GIRLTREK INCORPORATED

The solution is simple -- walking. Daily walking reduces the risk factors of obesity. Walking is the single most powerful thing a woman can do to improve her health. Daily walking dramatically reduces risk of chronic disease (heart disease by 50%, diabetes by 58%) AND improves mental health: 50% reduction in risk of dementia and Alzheimer's, 48% reduction in anxiety and 47% of walkers relieved of all symptoms of depression.

OUR NEED

We listened to our community and we have a clear mission for the next phase of our movement: Increase the life expectancy of Black women by 10 years in 10 years. For us, this is a true measure of justice. To guide our strategy, we conducted a multi-year study on the drivers of early death for Black women and created a model called The Three Deadly I’s:

Inactivity: Sitting too long is linked to chronic disease, dementia and premature death.
Isolation: Loneliness is deadlier than cigarette smoking.
Injustice: Our members feel fear, hopelessness, financial hardship, and major gaps in healthcare and food systems. The chronic stress of injustice is linked to heart disease.

In 2025, we will launch our ten-year Care Crusade. Millions of Black women will walk, talk, and solve problems to address inactivity, isolation, and injustice. Our strategy combats the Three Deadly I’s and relies on our greatest asset: proximate people power. We will:

Walk: Walking is our movement’s keystone habit. Members start their healing journeys here as solo trekkers or in crews, which function as walking support groups. We plan to scale up our self-care campaigns and support new neighborhood-level behaviors such as reclaiming healthy food.

Talk: Our solution for isolation is human connection. We will make social cohesion possible through door-to-door listening campaigns, digital peer support groups, and local events that center Black wellness, joy, and justice. We will create a new culture of health with bold storytelling, building on the success of our viral podcast, Black History Bootcamp. We are inspiring hope and developing new mental models of possibility.

Solve Problems: The most energized of our members will lead as Community Health Activists in 1,000 Black neighborhoods in America. By showing up for neighbors, listening to needs, and offering life-saving services, these activists will transform mental healthcare, food access, wellness programs, and benefits access. Partners like the American Red Cross and FoodCorps will join us in creating a big tent to advance public health. We will build coalitions to secure public funding for community care and advance policies that heal generations. We will create new systems that serve us.

OUR PLAN

We can increase the life expectancy of Black women by 10 years in 10 years, creating a legacy of health, joy, and justice. This is our plan:

People: We are recruiting top talent in healthcare, technology, organizing, and operations to join our small and strategic national staff. We are investing in regional coaches, state coaches, and organizers trusted in high-priority communities, from churches to colleges. We are supporting our committed members to develop skills as leaders and train as community health workers.

Technology: It is time for technology to do heavy lifting for this movement. The envisioned GirlTREK app will support habit formation, connections between members, and problem-solving. Our data will guide our grassroots organizing and policy platform. We will boldly harness new tools, from generative AI to fintech, to support members as they add years to their lives.

Sustaining the Movement: Mission-aligned revenue-generating opportunities include Black history walking tours and care cooperatives with public funding. We envision a growing number of movement allies contributing to our cause over time. We are also exploring economic power-building and community investment through a digital credit union.

Reclaiming Historic Places: We are purchasing landmarks of Black history as regional headquarters and staging grounds for daily organizing. Our first Care Village was established in Montgomery, Alabama in 2023, when we bought the Bricklayers Hall – the site where the Montgomery Bus Boycotts were organized and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had an office. These locations will be sites of truth and joy, where Black history meets Black futures.

Together, we can make history.

GirlTrek is pioneering a health movement for African-American women and girls grounded in Civil Rights history and principles through walking campaigns, community leadership, and health advocacy. With a social media reach in the millions. GirlTrek uses its impact via social media, coupled with its 1.2M member-base to spread the mission of walking as the first step to healthy living and self-care.

This mission can only be achieved by a social movement. In 2024, our goals are to (1) Recruit an additional 500,000 members (half of the goal to reach 2.35 million Black women by 2025 constituting 10% of the total population) with 5% being youth engagement and 5% justice-involved women; (2) Engage 50% of existing and new membership in jumpstarting a daily walking habit;