columbus, Ohio.
Every year Girl Scouts all over the country use their cookie earnings to do amazing things in their communities and beyond. From helping animal shelters and tackling food insecurity, to raising awareness about bullying, making public areas more accessible to people with disabilities, Girl Scouts can and will do anything they put their hearts and minds to.
Having run their very own small business, the girls in Troop 11002 are well on their way to becoming the next generation of female entrepreneurs who make the world a better place.
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Our Littlest Entrepreneurs are Getting Ready
This past summer, Girl Scouts introduced 28 new badges that address even more topics that Girl Scouts and their families care about, like getting outside, growing girls’ digital leadership skills, and even using technology to run girls’ cookie businesses.
With one of these new badges, “My First Cookie Business,” our Kindergarten and 1st grade Daisy Girl Scouts have all the tools they need to run their very own Cookie Business. This badge introduces girls to their cookie product line-up, shows them what their business will look on-line, encourages girls to think about how they will spend their troop proceeds and even allows girl to practice their sales pitch with finger puppets.
Don’t forget to support our littlest entrepreneurs this coming cookie season, starting in January 2022.
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Rita Mansour: Hearing "No" Turned into a Lifetime of "Yes"
Rita Mansour, entrepreneur, nationally recognized top 100 female financial advisor, and Girl Scout alum credits Girl Scout cookies and her mother as the inspiration to be an entrepreneur. “It is my mother who encouraged my membership in the Girl Scouts and told me I had to sell the cookies, and not get help from my sisters or anyone else. I needed to learn how to sell them and talk to people and learn how to hear the word “no.”
Later, she continued her entrepreneurial spirit in college. While a student, she started a successful promotional products company selling items to sororities and fraternities on campus. She soon realized there were bigger opportunities selling to larger organizations. She pitched the idea and was given the contract to start an employee gift shop at the Toledo Hospital, and was the first to sell branded t-shirts.
After graduation, Rita became a financial advisor and today, she is the Senior Managing Director of Mansour Wealth Management/ McDonald Partners LLC. She and her team advise clients in the U.S. and globally. Girl Scouts of Western Ohio is thrilled that Rita is involved in Girl Scouts today and a role model for so many girls and young women as they navigate life on their way to a bright future.
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Thank you for investing in girls, and supporting the visionary doers, innovators, creators, and thinkers of tomorrow. Together, we can help girls discover their untapped potential and build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Make a gift today!
In honor of Girl Scouts Founder Juliette Gordon Low, you can leave a gift that will impact girls for generations. Learn more about planned giving through the Juliette Gordon Low Society.
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Customer Care Hotline
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
888.350.5090
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Girl Scout Shop Hours
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
(Closed 1:30 - 2 for lunch)
Closed
Saturday, Sunday, Monday
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