Okay, so it's the women who crate, but that didn't sound quite as catchy. You get the idea. It's our 2nd anniversary and apparently Friday has its own hashtag and its #fridayintroductions, so let's get to know one another!
It takes a village. Josh, Megan, Kristen, Alison, and Eva at an event in Tucson last year that introduced little ones to Bessie Coleman. Josh is GCC's resident photographer and Eva's helped us pack our crates.
GIRLS CAN! CRATE is a team of 3, Alison, Kristen, and Megan. Though, I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to our fabulous intern Andria, and Monika, an original member of our team. We create our crates in the desert of Tucson, Arizona. Seven to eight months of the year Tucson is a pretty fantastic city to live in, but those 4-5 months of summer can be brutal. Nonetheless, here we are and we appreciate the love the Old Pueblo has shown us. We officially launched GCC in 2015, but it was a dream and labor of love before that.
Andria, Alison, and Megan at a Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona event. Kristen's behind the camera.
It all started when Megan's daughter asked her to play princess and prince one day. S said to Megan, "Mom, you be the prince and I'll be the princess and you come rescue me." Megan responded by saying, "How about we play princess and prince, but we put on our thinking caps and you come up with a way to get yourself out of this pickle?" S wanted nothing to do with that suggestion and an idea was born to introduce girls to real women who've done incredible things to make our world better. Two years later, we've sent out 23 crates to 49 states and Canada and S has now learned about a lot of amazing women who did what they had to do to get themselves out of the pickles they found themselves in. It's pretty amazing how one conversation with a then-3 year old can change your world.
So, that's us a company...but let's meet our team and get to know them a little better. Today, let's start with Alison and Megan!
Meet Alison! Hailing from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Alison is our Operations Ace. Alison keeps us moving forward as a visionary and helps us to figure out how to make those visions reality. When she's not cheering for the Michigan Wolverine's, she's hanging with her family, researching activities and testing them, or getting her Zumba on. Here are some fun facts to know and share about Alison:
If I had a super power it would be: I would either like the ability to see super small particles that make up matter, because how cool would that be?-- or I'd like the ability to move objects with my mind.
Favorite time of day: I love early mornings. It's so beautiful outside when the air is cool, the sun is rising and the birds are waking up and starting to sing Plus, I'm a morning person so it's a great time to get stuff done.
Favorite fearless female: I have to pick a favorite? That's way too hard. The more women we introduce to young girls, it gets harder and harder to choose. Some of my FAVORITES are Pasty Mink, Maya Angelou, Bessie Coleman, Florence Nightingale, and Junko Tabei. But I can't pick just one!
What have you learned with GCC this year? I have learned that just because you have a way of doing something, doesn't mean it can be reassessed and improved upon. We have made some good strides in our crates by re-evaluating our goals and our materials. I have also been reminded that women are amazing. We overcome obstacles on a daily basis and continue to thrive in life. That's why this business is so important to me.
One thing I want to do in life is: I'd love help change the ways girls are viewed in society and by themselves.
Meet Megan! A Wisconsin native, Megan is our Creativity Guru. She keeps the creativity in the crate alive with her whimsical graphics. A sucker for anything related to The Office, Megan can also be found with her family, designing marketing materials, or getting crafty around the house. Here are some fun facts about Megan to know and tell:
Favorite book: Ahhhh, too hard! All of the books in the Harry Potter series, A Tale of Two Cities, To Kill a Mockingbird, Godric, Jane Eyre...
If I could live in any era in history it would be: Right this minute, but I'd love to time travel to visit each period in history.
Favorite fearless female: I love Patsy Mink, she just totally embodied the word fearless. She never let any obstacle stop her and seemed like a powerhouse from the moment she was born.
What have you learned with GCC this year? That girls can do anything...I already knew this, of course, but I am inspired each day by the fearless women we celebrate in our crates. They've taught me to just go after what I want, embrace who I am, and celebrate others! Most recently, I've learned to take more risks, to apologize less, and to realize I'm never too old to try new things or explore new ideas.
One thing I want to do in life is: dive with sharks! Especially after our Adventurous Ichthyologist crate, woot!
So, that's part of our team! We'll meet Kristen and Andria next week! Have a great weekend...make it 'crate'!