Girl Move Academy

What Girl Move Academy does

Girl Move Academy is a Mozambican-headquartered nonprofit leadership development organization founded over 10 years ago, positioned as the first African leadership academy focused exclusively on young women. The organization's flagship CHANGE program is a one-year experiential acceleration track structured in three phases: seven months of grassroots hands-on experience in Nampula, nine weeks of international executive training in Lisbon (Portugal), and career acceleration in Maputo. Supporting programs include the Community Youth Leadership Digital Program for nationwide scale reach, the Systemic Leadership Program for corporate C-level female talent, and the In-school Mentorship Based Program commissioned by the Minister of Education of Mozambique.

The academy's underlying intellectual property centers on proprietary leadership methodologies: the TWIL Model (Think, Weave, Innovate, Lead), a 6-Principle Changemaker Skills Wheel, a Circular Mentorship methodology designed for multiplier effect at national scale, and a New Leadership Paradigm reframing 'power over' into 'power through.' These methodologies are supported by five integrated labs (New Leadership LAB, Impact Career LAB, Circular Mentorship LAB, Changemakers LAB, Storytelling LAB) that deliver specific competencies within the CHANGE program. The methodology was recognized with the UNESCO Prize for Girls and Women's Education in 2021. Technology infrastructure is limited to standard program delivery tools including the CHANGE candidate portal (change.girlmove.org/candidatura); the organization is not a technology company.

Girl Move Academy operates a hybrid nonprofit revenue model combining foundation and institutional grants (MasterCard Foundation, L'Or\u00e9al Foundation, Funda\u00e7\u00e3o Champalimaud, European Union, UNICEF), corporate partnerships (EDP, Santander, Deloitte, Jer\u00f3nimo Martins, SONAE, VdA, PLMJ), program fees for the CHANGE program and corporate Systemic Leadership Program, and individual donor/philanthropic support. It targets four primary segments: young women aged 20-30 (university graduates or finalists), adolescent girls in secondary school, university students and graduates, and corporate partners seeking female leadership development. Operations span three locations (Nampula, Maputo, Lisbon) with a 45+ person multidisciplinary team.

Name

Girl Move Academy

Legal name

Girl Move Academy

Website

https://girlmove.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Girl Move Academy is a Mozambican-headquartered nonprofit leadership development organization, the first African academy focused exclusively on young women, operating a one-year flagship CHANGE program and supporting adolescent girl programs across Nampula, Maputo, and Lisbon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees - CHANGE Leadership Program: An immersive one-year experiential program for young women including grassroots experience in Nampula, international experience in Portugal, and career acceleration in Maputo. The program is competitive and selective.
2. Corporate Leadership Programs: Customized systemic leadership programs for companies and organizations targeting female talent development for C-Level positions. Revenue generated through partnership agreements with corporate clients.
3. Foundation and Institutional Funding: Partnerships with foundations (MasterCard Foundation, L'Oréal Foundation, Fundação Champalimaud) and institutional donors (European Union, UNICEF) providing program funding and support.
4. Donor and Philanthropic Support: Support from individual donors, philanthropists, and impact-focused organizations investing in empowering young women leaders.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Girl Move Academy operates leadership development and education programs focused exclusively on young women in Mozambique. The core offering is the CHANGE program, a one-year experiential acceleration program that combines grassroots community experience in Nampula, international executive training in Portugal, and career acceleration in Maputo. Supporting products include a digital community youth leadership program, an in-school mentorship program, a systemic leadership program for corporations, and impact circles for community multiplier effects.

Product overview

Girl Move Academy operates as a multi-program leadership development ecosystem focused on young women in Mozambique. The core product is the CHANGE (Leadership & Social Innovation Program) - a one-year experiential acceleration program with three phases: grassroots experience in Nampula, international experience in Portugal, and career acceleration in Maputo. Supporting programs include the Community Youth Leadership Digital Program for nationwide reach, the Systemic Leadership Program for C-level executives, the In-school Mentorship Based Program for adolescent girls, and Impact Circles for community multiplication. These programs are supported by five integrated labs (New Leadership LAB, Impact Career LAB, Circular Mentorship LAB, Changemakers LAB, and Storytelling LAB) that deliver specific competencies. The academy also maintains an online Candidate Portal for CHANGE applications and operates physical facilities in Nampula, Maputo, and Lisbon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CHANGE: A one-year intensive acceleration program for young women leaders focused on impact, featuring executive training in European schools, mentorship from decision-makers, international experience at reference companies, and community co-creation.

