ZGiRLS

What ZGiRLS does

ZGiRLS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 by former U.S. Ski Team member Jilyne Jarvis and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. The organization delivers a 4-week online confidence-building program for middle school girls ages 11-14, led through live Zoom sessions by Olympic and professional female athlete mentors alongside trained facilitators. Its proprietary ZGiRLS Curriculum, developed with psychologists and mental health specialists, comprises four modules covering growth mindset, self-worth, resilience, and self-advocacy, and is reinforced by a physical Mindset Journal workbook mailed to participants. Program sessions follow a cameras-off policy to create a safe sharing environment, and outcome surveys report 93-94% of participants showing improved mindset skills.

The organization operates with 16 employees, a board of 13+ directors drawn from major employers (Steelcase, Pinterest, Deloitte, REI), and a network of 60+ athlete mentors. Since 2020, ZGiRLS has served exclusively online, reaching 1,300+ girls across 23 states in 2023 and over 4,500 cumulative girls since inception, with 57,000+ mentorship hours delivered. The participant base skews toward underserved populations: 77% of girls come from low-income families, 64% identify as BIPOC, and 80% attend on full or partial scholarships.

Revenue is generated primarily through charitable donations from individuals and corporate sponsors, supplemented by program fees of $129 per enrollment (with $65 and $0 scholarship tiers), recurring monthly donations via the Game Changers program, and annual campaigns including Reps for Her (a September movement fundraiser) and Giving Tuesday. Corporate partners include Steelcase, Morgan Stanley, Symetra, Burton, Seattle Kraken, BridgesUnited Foundation, TogetherXR, Armoire, Porter, One Workplace, and Rough & Tumble. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website, with strategic alignment through the Lindsey Vonn Foundation partnership. Cumulative fundraising since founding exceeds $2.5 million.

Name

ZGiRLS

Legal name

ZGiRLS Foundation

Website

https://zgirls.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ZGiRLS Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers a 4-week online confidence-building program for middle school girls ages 11-14, led by Olympic and professional female athlete mentors via Zoom. The program, built on a proprietary psychology-based curriculum, reaches underserved girls nationally through scholarships funded primarily by charitable donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development / Educational Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

akta.pro primary industry

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Emotional Regulation Programs (EDAMAIAC)

Keywords

• Youth confidence programs
• Online mentorship programs
• Girls empowerment education
• Mental skills training
• Athlete mentorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellevue

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Revenue from the 4-week online confidence program. Families pay $129 for full enrollment, with scholarship options at $65 (50%) or $0 (100%) to ensure accessibility.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable contributions from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and foundation partners. Nearly 80% of participants attend at no cost through scholarship funding from donors.
3. Monthly Giving (Game Changers): Recurring monthly donations from committed supporters who provide sustained funding for scholarships and program operations.
4. Reps for Her Campaign: Annual September fundraising campaign where participants commit to movement goals while raising money for ZGiRLS programming.
5. Corporate Partnerships: Strategic partnerships with corporations for program sponsorship, initiative funding, and brand collaborations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ZGiRLS runs a 4-week online confidence-building program for girls ages 11–14, delivered live on Zoom by Olympic and professional female athlete mentors. The program uses an original positive-psychology-based curriculum endorsed by Stanford researchers and is offered alongside a downloadable Mindset Journal, free confidence-building resources, and corporate speaking engagements. Families pay a tiered fee with 50% and 100% scholarship options to broaden access.

Product overview

ZGiRLS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering an online confidence-building program for girls ages 11-14. The core offering consists of the ZGiRLS Confidence Program—a 4-week virtual course led by Olympic and professional female athletes—powered by The ZGiRLS Curriculum™, a psychology-based curriculum developed with mental health specialists. Supporting offerings include the Monthly Game Changers donor program, the Reps for Her fundraising campaign, Free Resources (articles and guides for parents and teens), and the Mindset Journal (a physical workbook mailed to participants). The organization transitioned to fully online programming in 2020 and serves girls nationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Reps for Her: A September fundraising campaign where participants commit to a month of movement while raising money to support ZGiRLS programming for middle school girls.
• Game Changers
• ZGiRLS Confidence Program

