The Good For Her idea stemmed from Julia's early days working with entrepreneurs and noticing how often groups of men were supporting each other in their journeys and how few women were doing the same. Women needed safe spaces to empathize and support each other without judgment and they were being excluded or opting out of support groups because they were often "the only ones". So, Julia decided to create their own safe space.
Best selling author, coach and mentor Kim Scott was an early advocate for launching this non-profit when Julia decided to leave the operating world. She encouraged Julia to turn the energy around her frustration with the “injustice that surrounded the underrepresented MAJORITY” into efforts that empowered them to overcome adversity. “When underrepresented leaders come together in solidarity, we can confront bias, prejudice and bullying effectively and create teams where everyone can “just work”—in both the justice and the get shit done senses of the phrase.”
The first cohort of women started in 2015 in Boston, MA. It was a carefully curated group of founders; each with their unique stories and each creating very different kinds of companies and products. We started with structured conversations and a shared slack group for private conversations. Over time, these women bonded with each other without facilitation. When Julia moved to NYC, she decided to try it again, and no surprise, the magic happened again! The second cohort flourished and we've continued to add a new cohort every year with the same success! It is our goal that these cohorts continue - each with their own unique personality and with members who are authentic, supportive and eager to grow. So far so good!
GFH operates as a registered 501(c)(3) and added Monique Jean to its board of directors in 2022. ”I’m excited to support an organization dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs connect and build a community. As women, many of us have been in situations where we are the “only”, having a community built by women, for women, is not just about engagement or mentorship, it’s about being intentional in facilitating the progress of women entrepreneurs and supporting them in their journey.”
The name, Good For Her (or GFH), was coined after frequent meetings Julia had with venture capitalists who, when she told them about male entrepreneurs she was working with would often ask for introductions. However, when she would brag about these great women founders in the GFH cohorts (many with equal if not better traction than some of the men) these same investors would respond with "Good for her." and move on without requests for intros. So, it's a bit of a snarky name, but it resonated with our members so it stuck! ...and heck, it really is good for her!