Author Leila McNeill and radio personality, Lady Jade headlined the second annual Girls Inc. Bold Dreams Breakfast to raise critical funds to serve the 50,000 girls in Dallas from low-income households.
Dallas, TX: January 27, 2023 – Nearly 400 community leaders, youth advocates, and philanthropists joined Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas on January 29 for the second Annual Bold Dreams Breakfast to celebrate the life-changing impacts of Girls Inc.’s programs on girls in Dallas. The organization serves girls aged 6-18, most of whom are minorities and living in low-income, under-resourced communities in Dallas County. The event raised critical funds to help the organization reach its goal of serving 25,000 girls by the end of the decade – helping to bridge the gap for the thousands of girls in our community from low-income homes with limited access to quality programs outside of school.
“There are 50,000 girls in Dallas in low-income households and too few of them have access to after school or summer programming. We know that Girls from low-income homes are five times more likely to drop out of school than their more affluent peers without interventions,” said Beth Myers Chief Executive Officer of Girls Inc. to the invitation only audience. “We keep growing and are on track to serve 4,200 girls this year, but we must do more. Educational disparities widen daily, and economic, social, and emotional challenges push girls farther behind. I worry about the thousands of girls who need support but cannot access our programs due to a lack of resources.”
The event featured an inspiring conversation between local radio celebrity and women’s advocate, Lady Jade and author, speaker, and historian, Leila McNeill. McNeill shared inspiring stories from her book Forces of Nature – Women who Changed Science. “We do not need to do anything to spark girls’ interests in STEM. They are already interested. What we need is more programs to help them overcome the systemic barriers they face so they can pursue their interests,” said Leila.
The Bold Dreams Breakfast was made possible by generous companies that have invested in youth and the future of Dallas. The lead sponsor was Norton Rose Fulbright for the second year in a row. Also supporting the event were, Anderson Merchandisers, Alix Partners, Baker Botts, Barnes and Thornburg, FTI Consulting, Foley and Lardner LLP, GreenbergTraurig, Holland and Knight, HuschBlackwell, Lynn Pinker Hurst Schwegmann, The Mavs Foundation, McKesson, The M.O.B. Foundation and Susan and Bill Montgomery, Sidley, Spirit, Toyota Financial Services, and Vistra.
The event was led by co-chairs Paige Montgomery, Partner with Sidley and John Lawrence, Partner with Baker Botts. The event raised over $220,000 to help Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas reach, serve and benefit more girls across greater Dallas with comprehensive, research-based virtual and in-person programs.
To view our 2023 Bold Dreams Breakfast gallery, click here