The inaugural Girlboss Rally took place on March 4, 2017 in Los Angeles, and PVF Executive Director James Higa attended this one-day event to hear more from three of the #GIRLBOSS Foundation grantees at one of the panels.  PVF proudly hosts a designated fund for the #GIRLBOSS Foundation, and these award-winners—creative women pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors in design, fashion, music, and the arts—were each granted $15,000 in project funding.

Roseli Ilano is from Oakland, California, and founded ILANO design, which blends traditional weaving with modern design in heirloom textiles, rugs, and handbags.  The GIRLBOSS grant allowed ILANO to exhibit and market products at a tradeshow and build a social media presence.

Deena Drewis, founder and editor of Nouvella, an independent press for novellas, used her GIRLBOSS grant to produce and promote three new titles in 2015.

Mara Lecocq created Secret Code, a customizable children’s book that allows people to choose the name, skin color, and hairstyle of the hero in the story.  The GIRLBOSS grant allowed for the illustrator to work on additional features, such as customizing parents (e.g. same-sex or single parents) in the story.

These three girlbosses discussed “the perks of starting small, why brand authenticity matters more than ever, and the digital tools that are leveling the playing field for small business owners everywhere.”

Learn more about PVF’s #GIRLBOSS Foundation Designated Fund here.