Last September, Nashville, Tennessee-based Girls to the Moon held its inaugural “campference,” a one-day event where more than 300 girls and their caregivers learned about confidence, creativity, innovation and more from 18 expert speakers, including doctors, engineers and entrepreneuers. The event sold out, and its hashtag, #GTTM15, was trending during the event, giving co-founders Courtenay Rogers, Courtney Seiter and Knight Stivender enough proof that what they created was ready to grow.
“Our first event was truly a success,” says Rogers. “As founders, we know the importance of events like ours, but it’s great to have validation from such a broad audience. We’ve had people reach out to us and ask to be a sponsor and in my experience, that doesn’t happen often.”
This year, Girls to the Moon plans to add three smaller events to the roster, in addition to the campference in September. A Valentine’s Day workshop this month will focus on finding love from the inside out, while a business lab, slated for July, will put participants at the helm of their very own high-tech lemonade stands.
Stivender says she sees Girls to the Moon as an extension of Nashville’s startup scene.
“Where they leave off, we pick up, or pre-empt, with peer counseling, inspiration and connection to community leaders and programs,” she says. “We’ve seen a lot of wonderful work done in Nashville’s startup scene and are finding that Girls to the Moon not only complements what others are doing, but in a way is bringing awareness to it and connecting it to our girls and their caregivers in a way that inspires everyone and hopefully lifts all boats.”
Last year, the program relied mostly on sponsors, but this year Girls to the Moon will be looking for funding, as well. “We’re not sure what that looks like yet, but we know we want Girls to the Moon to reach every girl and caregiver that craves our message and content,” Rogers says.