A Sunnie Saturday at Pegasus Park

Am I safe to assume that Greta Gerwig’s Barbie needs no introduction here? I like to think I have a pretty decent grasp of my audience. In any case, I recently had a day that felt straight out of the movie — specifically the scene where the Barbies band together to dismantle “Kendom” and reclaim their leadership of Barbieland. To me, this clip represents solidarity as a subtle act of rebellion, a ~classy~ “f you” to the patriarchy and an embrace of femininity in all forms.

That same magnetic, future-is-female energy filled the air at the inaugural event, SunnieFest.

SunnieFest was born from the collaboration of two teams coming together with a shared vision to celebrate the creativity, talent, and grit of young girls: Sunnie, the Gen Z–focused offshoot of Reese Witherspoon’s media collective, Hello Sunshine, and Lyda Hill Philanthropies’ If/Then team, whose aim is to encourage girls in STEM through boosting representation (a.k.a the team behind the orange statues I won’t shut about!).

What felt like a slumber party with 200+ new friends, the SunniFest itinerary included decorating cosmetic kits (courtesy of one of the event sponsors, e.l.f. Beauty), learning about the chemistry behind perfumery, and hearing from a powerhouse panel of gen-z women in media and STEM. All the activities were aimed to dismantle the tired notion in society that femininity = frivolity. 

Sunnie Ambassador and rising actress Lexi Minetree spoke on this very idea on the panel — that “Being a woman means constantly walking a tightrope of contradictions”: You must be confident but modest, opinionated but not too outspoken, attractive but not attention-seeking, … the list goes on (and on and on).

When asked about her experience filming the new Legally Blonde series, Lexi shared how empowering it felt to step into the heels of the iconic Elle Woods, a character who’s dismissed at first glance for her looks, only to prove she’s strategic, sharp, and, let’s face it, easily best-dressed at Harvard Law school.

As a fashion fanatic and enthusiast of all-things pink and bedazzled, Lexi feels a kindred connection to Elle Woods (not to mention the resemblance is uncanny). I wish I could thank her for embracing a role that is bound to inspire girls to see their femininity not as something to conceal, but as a source of strength and pride.

I want to introduce three of the other panelists who are walking the Elle Woods walk — embracing their identity with confidence and originality, all while absolutely crushing it in their careers.

from left to right: Lexi Minetree, Marley Dias, Gabrielle Policano, Neha Shukla

Marley Dias, she/her

I don’t have the word count to cover 20-year-old Marley’s achievements, but let’s just say I worry for the day she’s asked to submit a one-page resume. In middle school, she grew frustrated by the lack of books featuring Black girls as protagonists on her school’s book shelves, so she decided to take action. At 11 (around the same time I was making slime and tending to my silly band collection), she launched  #1000BlackGirlBooks, a campaign aimed to collect and donate 1,000 books featuring Black girls as the main character. She exceeded that goal by a landslide, gathering over 15,000 books now housed in schools and libraries across the country. Since then, she’s hosted the Netflix series “Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voice,” been named one of TIME’s “25 Most Influential Teens,” and is currently pursuing her Master's in Sociology and African American Studies at Harvard… What, like it’s hard?

Gabrielle Policano, she/they

Born and raised on the Upper West Side, Gabrielle Policano’s creative spark was evident from a young age. A three-time slam poet winner, activist, and recent graduate of Boston University’s BFA Acting program, Gabrielle now takes on their biggest role yet: Liz in the upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series. When asked about the experience, Gabrielle shared that the process has pushed her to “embrace [her] identity more fully, both on and off screen.” Growing up with virtually no queer representation in the media she consumed, Gabrielle now aims to be the reflection she once needed. She hopes to help others feel empowered to explore their identity and express it however they choose. I look forward to watching Gabrielle bring Liz to life, and I have a feeling that the impact she’ll have on the next generation will be far greater than she realizes.

Neha Shukla, she/her

It’s not many people who can say they’ve pitched their patented innovation to both NASA and Apple by age 16. In fact, I’d bet that that particular flex is exclusively reserved for Neha Shukla. With boundless curiosity and a knack for solving the kinds of global problems most people would rather avoid, Neha invented a device called SixFeetApart, a wearable social-distancing sensor used during the pandemic. She’s been on a roll innovating ever since. She published a book in 2022, Innovation for Everyone: Solving Real‑World Problems with STEM, a “next‑generation guide for students to take action within their communities using innovation.” She’s now reached over 70,000 students across 35+ countries through her innovation workshops. Currently on an AI kick, Neha serves as the Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Generation AI  Youth Council, and is helping shape policy around child‑safe and ethical AI (who isn’t!?)

 

I left SunniFest feeling empowered, inspired, and, ever-so-slightly unaccomplished (I mean, seriously, is there a running count of the 11-year-olds out there running their own tech startups?). In any event, I’d like to close with a mini brain dump of sorts, a jumble of thoughts that’ve been on my mind post-SunniFest. Take them as you will:

* It’s time to rebrand femininity as strategic strength: aesthetics and self-expression as communication, empathy as intelligence, and care as leadership.

* We call female-dominated industries like nursing, teaching, and social work “helping” or “caring” professions. When are we going to acknowledge the fact these are the very professions that make the world go ‘round? I can’t help but laugh to myself (and out loud) when someone comments on how “sweet” it is that my sister went into nursing, blissfully unaware of the technical skill, emotional strength, and physical stamina the job demands (shoutout Annabel and nurses world-wide).

* Confidence can be learned. We practice it the same way we do any other skill: by trying, failing, learning, and getting back up again.

* Every meaningful movement, innovation, or breakthrough is built on networks of care, trust, and collaboration. The “going it alone” mentality is over-rated, and I’m not so sure it works; lean on your people!

* It’s okay to be both analytical and artistic, bold and uncertain, nurturing and ambitious. We contain multitudes — it’s what makes us interesting.

* In all seriousness, where does Elle get Bruiser’s little pantsuits? I’m looking to zhuzh up my cat’s wardrobe, and there’s no better fashion muse than Bruiser Woods. Any leads would be sincerely appreciated.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for sticking with me (truly!). And if you’re looking for more inspiration from women doing remarkable things, check out If/Then and Hello Sunshine. And remember, in the wise words of Elle Woods, believing in yourself will never go out of style.

Until next time,

Charlotte, Founder of Giving Tree Paper Co.