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Press Release: STEM nonprofit Girlstart partners with fashion tech company La Maison Steel

Proceeds fromSmrtKuff® Apple Watch sales will support Girlstart’s mission to increase girls’interest and engagement in STEM

AUSTIN, Texas (October 24, 2023) – Girlstart, an Austin-based nonprofit celebrating 26+years of empowering girls through STEM, announces today a new partnership with fashion-tech company La Maison Steel. Through November 16, La Maison Steel will donate 20% of all SmrtKuff® sales to Girlstart to support its After School, Summer Camp, and Community STEM programs.

STEM challenges need new ideas and solutions, yet half of the world’s population, girls and women, are not invited to the table. Women are dramatically underrepresented in STEM majors and careers, constituting 48% of the total workforce, but only 34% of the STEM workforce. Girlstart seeks to change this through its comprehensive After School, Summer Camp, and Community STEM programs, which introduce STEM careers to girls who have been historically marginalized. These evidence-based programs reach girls during the critical 4th-8th grades and provide the confidence and awareness they need to pursue STEM interests in elementary and middle school and beyond.

“We are thrilled to partner with a tech-forward company like La Maison Steel,“ said Girlstart’s Executive Director Shane Woods. “Their commitment to innovation and empowering the next generation of women and girls in tech hits right at the heart of our mission. We can’t wait to see what we accomplish together.”

La Maison Steel is at the forefront of the fashion-tech industry. Their mission is to connect fashion with the value of blockchain technology and digital authentication. During Paris Haute Couture Week in July 2023, La Maison Steel introduced its new line of Apple Watch accessories, known as SmrtKuffs. The luxury connected cuffs aim to fight against counterfeiting while bringing more people, especially women, into the world of blockchain technology.

“We are honored to partner with Girlstart as our missions align so closely,” said Nicole Steel, Founder and Creative Director at La Maison Steel. ”When I set out to create an original fashion accessory compatible with Apple Watch®, I could not imagine how heavily I would lean on my STEM foundation, not just for the design, but to work through the multitude of challenges along the way. For example: to be sure the product had integrity, we tested up to 16 Newton forces, which is why we invented a new connector and the implementation of blockchain technology for authenticity. If I had not been supported by a solid STEM education, I could never have brought the SmrtKuff® to life. Girlstart provides critical programming for girls to understand they can problem solve through these subjects to find a path forward. I hope our connection between STEM and fashion inspires these girls to innovate now and in the future.”

To support Girlstart and purchase a SmrtKuff® watch band, visit https://bit.ly/SmrtKuff and use code GIRLSTART at checkout.

ABOUT GIRLSTART

Girlstart is a national women-led organization, offering year-round out-of-school STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programming for girls in grades 4-8 in Texas, California, Massachusetts, and other locations across the country. Girlstart’s comprehensive programs are designed to engage, increase confidence, and introduce STEM careers to girls who have been historically marginalized by providing meaningful, hands-on STEM programming through after school, summer camps, and other community events. To learn more, visit www.girlstart.org, or follow us on social: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

ABOUT LA MAISON STEEL

La Maison Steel, launched in 2023 at Paris Haute Couture Week, as the world’s first blockchain native luxury brand and invention of a new luxury accessory, the SmrtKuff®. While creating a fashion cure for Apple Watch®, Steel merged art, fashion and technology to create a modern cultural-shifting brand rooted in exceptional detail and integrity. The Icon logo represents the Steel philosophy of authenticity, inspiration, innovation and excellence. Led by founder and designer, Nicole Steel, the team spans Paris, Zurich, Madrid, Chicago, and Palm Beach. All Steel designs are born with a proprietary On Chain Verified process that revolutionizes digital product passports and authenticity. La Maison Steel has approximately 150 global utility or design patents and trademarks published or pending. To learn more visit www.lamaisonsteel.com, and follow us social: Instagram @lamaisonsteel & @smrtkuff, TiKTok @lamaisonsteelor, LinkedIn @lamaisonsteel.

