Dainna Pearlman

Dainna Pearlmann is a Functional Medicine Consultant and Global Development Strategist. Through those ventures, she supports humans and corporations to become genuinely healthier and happier. She’s worked in several startups with like-minded individuals and sees a worldwide evolution in what it means to be female, both now and in the near future.  As the co-founder of Girls Empowerment Movement and Boys UP! (GEM), Dainna has shared, “After we formally created GEM, we quickly realized that for true change and empowerment of girls and women, we must include boys, men and all humans into the cause. In fact, our young boys in the program refer to themselves as “BUPs” and our name has evolved into Girls Empowerment Movement and Boys UP!, as a result. While we can TALK about empowerment, we must also bring awareness, education and action to create those changes in the world.

Dainna has always believed in treating all humans as that; humans. No barriers, no limiters. But the current reality is the entire world doesn’t. GEM is about supporting young girls to believe in themselves and their self-determined paths, not following an outdated script of who they’re expected to be, but instead to live their own, self- defined life. GEM creates the connections, communications, actions and opportunities for that to happen.” And welcomes ALL HUMANS who support this mission.

Gem is about empowerment, internal and external. After we formally created GEM, we quickly realized that for true change and empowerment of girls and women, we must include all humans into the cause. We can feel empowered and we must also educate and make changes to support that empowerment in the world at-large. I’ve always believed in treating all humans as that; humans. No barriers, no limiters. But the current reality is the entire world doesn’t. GEM is about supporting young girls to believe in themselves and their paths, and not following some outdated script of who they’re expected to be, but instead to live their own, self- defined/self-determined authentic life. GEM creates the connections, communications and opportunities for that to happen.

While traveling to France for a wedding, I had the good fortune to meet the mother of the bride, who was visiting from India. From the moment we met, we “clicked” and for the entire length of the visit, she and I engaged in amazing and inspiring conversations about female empowerment and the positive things we saw changing in the world, seeing eye- to- eye on many topics. We became fast and dear friends that week. A few short weeks later, she reached out to me and said “Dainna, I love what you’ve created and everything you’re doing with GEM and I want to start the first India GEM chapter”. That woman was our beloved, Darilyn Syiem, and she was (and is) a true GEM.

Communications like this happen so often in my personal and professional life. I am inspired each and every day to communicate my passion for GEM and to enlist the support of all humans to do so.