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New Girl Scout Study Shows Girls Are Eager to Be Entrepreneurs Contact Name: Lori Tomlinson Contact Email: lorit@gsgcf.org Contact Phone Number: 94192153583 Sarasota, FL—Girls today want to be entrepreneurs, but still see gender as a challenge. That’s one of the many findings contained in a new study, Today’s Girls, Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs, released today by the Girl Scout Research Institute. The national report focuses on what today’s girls want and need to fulfill their entrepreneurial futures. The Girl Scout Research Institute conducted a nationwide survey with 1,506 girls ages 8-17 to better understand how they experience and aspire toward entrepreneurial pursuits. The report findings were released on Women’s Entrepreneurship Day to bring attention to the importance of supporting girls’ entrepreneurial ambitions. The study found that an impressive 92% of girls say they are smart enough to be an entrepreneur, and 89% are already engaged in entrepreneurial activities. Six in ten girls have an entrepreneurial mindset—a set of skills or qualities, like curiosity and confidence, that are linked to entrepreneurial success. The local Girl Scout Council, Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, knows first-hand that girls possess many of the traits associated with entrepreneurial success. During the 2019 Girl Scout Cookie Program, girls within their ten-county service area sold a combined total of 1,128,396 packages of cookies. In addition to helping fund program expenses, Girl Scout troops use their proceeds to support a variety of community service projects, from purchasing supplies for homeless shelters to planting community gardens. The council’s top Cookie Entrepreneur, Catelyn Holcomb, sold an astounding 7,500 packages alone. Catelyn’s hard work has already made a difference for active military personnel overseas—2,487 packages of the cookies she sold were donated through the council’s Mints for Military program. She plans to share her secrets to success by mentoring other young Girl Scouts. “We know that Girl Scouts care about gender parity, having financial stability and using their talents to make an impact in their communities,” said Mary Anne Servian, CEO of Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida. “Girl Scout programming, like financial literacy badges and the Girl Scout Cookie Program, gives girls chances to explore entrepreneurship in a safe space.” Girl Scouts were included in the study (making up 24% of the participants) to gauge how effectively Girl Scouting helps develop girls’ entrepreneurial skills. The results showed that girls who participated in Girl Scout programming had an edge over girls who hadn’t. On average, Girl Scouts are twice as likely to have done entrepreneurial activities, are more likely to want to be an entrepreneur in the future and are more likely to have an entrepreneurial mindset. The study also provides a window into how girls see their futures in the entrepreneurship space, the challenges and where they need our support to move forward. Girls are clear about what they want: more information, mentorship and encouragement through related courses; the opportunity to be mentored by an entrepreneur; increased encouragement from family, friends and teachers; and assistance overcoming the fear of failure. “As a country, we still have a long way to go,” Servian added. “According to business industry studies, only 5% of CEOs and 12% of other top executives in the S&P 500 are women, and female-founded start-ups account for only 20% of start-ups overall.” “Today’s Girls, Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs reveals how girls are excited and aspire to be entrepreneurs. Now it is time for communities across the country to listen to girls and provide the tools and support they need to get them there.” To view the full report, visit www.girlscouts.org/success. To learn more about Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, girl membership and adult volunteer opportunities, visit www.gsgcf.org. # # # About Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc.: Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success. Our mission: to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida is chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA and serves nearly 6,000 girls in 10 counties including Manatee, Hardee, Highlands, Sarasota, DeSoto, Charlotte, Glades, Lee, Hendry, and Collier. To volunteer, join, donate, or learn more, visit www.gsgcf.org.