Big Idea Winner

“Girls Mean Business,” an entrepreneurship network founded by Beverly Wallenstein ’16 for teen girls, won first place in the non-profit segment of the 2016 Big Idea Competition this spring.

Wallenstein had three minutes to pitch her idea to an audience of peers, faculty, entrepreneurs and members of the public.

Through a combination of audience votes and judge rankings of eight finalists, Wallenstein’s idea clinched the $3,000 cash prize.

After noticing that teen girls seem less inclined than teen boys to see themselves as entrepreneurs, Wallenstein came up with Girls Mean Business to “reduce the gender gap in business and entrepreneurship by getting girls interested in business at a young age.”

Its first program on July 12 explores idea generation. It will be held on campus at the new eHub space in Kennedy Hall for student entrepreneurs.

Funding and communication skills will be featured in other programs, which will also provide participants opportunities to meet like-minded peers, she said.

Women entrepreneurs who can share their personal stories while providing inspiration and insight into the world of entrepreneurship will be featured in some programs, Wallenstein said.

On campus, Wallenstein is the team leader for Campus Pursuit, an experiential youth marketing company that uses scavenger hunts to create brand interactions with college students and generate social media buzz about brands.

She was also director of Business Bootcamp, an entrepreneurship program for young women that was hosted at the Johnson School last summer.

Participating in Life Changing Labs, a summer program that supports Cornell student entrepreneurs, Wallenstein can be reached at girlsmeanbiz@gmail.com.

Related link: http://eship.cornell.edu/ehub-membership/#.