Inside look: The Girl Gang

There’s a new gang in town: The Girl Gang. The “idea baby” of four young feminists has turned into a budding group seeking to connect women in a city that recently ranked second worst paying for women in the U.S.

According to financial site 24/7 Wall Street, Baton Rouge women earn a mere 65.7% of the annual income of men working in the same industries.

“We want to work towards a brighter tomorrow for women in Louisiana, because holding half the population back detracts from the beautiful spirit of this state,” says Girl Gang co-founder Courtney Brandabur. “We believe in the strength of Louisiana and certainly know that greater opportunities exist for women, but we must be a part of that change.”

Since its launch earlier this year, The Girl Gang has more than 100 members, and it’s organizers have a statewide vision for the group. Brandabur along with co-founders Syndey Blanchard, Ashley Monaghan and Monique LeBlanc joined forces in January with a myriad of ideas and unbridled aspirations.

“The elevator speech is, it’s a network for young women professionals in the state of Louisiana,” Brandabur says. They’ve hosted a number of events during the year from educational seminars to social events. Media professional Wendy Overton recently led a personal branding workshop for the group.

Blanchard says she and the other members felt a strong need to create a space for young women to network and collaborate.

“We felt like we knew a lot of awesome women doing amazing things,” Blanchard says. “And we didn’t really feel there was any kind of outlet, a strong community or anything connecting it all up. So we thought we could come together and help facilitate [other women’s] projects.”

Monaghan, a fashion stylist, is well connected with Revival Outpost in New Orleans, NOLA Fashion Week, Nella Designs and Time Warp Boutique, the vintage clothing store that hosted the group’s most recent event. She aims to help Girl Gang members hone their marketing, networking and nonprofit skills.

The Girl Gang’s next venture is launching a custom social media website to help women get and stay in touch with each other. Monaghan describes the concept as a “more aesthetically pleasing LinkedIn.”

The site will include profiles, a space to post resumes and the ability to connect with like-minded women. Potential employers will be able to find talent and connect with users directly through the platform.

The group’s social media site is slated for a summer launch. For more information, visit thegirlgang.org.