I'm the Founder of Girls Fight Back, a women's safety education enterprise. After 9 years building GFB to be sustainable, it finally is! So I began working as a Community Mobilizer for Ashoka's Changemakers to help other social entrepreneurs around the world.
I studied abroad in Costa Rica, and will never forget the sense of peace in that country. When I returned to the USA, I was so stressed out by Americans. It was like reversed culture shock!
I'm very invested in the future of girls around the world. It's amazing how many great changes can stem from opportunities for women.
After graduating from college, I moved to New York City to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a TV producer. Less than a year later I learned one of my dear friends and Alpha Phi sorority sister named Shannon McNamara had been murdered in Charleston, IL. This tragedy set me on a new path of social entrepreneurship by starting "Girls Fight Back." Our mission is to empower young women across the globe through personal safety and self-defense. You can read all about it here: http://www.girlsfightback.com.
Since starting GFB, I have spoken to a half million women across the United States about personal safety and self-defense. In the process, women are learning that fighting like a girl is actually a very good thing!
I have a blog at http://erinweed.com where I write about violence prevention, women's empowerment and social entrepreneurship. I love talking about starting businesses or non-profits that change the world.
