NIKA V. SNAPSHOT
SISTERHOOD STORYTELLING is our primary "product" achieved by coaching young girls as they research, write about and interview inspiring, relatable, local girls who are featured on our website and in our new magazine.
FREE COACHING allows for our platform and coaching activities to be easily accessible for all girls. Coaching is sponsored by local companies, families and individuals who we thoughtfully recognize for supporting our work.
DOING BIZ TO DO GOOD as a tiny company (LLC) with a soul, we donate 25% of profits (primarily from our merchandise) to local causes that empower young girls. For 2024, a major initiative is to hire young girls along with single and stay-at-home moms, offering inspiring, flexible work. We are intentionally a for-profit that is driven to improve the lives of women and girls of all ages and stages and are ultimately striving to achieve Certified B status as a company that does business to do good.
VISION
ENGAGE: Through compelling storytelling connected to our four "girl power" pillars or themes: ambition, inclusion, philanthropy and vigilance -- we bring girls together to learn and grow.
ENLIGHTEN: Launched in 2018, in the wake of the #MeToo movement, Nika V.'s MomDaughterTeacherStudent CoFounders were inspired by their hometown (Needham) hero Aly Raisman. In the face of extreme adversity, Aly rose up and enlightened girls from across the globe -- encouraging them to support each other, to be role models, and to make change. Click on the (2 minute) video that brings our vision to life -- which was featured on Channel 5 in early 2019.
EMPOWER:
Our (original) company name--NikaVika--is a playful combination of the first and middle names of our CoFounder Annika Viktoria (pictured above left at age 10!). Both names derive from Nike, Greek Goddess of Victory. So, in essence, NikaVika or Nika V. means "WinWin" which we believe to be an empowering message indeed!
SISTERHOOD STORYTELLING is our primary "product" achieved by coaching young girls as they research, write about and interview inspiring, relatable, local girls who are featured on our website and in our new magazine.
FREE COACHING allows for our platform and coaching activities to be easily accessible for all girls. Coaching is sponsored by local companies, families and individuals who we thoughtfully recognize for supporting our work.
DOING BIZ TO DO GOOD as a tiny company (LLC) with a soul, we donate 25% of profits (primarily from our merchandise) to local causes that empower young girls. For 2024, a major initiative is to hire young girls along with single and stay-at-home moms, offering inspiring, flexible work. We are intentionally a for-profit that is driven to improve the lives of women and girls of all ages and stages and are ultimately striving to achieve Certified B status as a company that does business to do good.
VISION
ENGAGE: Through compelling storytelling connected to our four "girl power" pillars or themes: ambition, inclusion, philanthropy and vigilance -- we bring girls together to learn and grow.
ENLIGHTEN: Launched in 2018, in the wake of the #MeToo movement, Nika V.'s MomDaughterTeacherStudent CoFounders were inspired by their hometown (Needham) hero Aly Raisman. In the face of extreme adversity, Aly rose up and enlightened girls from across the globe -- encouraging them to support each other, to be role models, and to make change. Click on the (2 minute) video that brings our vision to life -- which was featured on Channel 5 in early 2019.
EMPOWER:
Our (original) company name--NikaVika--is a playful combination of the first and middle names of our CoFounder Annika Viktoria (pictured above left at age 10!). Both names derive from Nike, Greek Goddess of Victory. So, in essence, NikaVika or Nika V. means "WinWin" which we believe to be an empowering message indeed!
SISTERHOOD SPOTLIGHTS
SKILL-BUILDING: Guided by free coaching (see more info below on how it's free) provided by fully vetted teachers, artists, journalists, DEI colleagues and female mentors our young girls work through a range of skill-building activities including research, critical reading and writing, public-speaking and creative expression (art/film) as they develop our SisterHood SpotLights from start to finish.
COLLABORATION: Pictured below is a "neighborhood group" of girls who collaborated on a SisterHood SpotLight about inclusion and "Choosing Kind" during our launch. year in 2018.
