23 Apr GirlsBuild National Summit ’25: Celebrating 10 Years of GirlsBuild at the YouTube Theater
The 2025 GirlsBuild National Summit marked a powerful milestone — 10 years of uplifting student voices and igniting change. This year, GirlsBuild welcomed thousands of students from 72 schools to the YouTube Theater for an unforgettable day of bold conversations, dynamic panels, and career inspiration across tech, media, business, politics, sports, and mental health. The Girls(Re)Build theme was sparked by the innovation and advocacy of GirlsBuild teams responding to the LA fires in January—proof that GirlsBuild students are already leading with heart and purpose in their communities.
From LA Sparks champions Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink to Sprinkles Founder and C2 Ventures partner Candace Nelson, award-winning journalist Jemele Hill, LA84 Foundation President Renata Simril, and mental health leader Nina Westbrook—the stage was filled with powerhouse voices encouraging students to dream big and lead boldly. Relive energy and inspiration in the highlight reel!
The event started with the HelloFuture Career and College Fair, where 63 organizations in tech, media, business, wellness, and higher education engaged over 3,500 attending students. Inside, students attended EmpowHERment Workshops presented by the Walt Disney Company, Nielsen, and Kaiser Permanente.
The main event was hosted by acclaimed sports journalist Jemele Hill and began with an inspiring poem about self-love by GirlsBuild alumna Aiyana Sha’niel. The Summit was also joined by special guest speakers, District 7 LAUSD Board Member Tanya Franklin Ortiz and NFL Champion Andrew Whitworth.
GirlsBuild was excited to have powerhouse entrepreneur Candace Nelson deliver the keynote presentation on building a brand. She also judged a Shark Tank-style pitch contest featuring GirlsBuild students from Westbrook Academy (Girls Give Love) and Compton Early College (ChangeMakers), who both received grant awards from Nelson for their Impact Projects!
Next, Diana Simmons moderated a panel on “(Re)Building The Future Through STEM” with leaders in STEM: Jen Garcia, Nona Yadegar, and Danae Kokenos. The second panel featured host Jemele Hill moderating a conversation on “Leadership Through a Crisis” with leaders who helped manage the county-wide crisis this January during the LA Fires: LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, District 3 and Pasadena Public Health Acting Deputy Director Judith Dunaway.
GirlsBuild was also honored to have two students from Marshall Fundamental and Pasadena High School – schools that took inspiring action during the fires – present during the Summit to share about their impact.
To close the show, LA84 Foundation President Renata Simril moderated a conversation on “Resilience, Health, and Wellness” with WNBA superstars Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink of the LA Sparks and mental health expert Nina Westbrook. They ended the Summit with inspiring words about pursuing goals while prioritizing mental health.
If you’re passionate about supporting the next generation of changemakers, GirlsBuild is already gearing up for the 2026 Summit — reach out today to learn how you can be a sponsor and make an impact.
