August 28, 2018
EMPOWER A GIRL, CHANGE THE WORLD
An article written by RFG Advisory’s Cheif Invesment Officer, Rick Wedell was recently featured on GirlSpring.com. Click here to read the article and to learn more about GirlSpring
GirlSpring was founded in 2010 in Birmingham, Alabama by philanthropist and social activist Jane Stephens Comer. A Birmingham native, Comer went back to pursue her degree later in life and graduated from Birmingham Southern College.
She raised three children, founded a small business and has been actively involved in the community for many years. Comer has served on the boards of the Alys Stephens Center, Alabama Ballet, Alabama Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Museum of Art. Also, with her generous gift to UAB, Comer spearheaded efforts to create ArtPlay, a center dedicated to cultural programming for children that thrives today.
After her many accomplishments and civic contributions, Comer knew her next endeavor needed to tap in to one of her greatest passions – empowering women and girls.
She had the opportunity to do just that when Gloria Steinem challenged her to commit one outrageous act for justice, and Jane obliged wholeheartedly. “I was attending Gloria’s seventy-fifth birthday party in 2009 when she issued a challenge for everyone in the room to commit one outrageous act in the cause of simple justice—something that would make the world a better place,” Jane says. “Three months later, seven women gathered in my living room to discuss what could be done to raise awareness of gender equity and the power of women to empower each other.”
The result was GirlSpring, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Birmingham, Alabama, that focuses on the issues, activities, and concerns of girls and young women.
