If you’re dreaming of starting your own non-profit one day, Haley Kilpatrick of Girl Talk will push you to find something you’re frustrated about and want to fix. Haley has been advocating for women since a very young age, when she realized that teenagers and young women were not getting the help and support they needed. So, she decied to give them just that.
Girl Talk became a place where young girls could get the mentorship and collaboration they needed. Their programs are designed to help girls learn leadership skills and self confidence through practical experience, and today, Girl Talk has over 485 chapters and has inspired over 70,000 girls around the world.
We caught up with Haley Kilpatrick to talk all things Girl Talk, and find out why she’s so passionate about her work!
Her Campus: What background led you to where you are now?
Haley Kilpatrick: I started Girl Talk when I was fifteen-years-old. My personal middle school experience and my vision for making it a better experience for other girls is what gave me the courage to start.
HC: How did you know you wanted to work with high school students?
HK: I knew how much I looked up to girls who were a few years older than me, and if a few of them would raise their hands to help lead, together, we could make a meaningful difference in the lives of middle school girls.
HC: What inspired you to create Girl Talk?
HK: My younger sister, Kelly. I didn’t want her to have the same middle school experience that I had. So many friends felt like they were the only ones, and I wanted to help change that. To help girls realize that they need each other. We wanted to help them learn how to develop a sisterhood and develop key leadership skills, all while building confidence.
HC: How has the mission of Girl Talk grown and shifted over time?
HK: Girl Talk’s mission continues to evolve as girls’ needs change and voices are heard. At the core has remained unchanged. We are a peer-to-peer mentoring program, focused on developing leadership skills in high school girls and building confidence in middle school girls. We are proud to have expanded our program offerings from more than 500+ Chapters (70,000+ girls impacted each week throughout the school year) across the US and Canada, to summer camps, leadership retreats, virtual leadership summits, social media platforms, podcasts and developing what I’m so proud of – our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board! At Girl Talk we listen to our girls, because they deserve a place to be heard and to be able to grow into the leaders they are meant to be.
HC: What were the biggest challenges you faced starting a non-profit organization?
HK: The biggest challenges were:
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Raising the money & awareness to be able to develop and launch a nationwide program (offered for FREE) for all girls.
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Developing the courage and finding my voice to be able to ask thought leaders in this space to help.
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Very limited paid Human Resources. We had to rely on people to be generous with their time; board members, interns, friends and family, to come together to make it all happen. For me, it was challenging to maintain an eager spirit to learn and grow, so I could step into various roles as needed.
HC: What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?
HK: Your passion is most linked to what frustrates you, to what makes you think, “Someone should do something about that!” It’s YOU, so go do it! I just envision all of the children out there that are counting on us.
HC: What advice would you give 20-somethings hoping to dive into or start a non-profit?
HK: Ask for help. Do the hard work. Ask the tough questions. Don’t let hearing the word “no” make you question your efforts. There are enough people in this world, and the right people will come alongside you. Stop apologizing, and use your gifts and voice to leave this world better than you found it.