Empowering Young Girls – Dr. Teresa Hernandez Howe
Living a life of purpose and growing a business out of her passion to leave a legacy, Dr. Teresa Hernandez Howe, is a trailblazer who is making a big difference through her brand Girls of Color Take Over. Originally founded in 2019, the inspiration behind this brand was the selection of Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss USA, Miss America, and Miss Teen all girls of color. It was amazing to see girls of color making in pageants, and hence, Dr. Howe decided to take the lead and encourage girls of color to take over different industries. It has been a pleasure ride ever since as Dr. Teresa Hernandez Howe has been able to bring value to the lives of more than two hundred young girls of color and counting. Dr. Teresa is a mission driven entrepreneur and a loving mother of two teens living in Tampa, Florida, USA.
Girls of Color Take Over is an empowering program designed for young girls from marginalized communities. The program offers them guidance and training to build self-confidence, enhance self-worth, work on their passion to convert into a potential profitable business, fine-tune their business plan, set up operational strategy and launch in competitive markets to lead an independent entrepreneurial adverture. Talking about this amazing program, Dr. Teresa H. Howe shares, “The young girls usually are full of plans but absence of direction and opportunity ties them down. When they join us in the Girls of Color Take Over program, we purposely work on their motivation, faith in their own potentials and build the courage to grow them wings for the first flight. It is all very exhilerating”. Moreover, the program is also equally beneficial for women entrepreneurs who are at the initial stages of business and have some struggles. It allows them to improve their business strategy and build business with confidence. Dr. Teresa states, “My greatest contributions towards progressive human resource development in women empowerment was implementing mentorship programs tailored for young women and women entrepreneurs. Providing guidance, support and opportunities for skill development and career advancement. This has helped women build confidence, self esteem, and leadership skills”.
As is true for every venture, humans need clarity, well-defined goals and a sense of direction to operate in, so that they could have achievements, is necessary. Dr. Teresa helps young women to gain clarity in what they wish to do as business, set SMART goals and get direction to move towards their goals. In the present times of great noise about self-discovery and individuality, mentorship is crucial. A compassionate and seasoned mentor may certainly make a journey less strenous and more rewarding. Dr. Teresa’s mentorship offers great value to her mentees. Dr. Teresa has been awarded for her work in past years. Her recognitions include the following award, Top Ten People to Know Tampa Bay- 2022, She E O Girl Boss Award – 2023, Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award- 2023, Honorary Doctorate in Humanitarianism -2023, Woman of Substance- 2024, and Impact Leadership Global Award 2024.
Dr. Teresa H. Howe has brought into effect the empowerment coefficient. She shares, “It is important for me to ensure women have a sense of self worth and to have access to opportunities and resources. It is important for me to understand each person’s skills and opportunities, so that I can better define a formula for each individual”. She wants maximum number of girls to join her in the program so that she could ensure they have a clear path towards successful materializing of their dreams.
Her vision as a woman leader in youth empowerment is a commitment to inclusive leadership that recognizes and values the diverse perspectives, experiences and voices of young people particularly those from marginalized communities. She believes that education and skills development is imperative. She plans to prioritize education and skill development programs tailored to the needs of young people, especially girls, to equip them with all the knowledge, skills and confidence to succeed in their chosen paths. Additionally, mentorship and guidance is imperative. Providing this will help the young girls navigate any unforeseen challenges, explore opportunities and realize their full potential. Lastly, Entrepreneurship and economic empowerment initiatives that will enable young women to create sustainable livelihoods, build financial independence, and contribute to economic growth and development. She plans to achieve all this by connecting with women who have the same vision. She aims at expanding her sphere of influence through building collaborative relationships and most importantly seeking funding to support the initiatives.
Dr. Teresa conveys a message of courage and ambition to young girls. She wants them to shine their best light by pursuing what they love to do and excelling at it. Dr. Teresa’s Girls of Color Take Over is gaining global attention as she has been venturing in Dubai collaborating with women with similar aspirations and goals. She is also planning on empowering more talent in Africa in the future. You may connect with Dr. Teresa H. Howe via her LinkedIn and Instagram.
