Gal's Guide to the Galaxy

Gal’s Guide believes that stories inspire action. We have the only women’s history lending library in the United States. Our goal is to awaken the heroes in all of us by sharing stories of complex women that have been left out of history books. We use stories to show the multiple ways to live a life of goodness. We will struggle in life, but because these stories give us a connection to many “mothers” we can change the world to a more empathic and equal world. 

The Elevate Prize funding would advance Gals Guide's work by connecting to more women’s history sites around the world. By creating travel groups and short documentaries, we would be able to show people how a book is a start to a great journey where you can learn even more about yourself and our shared struggles. We would be able to host more workshops with experts bringing women’s history alive as a tool for growth and action. We would like to have these workshops and events be available to Girl Scouts for free and also to the wonderful community at large. We would be able to hire a full-time librarian and create a teacher-friendly database. 

I have a long background as a storyteller with over a dozen awards for podcasting, writing, and film production. Growing up with a mentally ill parent, I found mentors in history books. 

In 2016 I founded Gal’s Guide to the Galaxy, a non-profit organization to provide multimedia education about women’s history. My passion, for stories that show adversity leading to triumph, has made me the go-to speaker at film festivals, schools, and organizations. 

My vision is to connect women’s history as a life skill. My purpose is to find women in history who inspire empathy, empowerment, and action. I want men and women to have a team of muses to inspire them and encourage them throughout their life. I want to use women’s history as a catalyst for empathy. I have been approached by a publisher to write a book on how women’s history can be a roadmap to a better life. 

In 2020 Gals Guide Library opened to the public. We now house over 3,000 materials in the collection and service visitors from all around the country. Our two podcasts have released over 250 episodes to a worldwide audience and won Best Family Podcast in 2017.

In November 2016 as people were lined up at the Indiana courthouse to vote in the presidential election, a man stood out front with a sign that read “Women can’t be president.” This is one example of why the Gal’s Guide Library opened in the town of Noblesville, Indiana. Our library has been changing attitudes, beliefs and behaviors. 

The Mayor, Chris Jensen, of Noblesville has a Gal’s Guide Library card. Being raised by a single mother and having a daughter of his own, he’s empathetic to the problems with equality our town and the world face. 

Gal’s Guide Library strives to elevate the achievements of women and therefore inspire others to achieve their dreams.  McKinsey’s Global Institute found that women generated only 37% of global GDP while comprising 50% of the workforce in their 2015 report.  We want to change that by showing what women have done and can do.    

Gal's Guide provides a vast variety of resources of materials relating to the diversity in women's lives. From our library books to our podcasts, and in social media, we show our patrons how women's history can be a road map to a better life by using empathy and lessons learned. 

Our Executive Director, Leah Leach has coined the phrase, "We are born of many mothers." The ability to choose more mothers for your journey is a game-changer for empowerment and education. Putting an emphasis on empathy and overcoming adversity rather than names and dates is a big start. 

Gal’s Guide talks about women of history by their first name, we encourage people to think of them as guides or muses that can show what decisions to take and what trails to blaze. 

We don't cower away from complex women. We talk about a woman, warts and all because there is as much to learn from what choices she made and what choices you would make. We encourage the idea that we're not all perfect. As Maya Angelou said, "When you know better, you do better." 

At Gal's Guide each book, podcast episode, or event is a thread in a tapestry in the life of our patron. They choose the design, they choose how the threads are woven together. Each thread builds, compassion, education, and empowerment. 

The impact we want to have on humanity is that Gal's Guide is your premier resource for women's history as well as being a new tool for educators around the world. 

The steps we have been taking

• 2017 launched a student-friendly podcast, Your Gal Friday
• 2018 launch adult podcast, Gal's Guide Podcast
• 2018 Uhura Training Academy (year 1 of 3)
• 2020 opening the Gal's Guide Library to the public
• 2020 Wonder Woman Academy Summer Camp
• 2020 Gal's Guide Girl Scout Badge 
• 2021 Gal's Guide Book Club

Steps we are seeking

• Travel to Glasgow Women's Library 
• Short documentaries about women's history locations
• Expert lead workshops
• Author talks
• Women's history teacher-friendly database
• Girl Scout related programs 
• Publication of books 

Why these steps are effective is that they have a local and global impact. Learning about a Black woman who invented Rock 'n' Roll or a Jewish movie star who filed a patent for Wi-Fi. These stories, though not found in history books currently, when told, change attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. 

We are all born of many mothers and they are waiting to guide us to the best potential of ourselves. We just need to listen to their stories.