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What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How Lila Igram created ConnectHER, a crowdfunding platform investing in female leaders
• Why “passing the mic” is at the center of everything ConnectHER does
• Real-life impacts of the Girls Impact the World and ConnectHER Film Festival

Lila Igram thinks the phrase “giving a voice to the voiceless” is silly. 

“Everyone has a voice, not everyone has a platform,” she tells host Constance Dykhuizen. “People have a voice, all we need to do is pass the mic.”

“Passing the mic” is what Igram’s nonprofit, ConnectHER, is all about. Their goal is to concretely address women’s issues by investing in female leaders that are making a difference in their communities. In addition to being a crowdfunding platform, ConnectHER, also hosts an annual film festival formerly known as the Girls Impact the World Film Festival, and now called the ConnectHER Film Festival. High school and university students from all over the world can submit three to six-minute-long films that explore critical women’s issues to win scholarship money. Through the festival, ConnectHER is able “to turn students into filmmakers and turn filmmakers into activists.” 

Listen to the second episode of Great Society to learn more about the international work ConnectHER is doing! If you like what you hear be sure to subscribe and share the episode with a friend or colleague! And to hear more about members of the Great Societ a.k.a. social impact founders and leaders who are dedicated to causes bigger than themselves, listen to our other episodes!

Great Society is a founding_media podcast created in partnership with Constance Dykhuizen.

Host: Constance Dykhuizen

Guest: Lila Igram, ConnectHER

Transcript:

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hi everyone welcome to great society a podcast about people who are working to elevate the voices of others I’m your host Constance I cues and my guest today is my good friend Lila Igram founder and director of connect her and the girls impact the world Film Festival lie when I talked about her work skills she learned to stay at home mom and why it’s important to pass the mic and now here’s my conversation with Lila 

welcome Lila thank you for having me  I’m so excited talk to unix or one of my favorite people and your friends  so first I wanted to ask you you’re a stay home mom for a long time and then you decided to found connect her what kind of do you think that you could do something like that what made you want to be the person to start this organization I’m actually really glad you asked that question because I think about it all the time  and you know like definitely being a stay at home mom is like my first passion as you know like I just loved everything about it  it but I also like try to you know just keep up on industry trends and what was happening happening in the world so I literally read every single issue of Fast Company magazine and I just saw all those stories about like social entrepreneurs in the work that they’re doing around the world but I tend to like get obsessed and focused like a hundred percent on what I’m doing at the time so I really you know was very obsessed with the kids and just you know like what their needs were and so it’s really hard for me to do other projects on the side but then once they got older I feel like you know just being a stay at home mom and and keeping up on industry trends really  I called you know entrepreneurship the great equalizer because I feel like you can step into it at any point in your life  and and really just excel at it and so you know like he either I mean I I think I get a lot of skills by being a stay at home mom and I think it was just like a very easy transition to go from that to starting up a nonprofit 

that’s interesting I heard that a lot  can you tell me a little bit about connector and what a crowd funding platform is yeah yeah so  we launched connector in the summer of two thousand eleven as a  crowdfunding platform which  basically weird what identify women in the developing world and in communities  that needed support and identify like just the high powered women and  get a crowd together to invest in that project the crowd funding is is very challenging as probably a lot of people know who are kind of in the industry you really have to have a crowd so we’ve built up a kind of a network and a crowd like a connector community that  is working to find you know we’re trying to get to a point where refining one project a month and  and so yeah so it’s just basically like you know  will have challenges where we’ll get the the  women that we’re trying to you know get funding for a while have them participate we’ll have our connector community participate and you know I mean you just have to be innovative and creative to get things funded 

can you give an example of a project that use condoms yeah so one really cool project that we find it recently was is  actually was inspired by one of the films from a film festival that we run and  maybe we’ll talk a little bit about that later but  we got in the film from a student and Bangladesh about  a woman who is a former sex worker and  she is now providing education for the children of sex workers because she thought needs she saw that there are so many of these children who are just in the streets and have no opportunities and you know because she has a background she basically you know brought in as many kids as possible and is now  providing education in a safe home and safe environment for them so that they can excel and so that’s one of the projects that we’re kind of continually funding because we’re actually helping so you know her with the education paying the rent and things like that names but also paying the rent and so it’s been really awesome because she just recently got to move from a three bedroom really run down apartment to a nine bedroom apartment for the forty for her in the forty kids and now the girls and boys each have their separate rooms before they were all huddled together and so they’re like so excited about it 

