“It is an incredible honor to be sitting in this chair,” began Meet the Press’ newest moderator Kristen Welker last week, “and I feel the huge responsibility it carries. I also want to recognize all of the women, all of the people of color, who’ve been pathfinders to make this moment possible – as well as all of the journalists who’ve mentored me along the way.”

Back to school is all about new beginnings.

It’s school supplies and fall schedules. Sport try-outs and club sign-ups. Familiar faces walking next to new names, and friendships that can spark from that first hey in the hall.

Friendships that can become powerful.

When I launched Être, a mentorship platform bringing girls face to face with female leaders, my favorite thing was to make new friends. Every company we visited – from Spotify to Google to Morgan Stanley and more – wanted to suggest more women we should meet. And as we expanded, establishing clubs in six countries, gathering advice from 200+ women in our books, and ringing the Closing Bell with role models at NASDAQ, one thing remained constant: the friendships we were forming had a powerful impact on girls everywhere.

Tape them to your locker.

Make them your screensaver.

Pass them to a friend.

As girls head back to class with backpacks slung over shoulders and women stride into work with fall strategies in mind, the back-to-school season fills us with promise and potential. Even on days like today when our heads are bowed and our hearts are full, there is comfort to be found in the words of wise women, and inspiration to be stored and savored as leaves start to fall.

The future of AI looks bright.

The future of ethical AI is particularly bright when viewed through the eyes of Neha Shukla, the 18-year-old AI innovator earning the praise of industry leaders decades her senior.

Tell us more about her, urged Être girls.

We’re sorry to interrupt your summer, but the 2024 primaries start 5 months from today. WHO. IS. READY.

So began an Instagram post that caught my eye from I am a voter®, the non-partisan organization shifting modern narratives around voting and civic engagement.

And as we celebrated Women’s Equality Day this weekend, honoring the passage of the 19th Amendment which granted some women (not all) the right to vote, an answer kept circling in my mind.

Young women are ready.

How was your summer? What’d you do?

Questions teens will be asking each other as they swing backpacks over shoulders and head back to school.

Sports…summer jobs…extra classes might be typical answers heard in the halls.

I started leaving positive messages for people on Post-it® Notes and then it turned into a nationwide movement that went viral.

This one got our attention.

The legends are back. And girls everywhere are flipping out.

Stunning crowds as they leapt from floor to beam to bars, Olympians Simone Biles, Sunisa Lee, and Jordan Chiles sprang back into action this month with all eyes set on next week’s 2023 U.S. Championships in San Jose, California and then Paris Summer Olympics in 2024.

When Threads exploded onto the social media scene July 5th, celebratory fireworks were in order. Amassing 100M users in the first five days and augmenting its offerings with quick rounds of updates in response to user feedback, the app hit the summer ground running with one simple message: Say more.

August starts tomorrow, and in celebration the United Nations is launching a first-of-its-kind month-long spotlight on young change-makers.

And well before they head back to class, students everywhere are raising their hands to be seen.

Have questions about how it started and how to be involved?

Être did too – passing you the notes right here:

Start at the beginning: Who is the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth?

As Barbie tells us in her record-breaking hit movie, there is nothing you can’t be.

And as her marketing team showed us in the months leading up to this weekend’s release, there is no industry they can’t touch.

With more than 100 promotional partners and a $155M domestic box office opening weekend (keep reading for the global numbers), it is worth taking a deep dive into Barbie's dream pool of marketing campaigns to see why it worked.

With stars of all ages donning cleats and taking the field this week, the 2023 Women’s World Cup is set to make history.

And we are so here for it.

As soccer obsessed Etre girls around the world gather to watch the games, organizing viewing parties at all hours, we wanted to answer their questions and highlight new role models.

Because when history is made, new goals are set.

Have you heard? Pssst – pass it on.

As of last week, for the first time in history a majority of the Ivy League schools are being led by women.

It’s true. And in a summer brimming with news on education (think rulings on affirmative action and student debt), a new headline is emerging and it’s worth taking a moment to highlight: six of the eight Ivies - a group comprised of Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Dartmouth, Columbia, Cornell, Brown, and Penn - have women at the helm.

As we move past H1 2023 and head towards Independence Day, all of us at Être are pausing for a beat. Reeling from the latest Supreme Court rulings while listening to the wise words of our role models, we are also stopping to savor the view as we look back on a truly epic six months.

“Where are you headed next?”

The question that hangs in the air as new graduates take a well-earned victory lap and greet relatives at summer gatherings.

“Seriously, what’s next? Have a job?”

And while today’s job market is undeniably uncertain, according to a Job Prospect Survey from Project Management Institute (PMI) the class of 2023 is decidedly unruffled.

Indeed, a staggering 80% of students are confident they will find a job within three months of graduating, reports PMI, and among those who feel confident, 47% feel qualified for the role and 47% have a relevant degree specific to their career or industry.

When I first learned about Nia Asemota she was in the midst of final exams and getting ready to graduate from New York University. Completing her degree in Computer Science and Biomolecular Science while interning at NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration as a Software Engineer, this self-taught programmer was already wildly impressive. But when I heard that in her spare time she had created a coloring book to spotlight and celebrate Black women in STEM, I had to know more.

It’s time we had a grown-up Board, I told myself in the mirror as Être neared its seventh anniversary. Seriously, it's time.

When do we know we need a Board?

When, as founders, do we decide we need more than smart family members and friends, more than monthly meetings with unofficial advisors, and more than annual meetings with legends who graciously lend their time?

At first you can’t believe it.

You sit, mesmerized, as you absorb the fact that Gloria Steinem is in your living room, drinking tea and chatting about soccer and hackathons.

But then you start to listen, and the shock falls away.

Because the wisdom she is exchanging with tomorrow’s leaders – young women in their teens and twenties – is all at once timely and timeless. Of the moment and evergreen.

This Memorial Day weekend, as we bow heads to remember the fallen, we're also tossing caps in the air to celebrate new graduates. With commencement speeches and proud toasts ringing in their ears, the Class of 2023 is eyeing today's workforce with excitement, energy and just a touch of apprehension.

How do I know which companies really recognize good performance?

Which organizations not only say they are inclusive, but actually mean it?

Where are the nation's best employers...and how do I find them this early?

Lucky for everyone carefully wrapping up that diploma, Forbes has the answers. Keep reading so you can pass the notes to a friend.

May is Mental Health Awareness month…and next gen girls are painfully aware.

Aware of the February 2023 CDC report that noted a dramatic increase in the number of girls feeling persistently hopeless or sad.

Aware of the growing need to find mental wellness strategies that are working…and share them.

Aware that now more than ever - connection is key.

She is still my first phone call.

From what would you do to what should I wear...from do you remember to can you believe...Linda is my first call.

She is often the first call for my kids - I called Nana and she said - and the ultimate authority on art, fashion, law and ethics for many of my friends. We called Linda.