I have a dream...

On International Day of the Girl (#dayofthegirl), I have a dream. But I want to know YOUR dream.

It’s a dream that started when I was a young girl, watching my mother work two full-time jobs as a waitress to support three kids.

I have a dream that all girls have the opportunity to reach their potential – not just possess the skills for the future economy – but really have access to the pathways and open doors to get into the C-suite. 

I have a dream that we’ll see more girls as future Jeff Bezos’, Steve Jobs’ or Marc Zuckerberg’s – girls that will be able to turn their coding and #STEM skills into global innovation and U.S. #competitiveness… not find that they know how to code or design and are still waiting for those doors to open.

I have a dream that girls will be able to get more than the 2% of venture capital – because without that, we know that the doors will remain closed. I have a dream that the decision makers will view their capabilities as strong as they do their male counterparts rather than doubting them.

I have a dream that the C-suite will be occupied by people like #GM’s Mary Barra, #Pepsi outgoing CEO Indra Noori, and Anne Bissell, America’s first woman CEO.

I know the challenges of raising children will always be difficult, but I have a dream that the next generation will create policies that bring affordable child care into the mainstream – as we see in Europe.

I have a dream that every parent will see that the #educational system is limited, and that helping their daughter reach their potential is, in part, their responsibility. 

I have a dream that CEOs – 94% of whom are men among the Fortune 500s – will understand that they are serving as role models. My dream is that they grasp the opportunity they have before them – to build their reputation, their #brand, and their #talent pipelines – if they look to the #nextgeneration of #girls.

 I have a dream that, with corporate help, we’ll equip girls to move beyond the soft, professional roles traditionally held by women and into the core business, #leadership and STEM positions.

I have a dream that we equip those girls and that, as a result, there will be no such thing as #MeToo – because these young women will be too strong, confident and capable to ever be  victims.

I have a dream that if we properly train today’s girls for tomorrow’s jobs and the uncertainty of our future, that we will radically reduce the women facing poverty.

I have a dream that the young girls today of all colors and backgrounds can have the same education and economic opportunities. I have this dream for my own daughter.

My dream is that we get there, together. My dream is that companies, #Hollywood and those who want to build a newly skilled female #workforce – and change these statics – join us at Girls With Impact.

So, what is your dream for your daughter, community, or world as we celebrate the International Day of the Girl?

Jennifer Openshaw is CEO of Girls With Impact, the nation's only tech-enabled entrepreneurship program for teen girls. Seen on Oprah, she's a nationally known financial expert and author of The Millionaire Zone, based on national research about how those who are financially successful used their networks to get ahead. Twitter @jopenshaw @GirlsWithImpact.