Products and services

• ZGiRLS 4-Week Online Confidence Program Cohort-based, 4-week live confidence-building program delivered on Zoom to girls ages 11–14, facilitated by Olympic and professional female athlete mentors using a positive-psychology-based curriculum endorsed by Stanford researchers. Reported outcome: 93–94% of participants experience improved confidence.
• ZGiRLS Mindset Journal Downloadable branded journal designed to reinforce ZGiRLS program concepts and provide girls with a structured tool for self-reflection and confidence tracking.
• ZGiRLS Free Confidence Resources Free downloadable confidence-building resources (including a game, morning routine, and journal) offered to families as a freemium entry point to the ZGiRLS program.
• Corporate Partnership & Sponsored Cohorts Corporate partnership package enabling companies to sponsor scholarship cohorts of the ZGiRLS program for employees' daughters, often including athlete-mentor speaking engagements at company events.
• Athlete Mentor Speaking Engagements In-person and virtual speaking engagements by ZGiRLS Olympic and professional athlete mentors, available to corporate, school, and event audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of girls see failures as opportunities to grow
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lindsey Vonn FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership between two Olympian-powered organizations. Hosted the 'Strong Girls Camp' bringing 125 middle school girls together for confidence-building workshops led by Olympians and mental health professionals. This transformational partnership creates meaningful impact through shared mission of girls' empowerment.
• SteelcaseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting ZGiRLS programs. Kayla Sander, Board Chair of ZGiRLS, works in AI Strategy & Innovation at Steelcase.
• Morgan StanleyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting ZGiRLS mission and programs through charitable contributions.
• SymetraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting ZGiRLS confidence-building programs for girls.
• Seattle KrakenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSports organization partner. ZGiRLS was honored with the Heroes of the Deep Award at a Seattle Kraken game, expanding confidence programming visibility.
• BridgesUnited FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation partner supporting ZGiRLS programs and mission.
• BurtonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting girls' confidence programs, aligning with snowboarding and action sports community.
• ArmoireminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFashion and lifestyle partner supporting ZGiRLS mission.
• TogetherXRminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner supporting ZGiRLS programs and mission alignment.
• Rough & TumbleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting ZGiRLS confidence programs.
• One WorkplaceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting the organization.
• PorterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting ZGiRLS mission.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Born This Way Foundation: Born This Way Foundation, founded by Lady Gaga and her mother, is a nonprofit focused on supporting the mental health and wellness of young people through peer support, kindness, and resources. Comparable in its targeted focus on teen mental health and confidence/wellbeing, with celebrity-adjacent brand power similar to ZGiRLS's Olympic-athlete positioning.
• Girls Inc. Girls Inc. is a national nonprofit network inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold through research-based programming on confidence, leadership, and healthy decision-making. Comparable in mission and outcome framework (confidence/self-worth), but operates through in-person affiliates and across a broader age range than ZGiRLS's focused 11-14 window.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Big Brothers Big Sisters is the largest youth mentoring nonprofit in the US, pairing young people with adult mentors for sustained one-on-one relationships that build confidence and resilience. Comparable in mentoring-driven confidence-building outcomes and donor/corporate funding model, but is far larger, older, and broader in both age band and gender.

Direct peers

• Girl Rising: Girl Rising is a global nonprofit using storytelling, education, and advocacy to advance girls' empowerment and gender equality. Comparable in donor-supported mission to build confidence, voice, and self-determination in girls, with similar storytelling/role-model approach, though its geographic and content focus (education access globally) is broader than ZGiRLS's domestic mental-health focus.
• She's the First: She's the First is a global nonprofit supporting girls' education and empowerment through mentorship, scholarships, and leadership training. Comparable in girls-empowerment mission and donor-supported model, with similar parent/donor stakeholder community, though its geographic and programmatic scope is broader than ZGiRLS's US-only focus.
• Girls on the Run: Girls on the Run is a nonprofit that builds confidence and life skills in preteen and early-teen girls through a structured curriculum combined with physical activity and trained coaches. Most directly comparable to ZGiRLS in mission (girls' confidence/empowerment), developmental window, and use of trained adult mentors in cohorts.
• Step Up (Step Up Women's Network): Step Up mentors underserved teen girls through one-on-one mentorship and leadership programming focused on confidence, goal-setting, and self-advocacy. Closely comparable to ZGiRLS in target demographic (tween/teen girls), mentoring model, and emphasis on confidence-building outcomes, though it uses individual rather than group cohort mentoring.
• Strong Women Strong Girls: Strong Women Strong Girls pairs middle school girls with college women mentors to deliver a curriculum on confidence, self-worth, and future possibilities. Comparable to ZGiRLS in age band (middle school girls), mentoring-based delivery, and SEL/confidence outcomes, though it relies on college-age mentors rather than Olympic athletes.

Emerging players

• A Mighty Girl: A Mighty Girl is the world's largest collection of books, toys, and educational resources showcasing powerful female role models for girls, including athletes. Comparable as a confidence/empowerment brand targeting parents of tween girls, but operates as a content/retail platform rather than delivering live mentoring cohorts like ZGiRLS.
• The SKILL Foundation: The SKILL (Sisterhood, Knowledge, Inspiration, Leadership, Love) Foundation is a smaller nonprofit focused on empowering teen girls through mentorship, leadership programming, and confidence-building. Comparable in mission and target demographic (teen girls), and similar in scale-stage to ZGiRLS, though less differentiated by athlete-led delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zgirls
• Facebookfacebook.com/ZGiRLSorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 ZGiRLS