It all began with a simple question: “If you had the chance to have a conversation with a woman of high influence, what would you ask them?” For the past year, young women at Artists For Humanity (AFH) have been working on “Strictly Business — Women of Influence,” a project that profiles women as decision makers in today’s society. Everyday, AFH creates empowering experiences for our teen employees, but we recognize that adolescent girls are, historically, faced with a unique predicament. Although much progress has been made in women empowerment, there still remains a gender gap. “Strictly Business” allowed us to provide an opportunity for young women to engage in a dialogue outside of our walls with women across a variety of industries and hear first hand their story to success. Our goal — to give them a seat at the table and access to positive role models. In so doing, they would be inspired to become their own advocates and advance their future. “Strictly Business — Women of Influence” was made possible by a grant from the Anna B. Stearns Charitable Foundation.