'Watch her as she's lighting up the night'

The nineteenth one

Happy International Day of the Girl! ✨

If you’re not familiar with this remarkable day, let me catch you up—it’s a global moment to celebrate girls, amplify their voices, and highlight their leadership!

Typically, around this time, I’d be knee-deep in planning or volunteering at an event to celebrate girls. But today, I’m at home writing this article. Since closing my nonprofit, Smile On Me, moments like these stir up emotions, making me wish I could continue the work I loved. However, instead of sitting in my sad feelings (yes I have a pint of ice cream waiting for me in the freezer), I’ve decided to reflect on the amazing things Smile On Me accomplished and highlight some of my favorite initiatives we led over the years. 

Let’s get into it :)

1. Smile On Me Day of the Girl Event (2018): Empowering Girls and Celebrating Confidence

Kicking things off and staying on theme, what came to mind this morning was our very first Day of the Girl event in 2018!

This Day of the Girl event only came to life because of one incredible woman named Jolene. I met her in the summer of 2018 when her two daughters attended our Smile On Me Summit (another amazing event we hosted). After the event, Jolene pulled me aside to share her gratitude for what we were doing, and generously offered her event space, Jolie Studio, to be a home base for Smile On Me—completely free of charge! I was beyond elated.

At the time, I was personally funding Smile On Me with the help of a few family members, and the Summit had left me drained both financially and emotionally. I honestly didn’t think we’d be able to host anything similar again for quite a while. Jolene’s kindness changed everything. Not only did she provide us with a space to host another event, but her support also gave me a renewed sense of confidence. It helped me realize that Smile On Me was something real and that people truly believed in our mission.

A few months later, Smile On Me hosted its first Day of the Girl event, and it was incredible. Thanks to Jolene’s help—she reached out to parents at her daughters' school and girls in her community—we had 40 girls attend, making it our largest event ever! I’ll always be grateful to her. Thank you, Jolene!

2. Homeroom (2020): A Digital Space for Girls, By Girls

During the height of the pandemic, Smile On Me launched Homeroom, a members-only club where girls could connect, share, and grow together—virtually.

This club came into being after hearing about how the pandemic was affecting young people. With their social lives disappearing, the rise of doomscrolling, the stress of dealing with sick family members, and missing out on key coming-of-age moments like prom or graduation, I knew I had to pivot Smile On Me to meet girls where they were—and they were at home.

And so, after just a few sleepless nights, Homeroom was born! When I launched the club on Instagram ( 👉🏽 watch our epic launch video! 👈🏽) and posted the application link, I was surprised not only by how many girls signed up to join but also by how far-reaching it became. We had members from Texas, California, Washington, and Arizona—it was wild!

What made Homeroom unique was that it was entirely led by the girls. I took care of the admin tasks, like talking to parents and helping girls log into our online portal, but they ran the show. They organized movie watch parties, pajama nights, group chats, and Zoom hangouts. We also launched Tiny Talks, where they voted on speakers they wanted to hear from, like Beanie Feldstein, Elyse Fox, and the amazing team from Glossier. Often, though, the girls themselves led these Tiny Talks, covering topics that mattered most to them, like mental health, loneliness, social justice, and navigating life during a global pandemic.

Homeroom became a lifeline during such an isolating time, giving girls a space to connect, support one another, and feel a little less alone. It was a moment in time that I’ll hold on to forever.

3. Daybreak Summer Camp (2022): Unplugging to Reconnect

Hosting a summer camp had always been a dream of mine, and in 2022, that dream became a reality.

The idea was simple: host an unforgettable overnight camp for girls—completely free of charge.

I have a love-hate relationship with crowdfunding that I won’t even dive into here. Honestly, I could probably write a book (or at least a pamphlet) about the joys and struggles of crowdfunding and why I’ll never do it again—at least not on my own.

But anyway, we raised $50,345 to bring this camp to life, and a time was had!

Over three days, the girls bonded over obstacle courses, rock climbing, and s’mores (so many s’mores!). We even hosted a dance party that went late into the night—well past my bedtime! One of the highlights was an art gallery created by the girls, showcasing their creativity and self-expression. Camp Daybreak provided them with an opportunity to disconnect from their devices and reconnect with nature, each other, and themselves.

It was an incredibly special moment for me, as I had spent over a year planning this camp, much of it while I was pregnant. Being able to bring my baby girl along made it all the more meaningful. Sure, I was pumping between sessions and running on little sleep, but it was all so worth it!

This camp was also a crucial opportunity for girls of color to experience the great outdoors. While putting together our crowdfunding page, I did extensive research on the history of camping and discovered that only 10% of American campers are Black, isn’t that wild?  Even within our Smile On Me community, some girls had never even left their borough! When I learned this, I knew this camp HAD to happen. I’m so grateful to our donors and supporters who didn’t just love the idea but backed it with their wallets to make it a reality. And thanks to generous grants from my best friends at Aerie and Neutrogena, we pulled off the largest campaign I’ve ever led. It’s an achievement I’ll cherish forever.

🎥 Here’s a very cool short film we produced of our time at camp!

4. College Bound (2023): Sending Off the Next Generation

When I made the decision to officially close the doors of Smile On Me, I couldn’t resist organizing one final event.

In 2023, four of our long-time participants were heading off to college, and I wanted to make sure they had everything they needed for this new chapter. We hosted a brunch where each girl received a bag of essentials—hygiene products, dorm supplies, and, best of all, a brand-new laptop! While I wasn’t able to offer the financial support I’d originally envisioned, this heartfelt send-off was a beautiful way to conclude my time with Smile On Me.

I remember this idea coming to me late one night (as many of my best ideas do), and I had just a month to pull it off. The thrill of piecing everything into place and making it happen never gets old! With the tight turnaround, I had to get creative:

• ✅ Convince my brother to let us host the event in his swanky apartment event space

• ✅ Ask our camp photographer and videographer to come out to Jersey to capture the moment (for free)

• ✅ Crowdfund 🫠

It was a truly special moment, and I couldn’t think of a better way to say goodbye to Smile On Me than by sending our girls off to the next chapter of their lives and celebrating all they’ve achieved.

I’m incredibly proud of everything Smile On Me has accomplished over the years and deeply grateful for all the organizations out there continuing this vital work to ensure girls everywhere receive the support they need to thrive.

Here are three of my favorite orgs:

1. Sad Girls Club (mental health)

2. #HalfTheStory
   (digital well-being)

3. Kahani Magazine (creative storytelling)

Let’s keep showing up for girls around us, because when they thrive, we all do! 💜

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️ ⭐️ P.S. If you have a teen girl in your life and want to do something fun with her today, consider having a movie night—something my teenage niece and I used to do often. Here are a few movies that we loved (even though she won’t admit it):

1. Moxie: empowers girls to stand up for themselves and spark change by challenging injustice (+Amy Poehler, my favorite)

2. You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah: celebrates friendship and self-discovery during the ups and downs of growing up (+Adam Sandler, my favorite)

3. Crooklyn: highlights resilience and family bonds, empowering girls with its message of inner strength

4. Queen of Katwe: shows how determination and self-belief can lead to incredible achievements

5. A Wrinkle In Time: inspires girls to embrace their uniqueness and face challenges with courage (+Sade, my favorite)