Katie Hughes, founder of Girls Build, Portland, Oregon

Katie Hughes

Founder and Executive Director, Girls Build

The challenge:

Why can’t girls build, too? Women are underrepresented in the trades due to factors such as gender norms and society instilling perfectionism in girls, dissuading them from trying new things.

The solution: Girls Build

During one-week summer camps, girls 8 – 14 years old learn the basics of building, including carpentry, plumbing, electricity, concrete, sheet metal and much more! Girls have fun with other girls their age, learning the basics of many trades all taught by skilled female instructors.

How Hatch helped:

Hatch supported Katie’s start-up ideas through The Social Pitch in 2015, where Katie’s idea collected the most votes, winning her funding and a membership to HatchLab Portland, where she continued to build her idea.