Girls Gearing Up
Meet
the
Team
Our international team members use expertise gleaned from their professional lives to support our aspiring female leaders at our Leadership Academies and year-round programming.
“I am convinced that by equipping and inspiring a generation of girls who are confident in their abilities and motivated to make a difference, we can change the world. Watching teen girls recognize their potential and step into their power while lifting others up is incredibly inspiring and I’m honored to be a part of it.”
USA | France
Co-founder & Director
Courtney Adams
"GGU offers incredible opportunities to make deep and lasting friendships with like-minded leaders from around the world. I have witnessed girls transform and step outside their comfort zones. GGU brings out the best in us, and I get excited thinking about all the potential each girl has yet to discover within themselves."
Nigeria | Austria
Co-founder, Advisory
Co-founder & Director,
Linden Global Learning
Chineme Ugbor
"The amount you can learn, experience, and bond at the Summer Academy feels like 10 times more than what you’d get from a whole school year. Many girls look back on this week as a defining moment in discovering themselves and their role in the world."
USA | Germany
Co-founder, Advisory
Christina Limbird
Co-founder & Director,
Linden Global Learning
“I truly believe that GGU’s mission of empowering girls has a vital impact on upcoming generations and the overall future of our planet. I am honored to be part of such an inspiring team and surrounded by such selfless people working towards equality for everyone. The world needs more female leaders and GGU is one step closer to creating an equitable world where we see that.”
USA | Austria
Community Outreach Coordinator
Sophie Lang
"By exploring, discovering, and stepping out of our comfort zones, we can encounter experiences where our insight and confidence can grow. Meeting people from around the world is a great way to learn and share all our talents.”
Finland | Scotland
Senior Academy Facilitator
in Germany
Kim Kermath
"Girls Gearing Up is an amazing program that bridges girls towards tertiary education and motivates them, prepares them, and encourages them to finish secondary education and gives them confidence to go further. They say when you educate a girl, you educate a village. These girls will share new skills with their friends and it will in the end change their community."
Malawi
Site Director in Malawi
Golda Kavinya
Head of Junior Science & House Mistress, Kamuzu Academy
"I believe it is my duty to do my part in contributing to bettering the lives of other women. GGU`s aim to equip and foster the next generation of globally minded female leaders is the perfect setting to do my part in making sure that I push more women forward to take their seat at the table and be part of the much needed change and help that the world needs.”
Malawi
Academy Facilitator in Malawi
Thokozani Fortunata
Events coordinator, Fortune Events
“The reason I am working with GGU is that it inculcates girls, regardless of any situation/conditions they have, the right to take decisions for their own lives and that is called real empowerment.”
India
Academy Facilitator in India
Angela Aram
Program and Corporate Engagement Coordinator, Deep Griha Academy
"I chose to work with GGU with the hope that in future I will get more opportunities to contribute to empower the teenage girls of India and across the world. Also, it gives me hope to bring positive change around the world only if we provide the opportunity to our teenage girls to raise their voices and make them believe that they are the people who are going to bring change in society through their leadership.”
India
Academy Facilitator in India
Vandana Srivastava
Academic and Teacher's Coordinator, Deep Griha Academy
"As a female business owner and mom of a daughter, I love helping girls find their voice, meet powerful role models who can mentor them, and get inspired about their own futures!"
Mentoring Program Volunteer
Tia Robinson
Co-Founder & CEO, Expath
USA | Germany
“I truly believe that only an equitable world will find peace, freedom and stability - which we need more than ever. I want more women in power to make the decisions this world needs. And GGU is a step in that direction - which is why I am passionate about GGU's mission.”
Germany
Operations Volunteer
Lena Sönnichsen
Communications Consultant, Quick & Dirty Consulting
Ira Philip is a financial analyst that likes to “empower startups with financial strength”. She supports early-stage startups with topics related to financial planning, strategy, and fundraising. She sits on the Execute Board of BBIS. Ira holds degrees in finance, an MBA, a masters in I/O psychology and is doing PhD research on the topic of female fundraising. In her spare time, she competes in Olympic weightlifting in the W45 64kg category.
Volunteer Financial Consultant
Ira Philipp
Financial Advisor, Fractional CFO, Weightlifter
USA | Germany
Youth Advisory Board
Why did you join YAB?
"I want to help reproduce the GGU magic year-round and help girls develop their skills and learn from each other. I also love working with people from different cultures!"
Germany | Netherlands
GGU alumna 2015, 16, 17 & 19
Speaks German, English, Spanish, Dutch
Leandra
Chair
Why did you join YAB?
"My motivation is to work with girls to create something for girls in an organisation that brews my confidence and motivation for action."
China | Germany | Netherlands
GGU alumna 2017
Speaks English, Chinese, German
Ariel
Planning Secretary
Maya
Why did you join YAB?
"To help others especially next generation women, share my ideas with likeminded people and learn from them. All to make the world a better place!"
Germany
GGU alumna 2022
Speaks German, English
Event Coordinator
Why did you join YAB?
"I really enjoy being creative, working in an international team and learning from them :)"
Syria | Germany
GGU alumna 2016 & 17
Speaks Arabic, German, English, French
Naya
Social Media Manager
Why did you join YAB?
"To be an instrumental part of GGU's growth and to create a thriving international community of girls to share experiences, lessons, resources and wisdom."
England | Zimbabwe | Malawi | Tanzania
GGU alumna 2021
Speaks English, Chichewa, Swahili
Nefertiti
Recording Secretary
Why did you join YAB?
"I want to give back and help GGU like they helped me, improve it and spread the word about it to other girls all over the world so GGU can help them like they helped me."
Poland | Germany | Israel
GGU alumna 2021
Speaks Polish, English, German, French
Barbara
Hub Communications Manager
Why did you join YAB?
"I want to give back and help GGU like they helped me, improve it and spread the word about it to other girls all over the world so GGU can help them like they helped me."
Sachi
GGU alumna 2015, 16, 17 & 19
India | Germany | Netherlands
Speaks English, Marathi, German, French
Honorary Chair
Speaks English, Marathi, German, French