Shayne Swift & Karen Venable-Croft

We wanted to create a school that provides girls with the skills and the competencies to stand with anyone.

Ten years ago, Shayne Swift and Karen Venable-Croft sat around a kitchen table envisioning the ideal school for their daughters and their younger selves.

In August 2020, their vision became a reality. Shayne and Karen opened Girls Global Academy, an all-girls high school in DC where young women gain the skills and support needed to thrive academically. Girls Global Academy provides a transformative experience with a focus on engineering and business in order to create robust pathways for learning, leadership, and future success.

Reflecting back, Shayne's and Karen’s own childhood role models and school experiences fueled the design for Girl Globals Academy. Karen says, “I remember thinking, I don't want any girls to ever feel the way that I feel right now in the classroom. It was about making sure that there was a space and an opportunity for girls that looked like me, sounded like me, and thought like me.”

By creating a school where girls celebrate each other, feel empowered to learn, and see themselves reflected in their teachers, Girls Global Academy is building the confidence young women need to boldly and unapologetically lead and succeed. Shayne and Karen are living proof of how far empowered women can go. Now, they are preparing the next generation to become authentic and effective leaders.

Shayne Swift & Karen Venable-Croft, Founders, Girls Global Academy