New York, NY (September 24, 2020) – Girls Inc. welcomes five new members to its National Board of Directors: Sandra Campos, Renee Daniel Flager, Rashida Hodge, Luana Lewis, and Vanita Patel. These officers will support the leadership and governance of the organization, and serve as active advocates and ambassadors to equip Girls Inc. to advance its mission to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, through direct service and advocacy.

“We are pleased to welcome these accomplished leaders to the National Board, and will benefit tremendously from their experience and expertise,” said President and CEO, Stephanie J. Hull, Ph.D. “They join Girls Inc. at an important time, as we launch a five-year plan to ensure that our 78-member affiliate network is strong, sustainable, and equipped to deliver evidence-based programming that prepares girls to be the leaders our future needs. All of these women also exemplify our commitment to providing girls with models of extraordinary leaders who are women of color.”

Sandra Campos is the Founder of Fashion Launchpad, an EdTech platform for the fashion-retail-beauty industries. Campos is the former CEO of Diane von Furstenberg. Campos was honored at the 2020 Girls Inc. Luncheon—Celebrating Women of Achievement.

Renee Daniel Flager is Executive Director of Girls Inc. of Long Island. Flager also serves on the Board of Directors for AFPLI and Life’s Worc. She is dedicated to serving the community and recently established a scholarship program for local students pursuing degrees in writing and social justice.

Rashida Hodge is Vice President, North America Global Markets at IBM. Hodge is passionate about community engagement and mentorship, and was a founding partner in How Women Invest VC Fund, a venture fund that invests in and amplifies female-led and female-majority owned companies. She was recently named to Fortune’s 40 Under 40 in tech.

Luana Lewis is President and Chief Operating Officer of CollabraLink, a platform to provide federal clients with resources to increase civic engagement. Previously, Lewis served Senior Vice President of Science and Education at Acentia/2020 Company.

Vanita Patel is Vice President of IBM Sales for Converge Technology Solutions. Before working for Converge Technology Solutions, Patel worked at IBM for over two decades. She has volunteered with Girls Inc. of Greater Philadelphia and worked with mothers to manage security and technology.

Girls Inc. seeks to contribute to a world in which every girl values her whole self, discovers her inherent strengths, and achieves her goals. The organization recently released data from a two-year evaluation study conducted by the American Institutes of Research to understand the difference a high-quality Girls Inc. Experience makes in the lives of girls. Research demonstrates that girls who participate in Girls Inc. have a significant advantage over their peers in academic performance, school-related behaviors, physical activity, and leadership outcomes.