Interview with HerPotential

Please provide a summary of the actions, objectives, and impact of your organization for our readers.

Her Potential empowers women and girls by providing not just financial aid, essential tools to learn, and scholarships; but also through mentorship, skills training, and leadership development opportunities with programs that aim to focus on expanding young, underprivileged girls' access to education and career pathways whilst also creating a sustainable support system that offers connections, networking and skill-building to guide young women in Bangkok with financial barriers to education.

What inspired the founding of HerPotential and how has its mission evolved since its launch?

Her Potential was founded out of the recognition that women – especially young women – face systemic barriers that limit their opportunities. No individual should ever be held back solely by lack of access, resources or role models. Growing up, I (Alena) often heard stories of girls who were forced to drop out of school, not because of a lack of talent or ambition, but purely because of financial hardship. Those stories stuck with me and shaped my belief that no individual should ever be held back solely due to lack of access, resources, or role models. HerPotential was created to address this gap by fundraising to support the education of underprivileged women and girls in Thailand.

What are the biggest challenges you’ve encountered in translating your vision into impact, and how have you addressed them?

One of the biggest challenges we’ve faced was partnership and outreach opportunities since it is often difficult to be noticed by well-established businesses or organizations in hopes of sponsorships or partnerships. We’ve addressed them by targeting smaller and more local organizations with values similar to ours and histories of working with non-profits that share similar missions and goals to ours but also through building strong partnerships with schools, businesses and other fundraising organizations.

What does sustainability look like for your organization, both financially and in terms of community trust and engagement?

Sustainability for us means working towards a balanced, diversified model and one that will last long-term which combines grants, partnerships, and community-driven initiatives. We want to reduce reliance on a single stream of support so we can stay resilient even in uncertain times, hence us having multiple different chapters at different high schools that collaborate with our main admin team to organize fundraisers. For the community, transparency is key for us. We ensure that our participants and partners feel invested by involving them in big decisions and we share success and failures openly with the time, prioritizing inclusivity in decision-making.

If you had unlimited funding or capacity, what’s one thing you would do differently or expand further?

If we had unlimited funding or capacity, we would develop on everything we are currently doing so impact is seen on a bigger scale:

• Sponsor girls throughout their full educational journey: from primary school to university, so finances are never a barrier.

• Create mentorship networks that pair girls with women leaders in diverse fields, offering role models, guidance, and career inspiration.

• Expand advocacy efforts by partnering with schools, governments, and nonprofits to push for systemic changes that close gender gaps in education.

• Develop our merchandise line where 100% of profits directly fund girls’ education, while also spreading awareness of our mission (will be launching soon).

What advice would you give to a newer organization or student trying to build something similar?

My advice would be to start with a clear thought-out plan and determination. It may never feel like the perfect time to begin, but waiting often holds you back more than starting small ever will. Don’t be afraid to start. Do it, and do it with passion. When your vision is clear and your purpose is genuine, people will be drawn to your cause, and everything else will follow.

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HerPotential is a youth-led nonprofit dedicated to funding education for underprivileged women and girls.