A nonprofit organization empowering teenage girls worldwide to pursue their passion projects through collaborative pods, funding support, and meaningful connections with peers across the globe.
Influential Woman · Nonprofit
Simran Laxmi Shah
Co-founder and CEO of HerGlobal, HerGlobal
Birmingham, MI 01810
1Year experience
1Article published
1Award received
Her Story
About Simran
I am a sophomore at Phillips Academy Andover, a boarding school in Massachusetts, though I live in Michigan during the summer. I founded Her Global in fall 2025 as a nonprofit to connect middle school girls from India with mentors for civic engagement projects. We partner with schools like GEMS Education Movement and teachers in Andhra Pradesh to help girls develop passion projects. I am also involved in my school's newspaper The Philippian, Mock Trial, Fashion Initiative Andover, and serve as an Addison Community Ambassador for the Addison Gallery. I volunteer with Forgotten Harvest, Learn2Be tutoring, and teach ESL at the Quintana Center.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Simran
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to femininity and womanhood. I take extreme pride in that. I'm a queer person of color, and I have always had my mom and grandmother and other strong examples of women. I went to a really progressive school and felt comfortable about my sexuality due to other women. Women are extremely intelligent and emotionally intelligent, which people often undermine, but emotional intelligence is way more important. I would not be where I am without women who have been there for me my entire life.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have received is to just follow your passions. It's very simple, but with my background as someone with immigrant parents, that is very important to hear. I believe you can be successful if you have enough passion and drive for whatever you are good at.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Just get yourself into it and start pushing. I've had to resend countless follow-up emails. Keep emailing people constantly even if it seems incessant, because the key for nonprofits is communication and perseverance. You just need to get the point across.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty and transparency are most important to me. In my nonprofit work, we must be upfront that everything is free, with no payments or donations asked. We impart knowledge and ideas to build community through connection and sisterhood, creating a strong system of support for girls everywhere.
Her Content Hub
Articles by Simran
How HerGlobal Empowers Women
A teenage founder's mission to build global sisterhood and unlock the potential of girls worldwide through collaborative projects and mutual support.
HerGlobal: Empowering Girls Around the World
As a teenage girl, starting a nonprofit had always felt daunting. However, I knew facing the challenge would be worthwhile if I was fighting for a cause worth championing.
According to the World Bank's 2023 report, Women, Business and the Law, women are granted full legal equality in only 14 countries. Contrary to popular belief, the United States is not one of those countries.
HerGlobal empowers young girls by helping them recognize and utilize their autonomy while providing consistent support and encouragement.
I began HerGlobal with one of my closest friends, Leila, through a program at our high school called Launchpad. Even though I was scared, I had two goals in mind:
- First, I wanted to create something that the current me would be proud of.
- Second, I wanted to create something that my middle school self would have been thrilled to be a part of.
I carry those goals with me every step of the way while developing HerGlobal. They serve as a moral compass, reminding me why I started this work and why it matters.
HerGlobal
HerGlobal consists of pods of three to five girls from around the world who we serve by funding and supporting their passion projects. Whether they want to write a research paper, create an initiative, or install an art piece, we encourage them to develop their ideas into meaningful projects.
The girls are also able to interact with and receive support from other girls in different pods through a shared chat platform. Pods rotate every three weeks, allowing participants to begin new projects or continue existing ones while collaborating with different girls.
This is the key tenet of HerGlobal.
By fostering connection and providing support, we reinforce the idea that these girls are not alone and that their ideas are beautiful, valuable, and worth pursuing. This confidence is something many girls my age may take for granted, as not all girls around the world are encouraged in the same ways.
HerGlobal is designed to strengthen girls' self-image while also preparing them for future success by providing funding opportunities for prestigious competitions and supporting their goals in any way we can.
I know how excited I would have been in middle school to be included in a space like this—one dedicated not only to intellectual growth but also to personal well-being.
I would choose to found HerGlobal in every reality.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.