Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Meet the GSLI Keynote Speaker: Tori Molnar

From July 31 to August 2, Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast will be hosting a regional leadership conference in Norfolk for high school girls. The special guest speaker for the weekend in Tori Molar, an 18 year old entrepreneur, writer, professional speaker and blogger. She is also the executive producer and co-host of an upcoming entrepreneurship reality television show, House of Business.

Tori was 13 years old when she officially founded her first company, Utoria, an entrepreneurship empowerment company for young women. Looking back on her childhood, however, Tori sees that she has been business-minded her entire life. When she was four years old, she remembers setting up a candy stand at her grandmother’s flea market.

“In a day, I ate all of my inventory, and I didn’t know how to count change, so anyone who bought something got a quarter back,” Tori said.

Although she didn’t profit much from that experience, it was moments such as those at the flea market that inspired Tori to become a business woman. Tori went on to become the youngest member of the Direct Selling Association and continues to be the youngest CEO in the organization. At a young age, she also joined Girl Scouts, the premier leadership organization for girls.

Tori recognizes that her success is, in part, due to the support of other entrepreneurs who supported her early on in her career. She often talks about her first mentor, Tory Johnson, an entrepreneur and contributor to Good Morning America. Today, Tori spends a lot of her time tasting snacks for her start-up company, Bars & Bites, for which she curates all-natural food products from small producers. She also works as the editor-in-chief for Bites Media, the sister company of Bars & Bites.

In her life, Tori has had to overcome numerous obstacles, including the early death of her father and being diagnosed with cerebral palsy, but she has never let that hold her back from reaching her goals.

“My life’s mission is to help other young people live their entrepreneurial dreams and their best life as a result,” Tori said.

In addition to working with Tori to develop their leadership skills, girls who attend the conference will have the opportunity to learn about developing their personal brand, being responsible social media users and how to choose a career path. Girls will also have the opportunity to attend a session on business etiquette and meet local women leaders in business. Find more information about the Girl Scout Leadership Institute and register here.