When she was growing up, swimming meant everything to Jes Wolfe (BCG Washington DC, 2010–2013). But early on, she became aware that girls and boys were treated differently as athletes. She absorbed the notion that to “seem feminine” was to appear weak and sensitive, while “masculine” traits were interpreted as signs of strength—a clearer path to winning.
She has wanted to shake up those old stereotypes and attitudes ever since—to help girls understand that their true selves are powerful and capable and that they have all the potential in the world.
Rebel Girls, where Jes is CEO, is the perfect place for her to pursue that mission.
The organization is a global empowerment brand aimed at girls aged 7 to 12. With storytelling as the driver, Rebel Girls offers inspiring real-life tales of diverse women and girls through digital content, books, products, community, and experiences. The goal is to encourage young girls to see themselves as the heroes of their own stories. “Rebel Girls wants to help girls dream big,” says Jes. “We want them to understand that they can solve today’s hardest problems and make the world a better place.”
From Finance to Celebrating and Amplifying Diversity
Before becoming the leader of Rebel Girls, Jes’s experience included working as an investment analyst focused on emerging markets at the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank. There, she became a firm believer that bringing meaningful change to the world and commercial success are intertwined; in other words, social impact is good for business.
That early work experience, followed by an MBA from Stanford, built a strong foundation in finance. But to gain exposure to a broader range of companies, industries, and business problems, Jes came to BCG, where she learned important lessons about organizations in flux and ways to make decisions that drive value.
Her projects at BCG over just three years took her to a dozen countries and back home again. Those experiences deepened her appreciation for other cultures and made her aware of the importance of celebrating and amplifying diversity—a core value at Rebel Girls.
Unleashing Confidence in Girls
When she first learned about Rebel Girls, Jes fell in love with its mission and saw—as a rebel girl herself—how she could get involved and build the company into something much bigger. She started as a board member and became CEO the following year.
Confidence is the single biggest predictor of success for children—and one of the primary challenges for young girls. On average, by the age of six, girls start thinking they’re less smart and less capable than boys, and that perception worsens each year. Recent research showed that 52% of fifth and sixth grade girls do not believe that they are smart enough to achieve their dream career.
To Jes, that’s a heartbreaking—and unacceptable—statistic. Rebel Girls combats this by offering stories from a broad range of real-life role models so young girls can begin to imagine a path forward that will allow them to overcome challenges and give them the confidence to reach their goals.
One of the core values of Rebel Girls under Jes’s leadership is diversity—creating a platform that includes a plurality of voices and amplifying stories that reflect its global audience. Of the nearly 3,000 stories about women the organization has celebrated so far, 63% are about Black women, Indigenous women, and other women of color. About 10% identify as LGBTQIA and 6% as having a disability. Rebel Girls works with creators who represent a wide range of races, ethnicities, abilities, regions, and more.
“The goal is that every single girl out there can find at least one, if not dozens, of role models who inspire her and empower her to be the next changemaker,” says Jes. “At Rebel Girls, we want to be part of creating an army of confident girls who will transform the world.” The goal is for the company to reach 100 million girls over the next couple of years, and they’re already one-third of the way there.
Jes’s Donation Organization
Jes is donating her $10,000 prize to Room to Read, an international organization focused on using education to defeat illiteracy and gender inequality. It has programs in 24 countries aimed at literacy and girls’ education, focusing on high-needs areas and providing critical life skills that will open doors for children who have faced difficult challenges.
Room to Read has reached nearly 40 million children to date, partnering with Rebel Girls on a number of projects, including creating a book together and featuring some of the girls from Room to Read programs in Rebel Girls’ books and podcasts. Says Jes: “I just love how much impact they’re having in places where girls have the greatest needs. And the CEO, Dr. Geetha Murali, works tirelessly to reach her ambitious goals. I cheer for her every second I can.”