| Girls Rule Foundation Leadership |
Dena Patton, CEO & Cofounder
Watch the story behind the scenes of Girls Rule on Spark Stories TV here.
| Board of Directors |
Laurie Sliva, President
Facilitator, Speaker, Life Skills Trainer at Lauiresliva.com
Julie Trujillo, Secretary
Director, External Relations - Eller College of Mgmt, UA
Kelly Lorenzen, Mktg Director
CEO of KLM Consulting, Mktg & Mgmt
| CEO and Co-Founders |
About the founders:
The four founders originally met in 2003 when their mutual interests to empower girl’s leadership skills found them involved at another Arizona-based girl’s charity. In 2008 they took their inspiration, experience and determination to create The Girls Rule Foundation that focuses on empowerment and leadership for girls.
A few words from our founders:
Laura Anderson (deceased) – As a high school student I was blessed with so many amazing opportunities and mentors and I saw a shift in focus and resources going to disciplinary programs instead of leadership and self-development. This was just not “ok” with me and I made a commitment to create experiences that would give teens a strong belief in themselves and their ability to fulfill their dreams. The Girls Rule! Foundation is a fulfillment of my dream and I hope it gives young women the knowingness and skills to experience their unique power and grace.
Dena Patton – The teen years are challenging for any teen, but with the right people and the right tools she can overcome anything and she has the power to create a bright future. This organization represents what I think most teens want: to better know herself, to know her worth, know her power, know her valuable place in the world, and to learn the skills to achieve her dreams. I truly want each girl to know she is brilliant, beautiful and bold just how she is! I love working with teen girls and my hope is that the Girls Rule Foundation helps girls to become the next generation of leaders, strong women, inventors, teachers, entrepreneurs, CEO’s and world changers.
Stephanie Millner – The Foundation to me is a stepping stone in the journey of life. I believe a dream is reality that hasn’t yet met the right tools. My hope for the Foundation is to provide the right tools for girls to love themselves, enjoy life and live their dreams. As a teen, I was fortunate enough to have mentors that encouraged me. I want to offer this same support so that any young woman willing to believe in themselves will have the same opportunities for self-discovery and achievement as I was given.
Jenn Kaye – Being a self-confident, powerful person in the world means knowing what you want and having the confidence in yourself to go after it. In addition to inspiring young women to be leaders of their own lives, the Foundation is important because it will provide practical experiences that they can apply immediately. Building a strong community of mentors, teen leaders and experts with real-world knowledge is a foundation that I am passionate about and believe will benefit young women for the rest of their lives.