Our Vision
Our vision is to create a world where every girl has the opportunity to reach her full potential. We believe that by providing girls with the tools and resources they need to succeed, we can help them become confident, capable leaders who are ready to take on the world. We envision a future where girls are empowered to pursue their passions, achieve their goals, and make a positive impact on their communities. Through our programs, we aim to inspire a generation of young women who are committed to making a difference in the world.
Core Values
Community: RiseUp! Girl Power has a strong focus on teens from diverse and under-resourced neighborhoods. We emphasize strength in community, civic engagement, and restorative justice. The program encourages togetherness and sisterhood as a tool to elevate our communities.
Leadership: Our program teaches youth to have the courage to rise up against challenges, to work through adversity, and inspire others. We aim to create strong, resilient and transformational leaders who will also inspire and carry out the RiseUp! mission.
Belonging: RiseUp! Girl Power ensures a safe space for all of our teens and develop the belief that everyone’s experience is valid and their story is worth telling.
Authenticity: We work with organizations and instructors who value shaping youth in their formative years. We want youth to present the very best versions of themselves while acknowledging that as humans we all make mistakes. We provide grace and encourage empathy in the form of sisterhood.
Our Why
Empowering girls saves lives
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Empowering girls saves lives 〰️
In December 2021, the U.S Surgeon General Vivek Murthy stated that we are experiencing a national youth mental health crisis.
His statement included an advisory that social media was leading to “devastating effects” among young people and gave recommendations for supporting young adults that includes the need for systemic change.
Empowering Girls Saves Lives:
According to UNESCO, 2.1 million children under age 5 were saved between 1990 and 2009 because of improvements in girls’ education.
Providing family planning for the 225 million girls and women who want to delay or avoid pregnancy but aren’t using modern contraception would reduce maternal deaths by 67% and newborn deaths by 77%.
According to the CDC, suicide rate for young Americans ages 10 to 19 jumped by 40% from 2001 to 2019, while emergency room visits for self-harm rose by 88%.
The gender pay gap – the difference between the earnings of men and women – has barely closed in the United States in the past two decades. In 2022, American women typically earned 82 cents for every dollar earned by men
The gender pay gap – the difference between the earnings of men and women – has barely closed in the United States in the past two decades. In 2022, American women typically earned 82 cents for every dollar earned by men
Elizabeth Yépez, MD
Founder | Creator | Director
Elizabeth Yépez, MD is a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist practicing in Chicago, IL. Dr. Yépez graduated from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and completed her residency training at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
She is currently an Associate Professor at Rush University Medical Center where she serves as the Chief for the Generalist Division and the Director of Birth Equity. Dr. Yépez is dedicated to advancing health equity, improving maternal birth outcomes for women of color and eradicating racial disparities in healthcare.
Dr. Yépez has focused much of her career on empowering women through education and advancing women as leaders. She is the Founder and Director of RiseUp! Girl Power. Her program promotes empowerment by building a foundation of knowledge and skills so that teen girls can make the right choices for themselves now and in the future.
As a Chicago native and daughter of Mexican immigrant parents, she is strongly committed to the LatinX community. She has been featured as a women’s health expert in media outlets including television and radio. She has been invited as a key-note and inspirational speaker for a variety of organizations.
Dr. Yépez ultimately promotes empowerment of her patients and the community through education, service, and a commitment to eradicating systemic racism with the intention of improving health outcomes for all women.