Country of Residence
United States
Age
17
Project title
Not You Project
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
“Not you.” Two words that can change—or determine—the trajectory of someone's life. The Not You Project empowers girls of color ages 13-18 from chaotic or under-resourced households to challenge the limits placed on their futures through storytelling that makes possibility visible, a fellowship that turns aspirations into opportunities and community, and reflection that helps them reclaim their own narratives while transforming societal narratives.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
https://canva.link/bvrohgsphf623mz
Project Category
My project is a brand new / emerging idea
Project Stage
Idea (We’re hoping to get started in the future)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
Founder’s story: I grew up hearing Ren Jia Kan (“everyone will look”). My immigrant parents, who came to the US at the age of 30 with nothing, had learned to survive in this country through silence, and they passed that caution down to me. My mother also struggles with a mental health condition; emotional episodes run heavy in our home. Since I was five, I grew up internalizing that I didn’t deserve to be in rooms. But at fourteen, after losing two of the most important people in my life to cancer, I was pushed to take action: I founded Cancer Kids First, a 501(c)3 nonprofit helping kids with cancer in a way only youth can. I built it to 44,000+ youth volunteers and 151 chapters across 80 countries, delivering more than $650,000 in resources to support over 15,000 pediatric cancer patients in 22 countries. Along the way, I've experienced what it means to be dismissed for being too young, too emotional, or told I was undeserving of being in spaces. As I began speaking publicly and sharing my experiences on social media with 350,000+ followers, I discovered that telling my story helped others recognize possibilities they hadn't imagined for themselves. I grew up afraid that everyone would look. Today, I want to help create a world where other girls of color don’t have to shrink themselves to fit others’ comfort, but instead are encouraged and supported to dream boldly.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
For many girls, the limits placed on their futures begin long before adulthood. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)—ranging from household instability, economic hardship, abuse, and exposure to violence—can shape how young people understand themselves, their relationships, and the world. And these experiences disproportionately affect people of color: 61% of Black children and 51% of Hispanic children had experienced at least one ACE, compared with 40% of White children. For girls of color growing up amid adversity, these early experiences often intersect with racial and gender bias and unequal access. Research on youth mentorship found that Hispanic, Black, and multiracial youth were less likely to have a mentor than White youth. The stakes are real: 76% of at-risk young adults with mentors aspired to attend and complete college, compared with ~50% of those without mentors (MENTOR). Additionally, the share of girls in grades 5-12 who reported feeling confident fell from 68% in 2017 to 55% in 2023 (ROX). There’s a clear gap: the girls who need it most don’t have access to the relationships, representation, and resources that can change their life trajectories. Childhood is one of the most developmental periods of one’s life, but childhood adversity doesn’t have to determine someone's potential when they are given an environment that reshifts those beliefs and barriers.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
The Not You Project creates that very environment these girls need. We empower girls of color from chaotic, traumatic, or under-resourced households to see beyond their circumstances and take ownership of who they want to become. Through storytelling, mentorship, and community reflection, we challenge the idea that where someone comes from determines where they can go. Representation (Who’s You?): Short-form social media interviews on Instagram/TikTok and long-form YouTube podcasts that amplify the stories of underrepresented trailblazers and interview strangers about their journeys; interactive social media campaigns that encourage young people to reflect on their own experiences and share advice. Goal: use storytelling to build empathy and shared understanding while putting proof in front of girls who need it. Mentorship (With You): The Proof of YOU Fellowship is a selective, six-month mentorship and personal development program designed for girls from FGLI, under-resourced, or challenging home environments. Fellows can be nominated by teachers/counselors, youth-serving organizations (including prospective partners like Big Brothers Big Sisters), or apply directly. The six-month curriculum moves through six themes with the goal of building self-worth, learning self-advocacy, and developing practical skills. Fellows graduate with a concrete roadmap for the next year, as well as a supportive network of peers, mentors, and professional connections. Reflection (Why You): Online reflection archive where people can send in stories and read others; "NOT YOU" campaigns for people to share their stories and tag people who told them “you” and share, and an annual Proof Report documenting the stories, experiences, and progress of the community.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
