Girl Scouts of the USA
received honors from Fast Company in its annual ranking of the world's
50 Most Innovative Companies issue. Earning recognition as one of the World's
Top 10 Most Innovative Companies of 2015 in Not-For-Profit, the publication
called out GSUSA for "showing girls technology is about more than
texting" by creating Digital Cookie, a fun and educational digital sales
program "run entirely by girls."
This
recognition arrives on the heels of the successful Digital Cookie launch, which
included a notable, first-time presence at the 2015 International Consumer
Electronics Show in January. The groundbreaking new addition to the Girl Scout
Cookie Program introduces girls to vital 21st-century lessons about online
marketing, app usage, and ecommerce, while creating a fun, safe, and
interactive space for girls to sell cookies. Digital Cookie marks the first
national digital platform in the history of the iconic cookie program.
"Girl
Scouts is the only nonprofit or company focused exclusively on girls to be
recognized in Fast Company's 50 Most Innovative Companies
2015 issue, which means we are being celebrated for the values and ideals at
the very core of our mission—the idea that girls matter," said Anna Maria
Chávez, CEO of GSUSA, while announcing the honor to the field this morning.
"By putting girls at the center of everything we do, we are making society
take notice of the vital importance of investing in girls. When girls succeed,
so does our world. And when girls are given the confidence, tools, and support
they need, they can change the world forever, and for the better."
In addition
to Digital Cookie, GSUSA has been focused on other ways of using technology as
a tool for creating a truly contemporary Girl Scout experience for both girls
and the adults and volunteers who serve them. Late last year, GSUSA announced
ongoing major investments in new techniques to recruit and train adult
volunteers and provide more opportunities for girls to join in the face of a
net decline in membership over the 2014 Fiscal Year. For the past three years,
Girls Scouts has been focused on technology as a central mission of the
organization, recently implementing a Customer Engagement Initiative to
transform how to use technology to communicate with girls, adults, and
councils, and to more effectively deliver the Girl Scout experience.
"The
transformational work Girl Scouts is doing on behalf of girls everywhere is
both exciting and inspiring," said Fast Company editor
Robert Safian. "I commend the
organization for its innovation with Digital Cookie and beyond. Affecting
future female generations to become women of courage, confidence, and character
is no small feat, but thanks to Girl Scouts, girls are able to have fun,
impactful, and cutting-edge experiences every day."
Read more about why Girl Scouts is one of the World's
Top 10 Most Innovative Companies of 2015 in Not-For-Profit. To learn more about
Girl Scouts, visit www.girlscouts.org.