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Press Release: World-First Sponsor X Returns to United States Grand Prix with STEM-Focused Organization, Girlstart

Back for the second time in Austin, TX, with McLaren Formula 1 Team, the Smartsheet initiative will spotlight how Girlstart is unlocking a world of possibilities for young girls through STEM education

BELLEVUE, Wash., October 10, 2023 – In partnership with McLaren Formula 1 Team, Smartsheet (NYSE:SMAR), the enterprise work management platform, today announced it will highlight national women-led nonprofit, Girlstart, as the next Sponsor X taking the place of the Smartsheet logo on McLaren’s F1 race cars at the United States Grand Prix on October 20-22, 2023.

Inspiring the next generation of women in STEM

Smartsheet and Girlstart believe that science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) will help solve the biggest challenges of today and tomorrow, yet half of the world’s potential idea makers—women and girls—are often discouraged from developing vital STEM skills.

Founded in 1997, Girlstart is on a mission to inspire girls to be world-changers by increasing their interest and engagement in STEM through a variety of innovative year-round programs for elementary girls with a special focus on grades 4-8—a critical age where stereotyping and external biases start to take hold and interest in subjects like math and science starts to fade. Each program is rooted in real-world, non-intimidating curriculums that help foster and develop skills across the full STEM spectrum, provide an understanding of the importance of STEM, and boost girls’ self-confidence and interest in STEM classes, majors, and careers. 

“At Girlstart, we teach girls that they can be whatever they want when they grow up. We ignite a spark in them about STEM and give them the confidence they need to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering, or math,” said Shane Woods, executive director at Girlstart. “The opportunity that Sponsor X presents to shine a light on the girls that we empower through STEM education is invaluable because we believe everyone belongs in STEM.”

Ahead of the United States Grand Prix, Girlstart, Smartsheet, and McLaren will host two special days of programming for a select group of local Austin Girlstart girls where they will hear and learn directly from women in STEM, including former MIT engineer and host of the Netflix series Emily’s Wonder Lab, Emily Calandrelli, and a McLaren STEM ambassador. Students will learn how to code robots to compete in a Formula 1-inspired race, meet McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris, and receive a special behind-the-scenes tour of the McLaren garage at the Circuit of the Americas racetrack. 

“At McLaren Racing, we are passionate about promoting STEM and making pathways ever-more accessible and aspirational. The Smartsheet Sponsor X initiative has enabled us to connect with inspiring, STEM-related nonprofits at key race events and provide our team’s support,” said Louise McEwen, executive director, brand and marketing at McLaren Racing. We’re excited to meet Girlstart at this year’s United States Grand Prix, an incredible organisation which empowers young women to embrace and pursue STEM careers, and hope they have an unforgettable experience being introduced to the world of Formula 1.”

Reimagining what a sponsorship can do

Sponsor X puts the Smartsheet mission into action by elevating people and organizations that are doing work that truly matters. Launched in 2022, the first-of-its-kind initiative has raised awareness for STEM nonprofits across the world, including Australia-based DeadlyScience, Oakland. CA–based The Hidden Genius Project, UK-based STEAM Co., and now Austin, TX–based Girlstart. 

“When we launched Sponsor X, we had one simple mission: to elevate deserving nonprofit organizations by putting them front and center in the world of Formula 1. The community it has built and the impact we have seen is beyond what we could have imagined,” said Andrew Bennett, chief marketing officer at Smartsheet. “After two years and three races around the world, I’m proud that we have raised awareness about the importance of STEM education, creating a connected community amongst our Sponsor X nonprofits, and most importantly, helping inspire the next generation of technologists, innovators, engineers, and more.” 

Learn more about Sponsor X and the missions of each nonprofit organization the initiative has highlighted here. 

About Girlstart

Girlstart is a national women-led organization, offering year-round out-of-school STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programming for girls in grades 4-8 in Texas, California, Massachusetts, and other locations across the country. Girlstart’s comprehensive programs are designed to engage, increase confidence, and introduce STEM careers to girls who have been historically marginalized by providing meaningful, hands-on STEM programming through after school, summer camps, and other community events. To learn more, visit www.girlstart.org, or follow us on social: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

About Smartsheet

Smartsheet (NYSE: SMAR) is the enterprise work management platform. The foundation for managing projects, programs, and processes for millions of global customers, Smartsheet empowers everyone to work better, at scale. Visit www.smartsheet.com to learn more.

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