Who we are
Why OPEN exists, and how we think about closing the gap.
OPEN for Girls works to close the gap between girls and opportunity — not by creating more opportunities, but by making the ones that already exist visible, accessible and actionable.
The problem isn't a shortage of opportunity
It's the distance between a girl and what's already there.
01
She doesn't know the opportunity exists.
02
She doesn't know how to access it.
03
She may lack the preparation or support to successfully pursue it.
04
She may lack the networks or connections that make access easier.
Our approach
Four pillars, working as one system.
E
Education
OPEN expands access to learning.
Workshops . Digital Learning . Career readingness . Academic support
O
Opportunities
We connect girls to opportunities that can change their trajectory.
Scholarships . Fellowships . Internships . Jobs . Grants
P
Pathways
Finding an opportunity is one thing. Knowing how to utilize it is another.
Education Pathways . Career Pathways. Professional Development . Advocacy
N
Networks
Because opportunities often come through people.
Mentorship . Professional networks . Peer communities . Career Connections
Not four programs. One interconnected system.
Opportunities, Pathways, Education and Networks aren't separate tracks — they work together, and a girl often needs more than one at once to move forward.
How our approach works
O
We connect girls to opportunities that can change their trajectory — scholarships, fellowships, internships, jobs, grants.
P
Finding an opportunity is one thing. Knowing how to utilize it is another — we help girls navigate education and career pathways.
E
OPEN expands access to learning — workshops, digital learning, career-readiness, academic support.
N
Because opportunities often come through people — mentorship, professional networks, peer communities.
Our story
How it all began
OPEN for Girls first began as an idea after our founder and her partner traveled to South Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda for a humanitarian work trip.
While advocating for young girls and refugees through a scholarship pathway, she saw that scholarships alone were not enough. Some girls did not know what to study or how to pursue their goals. Others were passionate about advocacy but lacked the knowledge, networks, and support to turn that passion into action.
Their education was suffering not because opportunities were absent, but because they lacked the support to understand, access, and make the most of them.
A lesson became clear: a degree does not necessarily mean a girl is educated, and a scholarship does not guarantee that she can transform her life.
The problem is not always the absence of opportunity. It is the absence of the knowledge, support, and networks needed to make opportunity meaningful.
​
That gap became the foundation for OPEN for Girls.
An opportunity is only an opportunity if a girl can access it.
There are endless opportunities. But an opportunity is only an opportunity if a girl:
01
Knows it exists.
02
Knows what to do with it.
03
Is guided to make good use of it.
04
Has the pathways, resources and networks needed to maximize it.
This is what OPEN believes creates a full-circle outcome for philanthropy that impacts girls' lives.
Our team
Team
The people building OPEN for Girls — profiles coming soon.
Name
Board Chair
Announcing soon
Name
Robert Rose
Announcing soon
Name
Robert Rose
Announcing soon
Name
Robert Rose
Announcing soon
Board of Directors
Our founding board is being assembled — details coming soon.
Name
Board Chair
Announcing soon
Name
Robert Rose
Announcing soon
Name
Robert Rose
Announcing soon
Name
Robert Rose
Announcing soon
Governance