does your crowd your crowd your your community people do they get excited when they see results like that absolutely absolutely we literally you know it you know we we focus so much on our current you know like our current community that you know one of the challenges is to bring in new people into the community but we rarely have someone drop off like yeah so that’s been really awesome and you fund you find only women and only local leader so tell me why you choose to do that yeah so yeah have you ever heard there’s this phrase that some often people say like we’re giving it a voice to the voiceless and we don’t ever say you know we really try not to say that because everyone has a voice yeah I hate that personally yeah yeah and so like everyone has a voice not everyone has a platform you know and so R. I know her to reset I know I I wish I could be you know recognize a person who who made the call but they’re like you know people have a voice all we need to do is pass the Mike and so that’s what we’re trying to do we’re trying to pass the Mike we’re like okay let’s you know  identify women community leaders who are from the communities that they’re serving  and invest in their projects because they have a vested interest in making sure the community prospers they have a you know they’re in when their voices are amplified they can do amazing things in their communities they understand the culture they understand the community they really have a great understanding of their you know their locality and so that’s what you know one of the reasons why we choose to only kind of focus on  women who are from the communities that they serve and then obviously it’s it’s known that women invest into that can you know if they invest into their whole communities whereas you know man sometimes don’t do that but like you know I mean it’s it’s it’s it’s kind of you know like unfortunate it away in a way for you here you know like women are the last person to eat in it and their family you know because they want to make sure everyone else eats first and even sometimes it you know people from outside of the family  and so you know just women have this tendency to like really give back and eat ants and it’s proven and that’s another reason why we choose to invest in women and local leaders  

kind of pivoting from that you also decided to take on the challenge of starting a Film Festival  I have the privilege of being a semifinalist judge and I’ve gotten to see so many of the films what can you tell me a little bit about the girls impact the world Film Festival and why you chose to do that in addition to the crowdfunding class yeah and I always love your feedback you’re so amazing so I like having  yes so in addition to that you I mean in addition to the the crowd funding and investing in the projects and and  investing in women local leaders  we really wanted to expand our reach and so just trying to think about like how you know what was a way to expand its reach what is the way to create more exposure about global women’s issues and so  the you know when an idea that came up was to create  a film festival where students could submit films  for scholarship prizes high school and college high school and undergraduate students can submit films three to six minute films on issues related to advancing women and girls and I feel like that also you know fits are kind of vision to pass the Mike as well because  you know you’re getting stories about gender inequality from Bangladesh made by Bangladeshi students from you know we got in a film about a refugee refugee student from Zimbabwe made by a student from Zimbabwe you know so we’ve we’ve been getting and all of these stories about these critical issues  sometimes their heart warming sometimes are heartbreaking sometimes they have a solution and sometimes they’re just creating awareness but the you know the reach that they’re having  it within our community and outside of the connector community has been amazing like we got in films from over what we’ve got until two forty two countries the sour yeah which is which is like last year we got it from some twenty countries this year we got a phone from forty two countries so it’s just you know that I think people are hungry for stories that they cannot hear elsewhere and you know stories that are authentic and that are you know  

when I really love them because they’re from the perspective of students with a lot of times I don’t get to hear stories from the perspective of a high school student in Zimbabwe or Bangladesh and so to be able to hear them talk about their communities you get to hear a whole nother perspective maybe the media’s and talking about  that stories are traditionally written about so it always opens my eyes issues I didn’t even know existed and yeah exactly like   I think it was two years ago we had like a I’m I’m not gonna say his name but I like a judge who is very well known in the and the film industry and she you know his comments were like one of the comments on the phone just like I had no idea that this is even happening and so I think that is very cool that it brings to light a lot of stories that you wouldn’t think about or that you don’t even know you know me you know that if that you know what’s happening around the world into these films kind of 

