Our solution's stage of development:
EarlyOur solution:
Brave Enterprises programming offers an online platform that increases confidence and risk tolerance using courage as a conduit. Our programming is designed to build bravery through deliberate practice and cultivate a culture of risk expectancy so women experience a healthy demand for courage that propels them in life.
Our pitch:
For an action to be defined as brave, it requires risk, uncertainty, and fear. Women are far more risk averse and react to fear with paralysis. Brave Enterprises believes that bravery is latent in every woman. We design programming to build bravery through deliberate practice.
According to research, we define bravery as persistence or perseverance toward an important goal despite the experience of fear.[i] General bravery includes actions that most people would characterize as courageous or brave.Brave programming most often focuses on what scholars describe as personal bravery: overcoming personal limitations or obstacles – often psychological – that are standing between you, your goals, and a more meaningful life.
The simple fact that women are paralyzed by fear, goes hand in hand with the gender gaps that plague our society. At Brave, we aim to close these gaps.
The problem:
In order for girls and women to pursue STEM careers, they need exposure, encouragement, and the mindset to deal with the bias, marginalization, and competition that exist in these fields. Though our training is considered a soft skill, women, are less equipped with these skills as they navigate pressure, obstacles and setbacks. Girls pause and women are far more risk averse, reacting to fear with paralysis. Boys and men step into their fear with action. We believe as boys grow into men, they are reaping the benefits of their bravery while women are suffering the consequences of their fear.
Why our solution will solve the problem:
Brave programming is grounded in positive psychology – focusing on strengths, as opposed to pathology-based traits, emotions, and behaviors. Carol Dweck refers to the growth mindset: genetics and environment contribute to our key traits and dispositions, but intentional practice and reflection makes change and improvement possible. Growth is a difficult process that requires deliberate practice. Anders Ericsson, a leading voice on expertise is insistent: growth demands challenge, a push outside the comfort zone. Repeating what is easy or comes naturally – however many times – won’t deliver results. Brave sets women up for an often uneasy but ultimately rewarding process.
Our target outcomes:
Brave aims to close the wage gap, the leadership confidence gap, and the opportunity gap. We want to empower women and girls through strategies that achieve a brave mindset, and to ultimately making them braver individuals. Research suggests this is possible; seemingly small acts of bravery can create a reinforcement loop that leads to greater resiliency, creativity, and engagement with the world around us. Our programming will reach women and girls through an online platform.
How we will measure our progress:
The populations we will benefit initially:
The regions we will benefit initially:
The technologies we employ:
Why our solution is unique:
Our solution is unique because bravery is a very under-researched strength. Brave draws from peer-reviewed literature and leading practitioners, as well as our 20-plus years of experience with bravery-focused athletic coaching. We’ve discovered that winning – and resiliency in the face of failure– does not hinge on skills or core competencies. It was in large part about transforming fear and risk into opportunities for growth and action. Our online bravery classes offer an innovative and accessible solution to help women develop their noncognitive skills. The class aims to cultivate a bravery practice that enhances productivity, self-confidence, authentic leadership and well-being.
Why our solution is human-centered:
Brave programming focuses on what scholars describe as personal bravery: overcoming personal limitations or obstacles – often psychological – that are standing between individuals, their goals, and a more meaningful life. Being intentional about bravery leads to brave actions. With that in mind, our programming is intentional in developing programming center around the individual.
How people will access our solution:
Our solution will be deployed through an online learning platform. This platform will be available to anyone who is able to access the internet. It will be user friendly, easy to navigate and available at any time of day. We plan to received funding to help those who need access the course for little to no fee.
Technology-Readiness Level:
1-3 (Formulation)Our organization:
For-ProfitHow we will sustain our team financially:
We currently have investors supporting our work.
The factors limiting our success:
The following factors limit our success:
- An online does not help those women and girls who have no access to the internet who really need the programming
- Limited funds
- Small staff
How long we have been working on our solution:
2 yearsHow long it will take to develop a pilot:
1-3 monthsHow long it will take to scale beyond our pilot:
6-12 monthsOur expected annual budget:
$350000
How much of our budget we've secured to date:
$100000
We're looking for partners in these fields:
Why we're applying to Solve:
We decided to apply to Solve because Bravery Training is a unique program that we want to provide to girls and women everywhere. It has the potential to close so many gaps in communities. We need the awareness and the right thought partners to help succeed at ensuring Bravery Training leads the way in workforce readiness skills.
Our current partners:
PowerPlayNYC
Mott Hall Bridges Academy
Solution Team
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Our Solution
Bravery Training