| Girls Rule Cofounder & Program Creator |
Dena Patton, GRF Cofounder & Program Creator
I co-founded the Girls Rule in 2013 with the belief that leadership starts young, confidence starts young and financial literacy starts young. Girls Rule equips girls with essential skills sets in self-esteem, leadership, and financial literacy.
I am a champion for girls, they can achieve anything with the right tools on their leadership tool belt. It’s not enough to simply hope that girls will gain the skills they need to succeed in life, school and career. Hope is not a good strategy.
As someone who has worked with women leaders and business owners for over 24 years, I soon realized a clear pattern: girls who became successful women learned three key skillsets—confidence, financial literacy, and leadership. These foundational skill sets are the building blocks for a thriving future. Without them girls can become a statistic and struggle in life.
Through impactful Summits, summer camps, scholarships and afterschool programs, Girls Rule Leadership Academy provides girls with the tools to thrive in life and step confidently into their potential. That’s a tall order
when the world is moving fast, and the challenges girls face today are greater than ever.
But so are the opportunities—if girls get the right support, tools, skill sets and belief in themselves. That’s what Girls Rule is here for. This is not just a program or a camp. It’s a movement to help girls build unshakable confidence, strong leadership skills, and the financial literacy to build their best future as young women. I believe every girl deserves a chance to rise in her potential, to lead her life and goals, and to fulfill her biggest goals. And that’s why we’re here—to bridge the gap, create opportunities, and empower every girl to step boldly into her full potential. Want to see our growth over the years? Check out our media articles, awards and a couple videos on our media page here.
So I’m asking you to stand with us. To say yes to a world where girls have the tools to become our next generation of thriving women. To say yes to a world where girls learn the skill sets to navigate life successfully, instead of “hoping” girls will turn out ok. Hope is not a strategy.
Since 2001, I have been an global leadership coach who has worked with CEOs and entrepreneurs worldwide through my coaching & training company to help them become great leaders and build great companies. I’m the author of the Amazon best-selling book The Greatness Game, $1 from every book goes to Girls Rule. Whether I’m coaching top executives or inspiring teenage girls, I am dedicated to helping individuals embrace their greatness, unlock their potential, and create a ripple effect of leadership and impact in their communities and beyond. I love working with teen girls and my big vision is that the Girls Rule can help girls nationwide.
Pictured below Girls Rule winning Charity of the year for Corporate Philanthropy by the Phoenix Business Journal. Charity of the year for ewomen Phoenix, and a 2024 Award winner from Take the lead in Washington D.C.
Laura Anderson was one of the original cofounders who passed away from complications of Lupus. We have created a scholarship in her name so we can scholarship girls to our programs who otherwise couldn’t afford to attend. Want to contribute to our scholarship fund here.