what I like about it to these phones become a vehicle for change for a lot of the student filmmakers so can you tell me a story props of a filmmaker who has whiner who hasn’t won he’s gone on to take their phone places yeah yeah so  so we have this phrase  turning students into filmmakers and filmmakers into activists and die and you know like it it’s not just a film festival where we want you know the student to make the film and then just a minute and then it just sits in the gallery and nothing happens after that we actually really encouraged the students to take action and you know keep pursuing whatever issue that they’re talking about we had a  a young woman  submit a film her name is Serra it should have gone in her film is called harvesting hope and  it was about well she submitted actually two films like two separate years but the first one was called harvesting harvesting hope and was about cotton pickers in Pakistan and you know they all the pesticides and it was all female women women get relegated to picking the cotton and the cons laden with pesticides and and you know the women get health issues from it they use all of their disposable income on you know curing the problem they you know and then they can send their kids to school because of that and so she took her phone and she screamed at two she screamed at the Asian Development Bank she screened it at other film festivals she said she you know it took and show it to  judges and South Asia  and you know a lot of high level people who are policy makers and she said she got such a great reaction from it and even some of the judges we’re like we’re going to we’re actually gonna look into this issue and change policy  because of the short like five minute film that’s amazing your first film yeah she always inspires me yeah whenever I hear her speak on raising her phone yet with 

so many incredible students that’s just one story but there’s so many you know and credible students there’s there you know based on like a  inspired by one of the films we created a girl’s global education fund that’s not not providing scholarships to  several girls in South Asia I mean there is just it that’s what it’s about you know it’s really about and you know the impact that these films can have it’s beautiful thanks  one of the things I love about you and going to events that you planned are just like the the mix of people you have students from Pakistan you have high school students from Oakland you have people from all over the world but also you have the singular ability to connect to celebrities that I find to be amazing  one time I was at a party with Lila and we were  the guest of a Saudi royal at the time and we’re just sitting there you know just kind of standing around looking at people and why looks to me goes a look there’s biz stone you know the founder of Twitter let’s go talk to him and then we proceed to go over and talk to this town  

it terrifies me sometimes I never know what I’m gonna what’s gonna happen with my life but what kind of gives you that ability to connect to people no matter who they are whether they’re a student  from a rural village or just going up to a party  talking to based on like what kind of give you that that desire that ability to do so if they feel like that’s rare well I mean I feel like you know we have this vision and mission of elevating the status of women and girls around the world advancing women and girls uplifting the voices of women and girls around the world so I you know I mean when you when you so like dedicated to that vision  I think there’s like there’s really no fear factor you know you’re just like the the thank you know you’re trying to get to this you know goal and so  you know when you have something that you’re passionate about I feel like it’s very easy to express that to anyone whether they’re you know a student or anyone who can you know complement your work and anyway who you can benefit who people who can benefit you  I think that it’s just you know like almost like a duty to try to talk to people who who would be aligned and who would have something some value to add  or if we would have value to add to them and so I just am not like you know like I try no it’s not it’s not I’m not shy it’s like with celebrities or I mean there you know like celebrities are people and the you know there isn’t you know before they were a celebrity they want a celebrity and so I think  I think it’s just you know it it’s it you people are very approachable and very interested and willing to listen I like a lot of people are very busy so you know like we might have people who are just like you know this person cannot participate at this time or whatever but yeah I mean I think it’s just it’s it’s all about like shared values  can you tell me some of that some of the judges that you have or have had in the past like I think it’s a really impressive panel of people you’ve put together yeah yeah so  we’re going on about five years of partnership with Ian Somerhalder and Nikki reed who as you know I like  two of our main partners and judges  you know Eloise DeJoria who I used to work with yes he gets work with who has been fantastic and like a huge you know continuing supporter  and she’s just like so  see so much more involved than just as a judge she’s like really interested in seeing the growth of the filmmakers and the growth of the festival an organization  so she you know she’s been amazing  we had a lot of Nobel to Nobel Peace Prize winners mom who have been judges in the past they’re not current judges right now but they have been judges in the past  Christy Turlington burns has been a judge let lay my body was one of them and she’s I love her I got her into trouble just my god  and she’s just like insanely powerful men and just like every time I hear her tell a story I’m you know I’m just like I am in numbered by her  that’s what I think I love is that you’re bringing together stories from all over the world like from the very very powerful from people who are very privileged people who friend Nobel peace prizes to people who maybe don’t get to see a shred of that power even in their homes or in their village or in their political system wherever they are and so I just really love that you’re really creating that platform and elevating stories no matter who they come from I think that that’s a really rare  ability and strength that you have and I love being a part of it so thank you so much it’s it’s it’s like it’s just such a pleasure you know and it’s it’s all of our partners  everyone involved is you know it’s just fantastic and you know I two thousand nineteen a film festivals around the corner in April and we’re all like super excited about that and that’s a little more you know that’s a way for us to convene all of these people you know the filmmakers the judge some of the judges the ones who can attend and you know like a community of supporters what advice do you have for people possibly stay at home moms maybe students somebody who wants to get involved kind of either an elevating stories telling stories what it 

