Chapters (45)
- Cover
- Dedication
- Pulse
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY–ONE
- TWENTY–TWO
- TWENTY–THREE
- TWENTY–FOUR
- TWENTY–FIVE
- TWENTY–SIX
- TWENTY–SEVEN
- TWENTY–EIGHT
- TWENTY–NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY–ONE
- THIRTY–TWO
- THIRTY–THREE
- THIRTY–FOUR
- THIRTY–FIVE
- THIRTY–SIX
- THIRTY–SEVEN
- THIRTY–EIGHT
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- RESOURCES
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- What’s next onyour reading list?
The audience was silent, listening, and so she continued. “It’s how we got here, with girls thinking math and computer science aren’t for them. When home computers hit stores in the mid-1980s they were marketed as toys—for boys. In one commercial, half a dozen guys are having a blast using a computer. The only girl is shown in a bikini, diving into a pool. We like to think these images don’t matter. But when they’re reinforced by ads and TV and movies, over and over, they tell a narrative. One that doesn’t include us. That’s why our app is for girls. And that means all girls. Girls like me who couldn’t afford to buy programs and attend expensive camps. Girl Empowered fills this void by including free daily games, so there will always be a portion of the app open to everyone. We would offer more complex games at a low cost, with discounts for schools and libraries. We’d seek sponsorships from businesses and organizations for users, in the hopes that more girls like me would be able to do what they love.”
Her eyes traveled from Nishi to Eric, to Cassie to her mom and dad, to little Danny between them. They were all beaming, and finally, Delia understood how her mom must have felt every time she took the stage, her words and actions making others feel the passion she did.
Delia pushed her shoulders back, pointed to the logo on the screen, and said the words Lucy had written to close out the presentation. “Now let’s get those girls empowered.”
* * *
The applause started slowly. Jeffrey Meyer’s hoot could be heard ringing through the auditorium followed by Danny’s imitation. By Eric’s whistle. By Cassie’s woot woot. But Lucy, Maddie, and Delia barely heard it. Because the second Delia exited the stage, their ears were covered by arms and shoulders and necks and chests as they collided in a group embrace.
“We did it,” Delia said.
“Together,” Maddie said.
“But we’re not done yet,” Lucy said.
THIRTY–FIVE
BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS GOAL • A startup founder’s grand vision to change the world
LUCY STRAIGHTENED HER DRESS, a simple white shift with blue embroidery across the hem, befitting who she was now and the founder she was on track to become. Strategize, stylize, socialize. She still believed it—so long as it was on her terms. She walked back onstage.
“Thank you,” Lucy said to the auditorium. “I know we’ve likely hit our time limit, but we wanted to take a moment to focus on this program. Because what has happened here, with us, at ValleyStart is exactly what we hope to replicate with Girl Empowered.”
Delia and Maddie joined Lucy onstage, hanging off to the side.