One of the most impactful approaches to shaping the future involves direct involvement in many forms — mentorship and investment both play vital roles. Tola Lawal has merged the two into one to create a space where community and preparation are at the core of her non-profit, Gyrl Wonder. The organization is a professional pipeline for women of color between the ages of 17 and 23 that supports participants with obtaining careers in media and entertainment through mentorship, programming, and community service.
This year marks 11 years of Gyrl Wonder, the inception of its 2.0 era, and the organization’s growth is widening its reach with the inaugural Women of Impact gala, honoring women in the industry, including Gayle King, Danessa Myricks, Jordan Chiles, and Asia Milia Ware. EBONY sat down with Lawal to discuss all things Gyrl Wonder: past, present, and beyond.
EBONY: What inspired you to start Gyrl Wonder, and what was the moment when you realized this organization needed to exist?
Tola Lawal: I’ve always been a girl’s girl. I love to champion [people]. I’ve always been the girl that’s like ‘yo, let me go talk to these kids and let them know what they need to be doing in undergrad so that they can have these cool jobs.’ When I was in undergrad I interned at Jive Records, Sony, and MTV. I had all these cool internships and I didn’t get them from career services [on campus].
Back then, they didn’t service the entertainment industry. What about the girls who love fashion, media, and marketing? Where are the pipeline opportunities for them? So, that’s what I modeled Gyrl Wonder after. I wanted to prepare the next generation, because I knew in order to work in these creative fields, you have to take opportunities by the horns.
Building a nonprofit from the ground up takes resilience. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced early on?
Building and ideating is what I enjoy most. The challenges came from people who wanted to be a part of the finished result without realizing that this is actual work. It was also trying to figure out who our people were, while ensuring they believed in the mission. At the beginning, I was accepting support from everyone, not using my discernment and that didn’t work. Now, we’ve had the same team for seven years.
Gyrl Wonder focuses on eliminating the “access gap.” Why is closing the gap so important for young women of color?
About 400,000 women of color lost their jobs [last year]. It’s about more than closing the gap, we give them the tools they don’t give you in undergrad. The ‘wonder gyrl’ recognizes real education comes outside of the classroom. The entertainment industry is so unstable and won’t be kind to you.The only security you really have is your own ability to make your own money.
So, in addition to preparing the girls for a regular 9-to-5, we also prepare them for entrepreneurial opportunities. Gone are the days where people spend 40 years at a company.
What inspired the creation of the Women of Impact Gala, and why was this the right moment to introduce it?
Last year, I wanted [this gala] so bad because it was year 10 [for Gyrl Wonder]. But it wasn’t the right time. To have it in year 11 just goes with the storytelling. It takes 10 years to make an overnight success. This is the beginning of 2.0.
How does the Women of Impact Gala represent the next chapter for Gyrl Wonder?
Bigger, louder, and honoring those who paved the way for us to do this work and who we look up to. It’s to fight against the climate we’re in by being louder and prouder. It feels like larger programming. It feels like bringing more people in, more of the leaders, more influential people.
What are your hopes for Gyrl Wonder over the next decade?
I want to reach more girls nationally. I want these girls to have leadership roles and expanded programming. I want our mental health initiative to take shape. We’re also launching the boy version of Gyrl Wonder called Black Boy Dreams. I just want to do my part, whatever God tells me to do, I want to make sure I do it to the best of my ability and deplete myself of all He’s given me.
What legacy do you hope Gyrl Wonder ultimately leaves for the next generation of women leaders?
If Gyrl Wonder does what it was always meant to do, its legacy won’t just be programs, events, or even the thousands of girls who’ve come through it. It will be proof. Proof that young women, especially young women of color, don’t have to wait to be chosen. That they can build, lead, create, and take up space now, not “one day.”