Tech, entrepreneurship, and startup culture are hot topics in the Front Range business community, but many young girls are unaware of the possibilities out there for them. Maker Bolder—an organization founded in 2013 by a group of Boulder moms frustrated by a lack of opportunities for kids (especially girls) in the community—recognized this and created a series of events for girls, called Girls Explore, to inspire the next generation of innovators.

Through Girls Explore, middle and high school age girls are exposed to new topics and engage in experiential opportunities. This month’s event, Girls Explore Entrepreneurship on November 5, gives girls the opportunity to envision what is possible for women in the startup world today and in the future. Here are four ways girls explore:

1. Girls make. The evening of exploration begins with an hour-long Maker Lab where girls and their parents can create and explore through hands-on activities from 15 different STEAM-themed exhibits. Girls can make their own jewelry, engage in science experiments, travel through the human body with 3D glasses, make their own lip balm or shower scrub alongside a 12-year-old entrepreneur, and more.

2. Girls find inspiration. The event’s keynote speaker, Sue Heilbronner, former federal prosecutor and current CEO and co-founder of Bolder-based MergeLane, will talk about her experiences in business and beyond, and share first-hand about the opportunities available to women today. “By seeing someone who has traveled this path before,” says Martha Lanaghen, co-founder of Maker Bolder and mother of four daughters, “we hope to open girls” minds and hearts to the possibilities that exist for them.”

3. Girls solve problems. The event culminates with a fun, hands-on challenge presented by Beverly Ball, a well-know education designer from Boulder. The goal is to introduce girls to design thinking principles and processes, while actively working to solve a problem as a team.

4. Girls explore possibilities. The purpose of the event is to give girls the opportunity to envision what is possible for women today and in the future. “We hope that the lessons and tools the girls take away from the event will open their eyes and minds to the opportunities they have,” says Heilbronner.

“This is a great chance for girls and their parents to have meaningful conversations about this pivotal time in their lives, and to think about what their passions and interests are and how they can turn those into a fulfilling entrepreneurial career.” It’s a place where girls and their parents can come together and learn from industry leaders, ask questions, and expand their interests, which, Lanaghen says, is imperative for their personal growth and will help establish and foster their future careers.

Girls Explore Entrepreneurship is the second in a series of five STEAM-based events. The next event, Girls Explore Tech, is scheduled for February of 2017.

If You Go

Date: November 5

Location: Boulder JCC, 6007 Oreg Ave., Boulder

Time: 5 p.m.

Tickets: $13 for girls, $15 for adults; purchase at makerbolder.com/events