Empowering Girls Across Generations: Movemeant's Journey from Inspiration to Impact
At 23 years old, Jenny Gaither, the founder of Movemeant, found herself in New York City after completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She began as one of the founding instructors at SoulCycle, where she discovered her impact extended beyond fitness, fostering community and empowerment for women and girls.
Struggling with body image and battling eating disorders, Jenny embarked on a personal journey of self-love and acceptance. Sharing her vulnerabilities online and within the fitness community sparked a movement, including the "shed the shirt" challenge. This challenge became a pivotal moment when Jenny publicly confronted her insecurities during a SoulCycle class.
The impact of this challenge inspired Jenny to establish Movemeant in 2012, dedicated to empowering girls by redefining fitness as a means to connect with oneself, build confidence, and enhance mental health, rather than focusing solely on weight loss or conforming to societal standards. She believed that fitness and wellness could showcase the inherent value women possess. Jenny also founded the Dare to Bare charity fitness festival, a celebration of movement, body positivity, and self-acceptance. Dare to Bare rapidly grew to become Movemeant's annual flagship fundraiser, expanding to multiple cities over five years and leaving a lasting impact on hundreds of thousands of girls and families nationwide.
Movemeant utilized funds raised to establish two impactful programs: Generation Confident and Meant to Move athletic grants, while also providing financial grants to nonprofits and organizations aligned with Movemeant’s mission and values.
Generation Confident is a 14-week lunchtime curriculum designed to empower middle school girls through movement, mentorship, and community engagement. It promotes a positive self-image by facilitating peer discussions on body genetics, self-care, nutrition, and body positivity, fostering empowering relationships between girls and their mentors. Each session includes a movement component that introduces girls to diverse fitness activities beyond traditional physical education classes.
In addition, Movemeant introduced Meant to Move grants (formerly known as She Plays We Win grants) for female athletes aged 8-17. These grants provide vital support for purchasing equipment, covering travel expenses, and accessing additional athletic coaching, particularly benefiting girls in under-resourced communities. The goal of Meant to Move grants is to empower young athletes by helping them sustain their passion for sports and further develop their skills, thereby inspiring girls to discover and embrace new athletic passions.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Movemeant, like many others, faced unprecedented challenges. Navigating these uncertain times required us to quickly adapt our strategies to a new reality where our traditional methods of impact, such as live events and school programs, needed to evolve.
Our immediate priority was to support the backbone of our mission—the fitness instructors and athletic coaches who champion our cause daily—many of whom were deeply affected by the pandemic. Movemeant responded decisively by launching several initiatives aimed at supporting the health and wellness community during this critical period:
1. COVID-19 RELIEF GRANT PROGRAM:
Movemeant introduced the COVID-19 Relief Grant program to provide vital financial support to fitness and wellness instructors transitioning to digital platforms. These grants covered expenses such as software, equipment, and resources for creating home studios. Partnering with brands like Light + Fit and the Working Well app, Movemeant enhanced support for instructors.
2. Wellness For All Grant Program:
In collaboration with Athleta, Movemeant launched the "Wellness For All" grant program to promote inclusivity in the wellness industry and address racial inequality. This initiative provided financial grants ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 to female entrepreneurs and organizations dedicated to advancing inclusive wellness and fitness practices for BIPOC communities.
3. Stronger For Good:
Movemeant partnered with Anytime Fitness to host the "Stronger For Good" virtual charity fitness and wellness event and campaign. This collaboration aimed to inspire individuals to prioritize their health, offering activities like dance cardio, bodyweight sculpt classes, nutritional advice, and financial wellness tips. Anytime Fitness's contribution of $500,000 supported Movemeant's efforts to make fitness accessible to socio-economically under-resourced communities.
Despite unprecedented challenges, Movemeant remained steadfast in our mission to support girls. In 2023, we launched Girl FWD, a virtual coaching program designed for middle and high school girls to cultivate confidence, self-assurance, and resilience in the digital age. Leveraging technology and creativity, we aimed to stay connected with girls and provide essential support during these difficult times.
Movemeant’s new Girl FWD course serves as a beacon of hope—a transformative journey featuring virtual group coaching sessions led by accredited Movemeant coaches who mentor and support girls. Our Movemeant coaches create a safe virtual space where girls can embrace their emotions, build confidence, and develop healthy habits, normalizing the diverse experiences of girlhood in today's digital world.
At the heart of Girl FWD lies a powerful mission—to unite girls and foster a supportive community both online and offline. Through open dialogues and shared experiences, we cultivate empathy and understanding, nurturing deep connections among participants. Together, we embark on an empowering journey, redefining possibilities and inspiring each other to reach greater heights.
Girl FWD, Meant to Move Grants, and Generation Confident remain foundational impact programs at Movemeant today.
