Our Mission
Cinnamongirl Inc. equips girls of color with the confidence, voice, and skills to truly belong in the spaces where they aspire to lead.
Our Vision
We envision a world where every girl defies society's limiting beliefs, conquers every challenge before her, and fearlessly pursues her wildest dreams.
Why It Matters
Between ages 8 and 14, girls' confidence plummets by 30%—but for girls of color in predominantly white schools, the crisis runs deeper. These brilliant, high-achieving young women carry an exhausting paradox: they're hypervisible (expected to represent their entire race) and invisible (their actual selves unseen). They're making impossible daily calculations—Should I speak up or stay quiet? Natural hair or straightened?—excelling academically while slowly losing themselves emotionally.
We're losing these voices at the exact moment our world needs them most. The leaders our future requires aren't the ones with all the answers—we need leaders who can navigate complexity while staying grounded in who they are, who understand that real power comes from self-knowledge paired with courage. That kind of leadership starts with belonging to yourself first.
When we let brilliant girls believe they must choose between excellence and authenticity, we're not just losing future leaders—we're losing the exact kind of leaders who could actually change everything. That's why Cinnamongirl exists: to build a generation of leaders who achieve without shrinking, who lead from unshakeable self-knowledge, and who transform every space they enter.
Our Impact
Over 20 years, we've built something remarkable:
3,200
girls served since 2003
92%
feel comfortable being their authentic selves in any environment
98%
college graduation rate (vs. 45% nationally for Black women)
86%
pursue leadership roles in college and beyond
72%
of current girls hold leadership positions now
But the real impact lives in the stories.
It's in Bella, who went from "pretty shy and doubtful" to published author, business owner, and Howard University freshman who now says: "Cinnamongirl taught me that my voice isn't just valid—it's necessary."
It's in Serena, honored by Former First Lady Dr. Jill Biden at the White House as part of the 2024 Girls Leading Change initiative.
It's in the college alumna who comes back as a mentor and tells a nervous 10-year-old: "I was you once. I felt exactly what you're feeling. And look at me now."
It's in the families who drive hours roundtrip for Cinnamongirl meetings because they finally found a place where their daughters can just be kids—where they don't have to carry the weight of representation, where they can laugh too loud and take up space and belong without shrinking.
The confidence of girlhood becomes the courage of womanhood.
Hear From Our Girls
They'll tell you better than we ever could what happens when a girl finally finds her sisterhood.