what advice would you have for them I have scribed fast companies well I mean one thing that I kind of try to live by is just you know believe in yourself and believe in the people around you like you know you can’t really achieve anything unless you you know you really do you believe that you can do it so that’s one of things I often tell my kids like my kids think they can do they do and they have their amazing though because they just because this is because you have to believe it you know you have to believe that you have to believe in them you know like it’s just I you know I don’t know because that’s just the way I was born or if you can program yourself that way you know chain yourself to think that but I think it’s just really super important to believe it to to believe you can do anything that’s great  

okay my last question is a question I ask everyone how do you define success for yourself for connect her for the Film Festival like is that something you think about do you how do you evaluate yourself as like good or bad  yeah man because I think that’s difficult to do sometimes in the space I think it’s really difficult definitely and  we who we actually have our three year strategic planning meeting coming up  the summer so I’m like really excited about that because we’re going to get into like a lot of metrics and and you know how we assess you know  success  right now like you know I mean we look at year over year growth we look at both of the film festival  growth of submissions you know with the impact that the films are having we look at you know those are with our projects  what you know like projects usually are broken down into like okay you know a hundred dollar funds well it’s a thirty five dollars funds education for one girl in Bangladesh so we can track you know kind of how many  scholarships that were able to provide an education that was so it’s basically you know it’s you know it’s like those types of basic metrics but more can be done obviously and and we’re gonna be meeting about that this summer as well from a personal right from a guy’s perspective how do you know that you’re doing a good job like how do you think about yourself and your role because you’re the founder yeah to it like how do you think about yourself in your own development as a kid I mean you you have people around you but a lot of times it’s kind of you championing these causes in these films so how do you yeah it is but it’s a it’s a team effort absolutely like we have a great board of directors we have great support as we have this  giving group  call connector gems that are you know are sustaining donors  we you know we have amazing sponsors that a team and and so I think like you know like just the fact that we’re growing every year you know our revenues I think I’ve been going by twenty percent every year which you know we’re not a for profit or nonprofit business but nonprofit still need to function you know like there they are businesses like if you if you can’t grow then you know you have a little bit of an issue and so  the fact that we’re growing the fact that we usually don’t have any supporters who drop off usually we you know we’ll we’ll get support we get it we keep it like they’re they’re our main priority you know like I beneficiaries and the people are partnered I I even like partners better as a word you know like our partners all around the world I mean we just have like a a you as you know like just a great network and group of people so  I feel like if I can you know attain that then that’s success to me 

the reason I think we have such a great community of supporters is not because of me it’s because of the work that we’re doing and for example like when you hear a story about one of the films  with that one of my films that was submitted called  a smile about a thirteen year old girl in Bangladesh and she was a tea seller all she did was salty from morning to night you know that was her job that was what she was relegated to she’s the breadwinner for the family very hard to get out of that situation and then even after that she would  you know go home and do household chores and  because that film we had a bunch of donors come together and give us funds to start a girl’s global education fund and now Osman is no longer selling T. she’s actually in school and she’s doing well in school and this is has so many implications I mean when girls go to school you know they’re less likely to get married early they’re more likely to you know make you know more money to support themselves like there is so many ripple effects from going to school and so I think when like our team and our donors here about these types of stories and the impact that they’re having you know it it you know it inspires them to like stand falls so  so that you know like it really is about the work and the vision and you know what we’re able to accomplish together  

thank you very much my love for being here you’re one of my favorite people and I really appreciated the opportunity to talk to you today thank you so much the same for me thanks so much to make a file item to follow who work to watch films from the girls in fact the world Film Festival show to connect her not orange or follow connector on Instagram we’ll put links in the show notes the great society team includes me constant thank yous and producer Ryan Gossett an audio engineer Jake Wallace thank you to everyone it founding media for your support don’t forget to hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode leave us a review on iTunes to help other folks on the show thanks for listening for