Engineering Confidence: Raising Girls to Build Companies

The Power of a Parent’s Belief: Raising the Next Generation of Founders

At this year’s SXSW EDU, VentureLab founder Dr. Cristal Glangchai sat down with Audrey McLoghlin, founder of the apparel brand Frank & Eileen, for a fireside chat on a critical mission: raising girls who see themselves not as future employees, but as future founders.

Both women began their careers as engineers before pivoting to entrepreneurship. During their conversation, a striking commonality emerged. For both Cristal and Audrey, the seed of their success wasn’t planted in a boardroom or a university lecture hall, it was planted at home, rooted in the unwavering belief of their parents.

The First “Investor” is Often at Home

While their career paths were technical, their resilience was personal. Both founders highlighted having a parent who was an immigrant to the country who treated them as capable problem-solvers, who encouraged risk-taking and didn’t place “gendered” limits on their ambitions. This integral experience and fearlessness allowed them to navigate the male-dominated worlds of engineering and business.

The most powerful thing a parent can give their daughter isn’t just support; it’s the absolute conviction that her ideas have value and her voice belongs at the table.

Why The Confidence Gap Doesn’t Wait

VentureLab’s core philosophy is grounded in a powerful truth: girls need early exposure to entrepreneurship because confidence, creativity, and leadership start young. Unfortunately, society often begins chipping away at that confidence right when girls need it most.

• The 12-Month Shift: At age 12, girls and boys are equally confident.
• The Fear of Failure: Just one year later, the number of girls who feel they are not allowed to fail more than doubles.

This is the window where VentureLab intervenes. By building entrepreneurial mindsets in elementary and middle school, we reach girls while they still believe their dreams are possible, reinforcing the same “permission to lead” that Cristal and Audrey received from their own parents.

A Partner in the Mission: The Frank & Eileen Foundation

Audrey McLoghlin’s journey mirrors Dr. Glangchai’s belief that entrepreneurship is the most powerful lever for women’s advancement. After earning the highest B Corp impact score of any woman-owned apparel brand, Audrey launched a $10 million Giving Pledge in 2020. She fulfilled it in four years, then doubled it to $20 million.

That commitment crystallized into the official launch of the Frank & Eileen Foundation on March 3rd. Its goal is well-aligned with VentureLab: to create more female entrepreneurs by unlocking access to exceptional education and mentorship.

The Future is Founded

The fireside chat concluded with a look toward the future. Through the Frank & Eileen Foundation’s Dear Dreamer initiative and VentureLab IGNITE, both organizations are scaling their impact.

They are working to ensure that every girl, regardless of her background, has access to the tools, the language, and the fundamental belief that she can build the future. Because when a girl is told she can change the world, and she has the entrepreneurial skills to back it up, she becomes unstoppable.

Entrepreneurship is not a career path reserved for a select few. It is the most powerful driver of positive change available to women, and the best time to start is now. ~Cristal Glangchai