Though we are still in the designing and developing stages, our founder has proven skill sets, audience, and relationships to make Not You successful. Our founder has over seven years of experience in the nonprofit sector, raising tens of thousands of dollars, amassing millions of views on social media marketing campaigns, and mobilizing over 44,000 young people. She has spearheaded 100+ partnerships with businesses and hospitals, established relationships with Forbes, the Diana Award, and L’Oreal Paris, and studies changemaking at Harvard and beyond. Not You’s message has already shown it can reach young people at scale: the message has built an audience of 350,000+ followers and over 100 million views. One specific video amassed over 3 million views across TikTok and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DenJJmKv4Gj/. We’ve also spent the last three months meeting with experts (CEO of Girls Inc., executives at BBBS, Bottom Line, the School for Moral Ambition, childhood adversity experts, etc) & Harvard mentors ($2,400 funding from iLabs, LPCE, H2A) to build a concrete business model and relationships. Partnership meetings with BBBS, Snap Inc., and Harness are set to carry out our social media campaigns & fellowship. We are not starting from scratch, but with the Carnegie Challenge’s support with seed funding and platform, we can truly bring our vision to reality.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
Plenty of mentorship organizations exist, and social media is used every day to share inspiring messages, but we are combining these two components into a connected path to create a cycle of representation, mentorship, and reflection. There is no organization dedicated to developing the confidence and practical skills for girls of color who come from traumatic backgrounds to advocate for themselves and pursue their goals. A young person usually has to piece help together, if they find it at all. Not You leverages the rapidly digitalizing world to bring girls in, starting from social media interviews and campaigns. We also center our theory of change on storytelling: first in participants’ processing of their own journeys, then in communicating and pitching themselves to reach their full potential, whether that be in college or the work field. Our themes are expert-backed to develop participants’ strength, empathy, and agency: 1. Roots: Recognizing strengths developed through adversity. 2. Belonging: Building self-worth and finding spaces where they belong. 3. Pathways: Exploring possible futures and identifying the steps required to pursue them. 4. Voice: Learning to advocate for themselves and seek opportunities. 5. Building: Developing educational, professional, and financial skills. 6. Proof: Creating a personalized 12-month action plan and sharing their own Proof of YOU story. We bring in-depth support to the ones who need it most—and are often overlooked—by working with like-minded programs, nonprofits, and schools. Rather than competing with organizations like Girls Inc. and Big Brothers Big Sisters, we are initiating partnerships by creating direct referral pathways into our fellowship and sharing resources (like guest speakers and workshop content).
How many people are on your team?
11
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
Our leadership team (CEO, COO, Creative Director, 3 social media directors, Director of Fellowship, Director of Mentors, Director of Partnerships, Director of Impact, and Director of Development) directs a specific part of the organization or handles fundraising, impact tracking, and development so we build with purpose. Our board of directors includes doctors, mentorship nonprofit executives, and business leaders. Our youth council (underrepresented trailblazers) keeps us mission-focused.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
We are prioritizing building a strong research- and expert-backed foundation to create the deepest impact for Not You. We’ll start first with the Representation component, as building out our online community is the HOW to get to our WHY with the fellowship. By the end of 2026: - Finalized partnerships with Snap Inc., Girls Inc., Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Sadie Nash - Leadership Project - Finish outreach to experts and potential advisory board members - Set leadership team and board of advisors; meeting cadence established - Launch our social media page, interview series—beginning in Boston with bi-weekly mass filming—and online reflection archive. - Compile research and data-backed evidence for three pillars (for pitch decks, annual Proof report, and marketing) - Secure ~$10,000 in seed funding ($2,400 from Harvard so far) First quarter of 2027: - Amass 50K followers across all platforms (assessing data and story feedback as needed) - Leverage board’s network to recruit celebrity and renowned mentors and ambassadors to establish mentors for first cohort - Create and finalize curriculum, workshop speakers, Circle Leads, and Mentors - Create and finalize fellowship applications and selection process (plan school outreach, social media marketing, and partners’ referral pathways)
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
Not You is built on the belief that changemaking should multiply, particularly as mentoring another can increase one’s own self-worth. Our three pillars create pathways for girls to move from viewing a story to participating to mentoring another. Representation: Who's You? Interviews are structured so that the interviewee shares a specific challenge they've faced and their advice/a message to someone going through the same thing. Each interview transforms an individual experience into a resource for thousands of viewers, encouraging them to share their own stories and recognize possibilities for themselves. Mentorship: Our fellowship model is intentionally cyclical. After completing the six-month program, fellows are encouraged to return as Circle Leads, mentoring incoming cohorts to build true community where today's mentees become tomorrow's leaders. Reflection: Our community archives are not just online; students can propose, establish, and lead their own physical reflection boards, inviting classmates to anonymously share experiences and advice. Each student-led archive brings the message of NOT YOU → WHO ELSE? to new regions. Across all three pillars, our goal is to make every participant a catalyst for someone else's growth.
