Girl Up Texas Coalition
Meet Our 2023 Speakers
Averie Bishop
%20(1)_JPG.jpg)
Averie is a first generation law school graduate, small business owner, viral influencer, and international nonprofit CEO. She is also the youngest committee member of the anti-hate and discrimination advisory council to Mayor Eric Johnson in the City of Dallas. As Miss Texas, she has dedicated her year of service to her social platform, "Y'all Means All" and the Texas Cares for Children program. She grew up in poverty, experienced food insecurity, and faced discrimination in her small hometown. Her social platform aims to make every child feel at home and teaches them how to grow into their greatest potential, even through challenging adversities. She has various age-appropriate school programs, a published children's book, and key note speeches that address diversity and inclusion, social media, and mental health. Averie had the honor of representing Texas at Miss America this December. She placed 2nd runner up, becoming the highest placing Miss Texas in 15 years. She received the Women in Business scholarship and Women in Media Scholarship. She has won a total of $85,000 in scholarships.
Miss Texas
Himaja Nagireddy
Himaja Nagireddy, from Acton, MA, is this year’s UNA-USA Youth Observer to the UN. A proud daughter of South Indian immigrants, she currently serves as a health equity research fellow for the CDC and as an elected Select Board member for her town. She recently graduated with an MS in Environmental Epidemiology and a concentration in Infectious Disease Epidemiology from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Himaja is constantly inspired by her peers who collaboratively organize and lead changes to protect the human rights and dignity of people in their community, especially for those who disproportionately face injustices that are overlooked and disregarded. They bring the solutions we need to support and scale for achieving a more equal world for all. Recognizing this, Himaja strives to uplift and embolden the voices and actions of young people across our country.
11th Youth Observer to the United Nations, UNA-USA
Dr. Jenny Wang
Licensed Psychologist, Speaker, Author
Dr. Jenny T. Wang is a Taiwanese American clinical psychologist and national speaker on the intersections of Asian American identity, mental health, and racial trauma. She received her doctorate from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and completed her postdoctoral training at the Duke University Medical Center. Her professional mission is to destigmatize mental health within the Asian community and empower Asian Americans to prioritize their own mental well-being. This led her to start mental health directories, including the Asians for Mental Health therapist directory (www.asiansformentalhealth.com), to connect individuals with culturally reverent mental health care for Asian American diasporas. She started the Instagram community Asians for Mental Health (@asiansformentalhealth), where she explores the unique ways in which Asian American identity impacts our mental health. Her first book, Permission to Come Home: Reclaiming Mental Health as Asian Americans was published by Grand Central Balance in May 2022. She is a mental health advisory member of Wondermind, a mental health media company co-founded by Selena Gomez, Mandy Teefey, and Daniella Pierson, and The Mental Health Coalition, a mental health nonprofit started by Kenneth Cole.
Sabrina Greenlee
Inspirational Speaker, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Empowerment Coach, Survivor
Sabrina Greenlee is a nationally celebrated community activist, author, inspirational speaker, and domestic violence survivor who has dedicated her life to facilitating women’s growth and
evolution. Sabrina’s story is filled with cycles of abuse, teen pregnancy, and a violent attempt on her life that ultimately left her blind. Although her life has been “no crystal stair,” Sabrina credits her faith as the fuel that equips her with the confidence and tenacity to inspire others to repair, recreate and restore their purpose and infinite potential. Sabrina’s life is a testament to the power of prayer, and her quest to equip women to overcome any obstacle resonates globally.
Kim Roxie
CEO of Lamik Beauty
Kim Roxie is the founder of LAMIK Beauty products, the world’s #1 Eco-Chic makeup line seeking to build women’s self-esteem and reveal their natural beauty. Formulated without parabens, Kim has created environmentally conscious products with a message for multicultural women. Her beauty products stand for Love And Makeup In Kindness, because she believes true makeup is about what you’re made of. At age 21, Kim founded LAMIK Beauty out of her college apartment. With her savings and a small investment from her mother, Kim opened her first store in Sharpstown Mall in Houston. From its humble beginnings in 2004, LAMIK Beauty has been highlighted as one of the eight black-owned beauty companies by BET (Black Entertainment Television) and is one of the seven black cosmetics lines dominating the market. It is no surprise that Ebony Magazine named Roxie the Black Beauty Maven to know.
Michelle Avalos
Michelle Avalos currently serves her community as one of the Co-Founders and Deputy Director at Impact Hub Houston, and as the Co-Founder of Creative Vida, a non-profit focused on educating and empowering youth through creative experiences, and as the Co-Founder of TECH23, a media and entertainment company for the advancement of Latinos in Tech. Michelle came to the states at a very young age from Mexico and grew up in the South Houston/Pasadena area. Michelle earned a BBA in Supply Chain Management from The University of Houston and has applied her degree towards the energy industry, nonprofit sector, youth leadership efforts, and entrepreneurial support. Michelle broke many barriers as one of the youngest and few Latinas in Houston's LNG industry when she entered the corporate workforce in 2013. During her many years as a market fundamentals analyst, first a Poten & Partners and later at Cheniere Energy, Michelle advocated for women in STEM and was able to mentor and help other women to enter the industry.