Entrepreneur, CEO Who Helps Connect Young Women to Companies Advises Them to Plan, Prioritize and Push in High School

GenHERation helps its more 250,000 members in high school and college connect to companies to help them find job, internships and mentors.

Katlyn Grasso is the CEO and founder of GenHERation, a network where young women and companies connect.

Search her name, and you'll see at 26 years old, she's an in-demand speaker and expert on technology, entrepreneurship and developing women leaders.

"Women are rising in the ranks, but we still need more of them. That's what really drives me every day. How can we help young women close the leadership gap?" Grasso said.

She believes closing that gap begins with girls from 14 to 22 -- and exposing them to opportunities and female executives so they can see what's possible.

GenHERation helps its more 250,000 members in high school and college connect to companies to help them find job, internships and mentors. North Texas companies AT&T, Fossil and Southwest Airlines are among the companies that part in the company's Discovery Days where members see female executives in action on their jobs.

"They really get inspired and say, I want to go back to school and put my plan together and be like them someday," she said.

And, the senior year of high school is prime time to prepare.

Grasso suggests the three p's.

Plan: create a schedule that maximizes efficiency.

"Really figuring out the first few weeks what works best for you, and then living by that the rest of the semester. re-evaluate in January and tweak it until you feel like you're running on your optimal efficiency."

Prioritize: write down three goals.

"It might be i want to apply to this college or schedule this tour or start this club, so keeping yourself accountable and check in.

And, push: challenge yourself with a new class or club.

"Whether it's taking a class that's outside of your comfort zone. Maybe's it's learning a new language," she said. "Maybe it's planning a trip to a country we haven't been to with friends and those make really great stories for college essays and interview for jobs and internships because it shows you're interested in self discovery and learning."

Grasso also thinks a paradigm shift in conversations about career can help.

"I think we need to stop asking kids, what do they want to be when they grow up and ask them, what do they want to learn?"

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