Products and services

• CHANGE (Leadership & Social Innovation Program) An experiential one-year acceleration program that develops female leaders and changemakers who will shape the future of Mozambique. The program consists of three milestones: 7 months of grassroots hands-on experience in Nampula, 9 weeks of international experience in Portugal, and career acceleration in Maputo's hub.
• Community Youth Leadership Program A mobile-based digital program that activates youth talent to become changemakers in local communities through digital platforms, targeting secondary and university young women nationwide.
• Systemic Leadership Program A high-level career acceleration program designed to elevate women leaders to C-level positions in strategic companies, incorporating the TWIL Model (Think, Weave, Innovate, Lead) and six strategic steps for transformational leadership development. Targeted at corporate partners and organizations.
• In-school Mentorship Based Program A school-based, student-led program commissioned by the Minister of Education of Mozambique that fosters development of educational and vocational skills while preparing adolescent girls as agents of change through mentorship.
• Impact Circles Programs that multiply effect through circles led by young women role models, extending Girl Move's methodology into community-based peer learning and support networks across Mozambique.
• CHANGE 2027 The 2027 cohort edition of the CHANGE one-year intensive leadership and social innovation acceleration program targeting young women leaders from Mozambique with full scholarships, executive training in European schools, mentorship from decision-makers, and international experience at reference companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• +25,000 girls & women inspired across programs
• +11 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• UNESCOflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO recognized Girl Move Academy with the 2021 UNESCO Prize for Girls and Women's Education, validating the organization's systemic approach to female leadership development. This prestigious recognition provides credibility and visibility for the organization's global impact.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations Children's Fund partnership supporting education and gender equality initiatives for girls in Mozambique through Girl Move Academy programs.
• AshokacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal partnership supporting changemaker leadership development. Ashoka's endorsement aligns Girl Move with the international changemaker ecosystem and provides network access.
• Girls Not BridescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to address child marriage and support girls' education. Girl Move Academy contributes to the global effort to end child marriage through grassroots programming.
• Católica - Universidade Católica de MoçambiquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Catholic University of Mozambique for student referrals, talent pipeline, and joint initiatives in leadership development.
• Católica Lisbon (Universidade Católica Portuguesa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive education partner providing training in Portugal for the CHANGE program. Girl MOVERs attend executive schools in Europe as part of their international experience.
• Nova SBE (Nova School of Business & Economics)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese business school partner providing executive education and innovation ecosystem access for CHANGE program participants during their Portugal experience.
• Universidade LúriominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership in Mozambique for student referrals and talent pipeline to Girl Move Academy programs.
• DeloitteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional services firm supporting leadership programs and providing corporate internship opportunities for Girl MOVERs.
• VdA (Vieira de Almeida)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese law firm providing pro-bono or reduced-cost legal support and corporate mentorship opportunities.
• PLMJminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese law firm supporting Girl Move Academy through legal expertise and mentorship programs.
• Be That GirlminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization partner working on female empowerment and girls' education initiatives.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• African Leadership Academy: Pan-African residential leadership academy developing young African leaders aged 16-19. Closely comparable in operating model (selective cohort, residential/international components, leadership curriculum, university and corporate partnerships) and target demographic (high-potential African youth).
• African Leadership University: Pan-African higher-education institution focused on developing African leaders and entrepreneurs across multiple country campuses. Comparable in mission (African leadership development), multi-country footprint, and blend of experiential learning with corporate and foundation partnerships (Mastercard Foundation, etc.).
• Vital Voices Global Partnership: Global non-profit identifying and investing in women leaders across emerging markets. Comparable in focus on women's leadership development, fellowship/accelerator cohort model, mentorship-driven programming, and corporate/foundation funding base.
• Acumen Academy: Global leadership academy developing social change leaders through cohort-based programs (e.g., Acumen Fellows, +Acumen courses). Comparable in leadership-for-impact mission, blended in-person/digital cohort model, and funder base (foundations, bilaterals).
• The Tony Elumelu Foundation: Africa-focused foundation running a flagship entrepreneurship training and seed-capital program across all 54 African countries. Comparable in pan-African leadership/entrepreneurship mandate, selective cohort training program, mentorship layer, and corporate/foundation funding base.

Emerging players

• Generation: Global youth employment non-profit delivering cohort-based training programs that accelerate young people into careers. Comparable in cohort-driven methodology, employer partnership model for placements, and metrics-driven approach to youth outcomes.

Regional players

• African Women's Development Fund: Pan-African grantmaking fund supporting organizations promoting women's rights and leadership in Africa. Comparable in African women's leadership mission and foundation funding model, but operates as a grantmaker rather than direct training provider.

Others

• Ashoka: Global network of leading social entrepreneurs (Ashoka Fellows) and a partner of Girl Move. Comparable as a changemaker ecosystem enabler and network orchestrator; relevant as an existing ecosystem partner rather than a direct training competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/girlmoveacademy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvgbs9R3_9II4EswuPMr72w/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/girlmoveacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/girlmoveacademy/posts/?feedView=all
• Instagraminstagram.com/girlmoveacademy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Girl Move Academy