SKILL-BUILDING: Guided by free coaching (see more info below on how it's free) provided by fully vetted teachers, artists, journalists, DEI colleagues and female mentors our young girls work through a range of skill-building activities including research, critical reading and writing, public-speaking and creative expression (art/film) as they develop our SisterHood SpotLights from start to finish.
COLLABORATION: Pictured below is a "neighborhood group" of girls who collaborated on a SisterHood SpotLight about inclusion and "Choosing Kind" during our launch. year in 2018.
ACCESSIBILITY
NikaVika's coaching is primarily offered at local libraries and via Zoom. But for 2024, we plan to expand our coaching "reach" through partnerships where our coaching that can take place at:
Currently, our coaching is free primarily because we are donating our time, effort and passion. This work is truly a labor of love for us.
But for 2024, we hope to turn our "side hustle" into a profitable unit within our tiny coaching company by raising significant revenue through partnerships with local companies and influencers (family, friends, neighbors).
Over the past 6 years, partnerships have ranged from $0.00 (spreading the word about our online and in-person coaching activities) to $13.00 for our Swiftie Stickers (below) to $500.00 to support our SisterHood SpotLights coaching. Check out our 2024 options under the Partnership tab above, or contact us (below) to discuss a customized program.
CONTENT SNAPSHOTS
FEELING 13 | SISTERHOOD SWIFTIES: Running from June 13th to December 13th each year, this program centers on a theme of giving back and raising awareness for food insecurity, inspired by Taylor Swift's generous donations to community food pantries on her ERAs tour. Coaching activities feature local, Boston-area girls who are making change in their communities with a focus on food insecurity.
BLACK WOMEN LEAD | BOSTON
Our first set of SpotLights for 2024 focused on the 212 women featured in the "Black Women Lead" project, launched last October by GreaterGroveHall.Org. Learn more about this inspiring project by hovering on SisterHood tab ahove.
NikaVika's coaching is primarily offered at local libraries and via Zoom. But for 2024, we plan to expand our coaching "reach" through partnerships where our coaching that can take place at:
- School: as part of the curriculum, club content or after-school programming
- After School: for teambuilding related to sports, dance, robotics, etc.
- Home: with daughters, cousins, nieces, grandchildren, neighbors, friends
Currently, our coaching is free primarily because we are donating our time, effort and passion. This work is truly a labor of love for us.
But for 2024, we hope to turn our "side hustle" into a profitable unit within our tiny coaching company by raising significant revenue through partnerships with local companies and influencers (family, friends, neighbors).
Over the past 6 years, partnerships have ranged from $0.00 (spreading the word about our online and in-person coaching activities) to $13.00 for our Swiftie Stickers (below) to $500.00 to support our SisterHood SpotLights coaching. Check out our 2024 options under the Partnership tab above, or contact us (below) to discuss a customized program.
CONTENT SNAPSHOTS
FEELING 13 | SISTERHOOD SWIFTIES: Running from June 13th to December 13th each year, this program centers on a theme of giving back and raising awareness for food insecurity, inspired by Taylor Swift's generous donations to community food pantries on her ERAs tour. Coaching activities feature local, Boston-area girls who are making change in their communities with a focus on food insecurity.
BLACK WOMEN LEAD | BOSTON
Our first set of SpotLights for 2024 focused on the 212 women featured in the "Black Women Lead" project, launched last October by GreaterGroveHall.Org. Learn more about this inspiring project by hovering on SisterHood tab ahove.
As a tiny company/LLC, we are striving to become a Certified B Corporation, as we believe in "doing business to do good." Since NikaVika's launch in 2018, we have donated between 25 and 50% of "partner revenue" in support of of local, empowering causes including: mental health awareness, food insecurity, breast cancer patient support, public school enrichment initiatives, girls' golf, and, most recently, for the Boston-based Black Women Lead project.
For 2024, we'll seek to expand our nonprofit partnerships, including a special focus on organizations that support diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and anti-racism.
NikaVika Co-Founders
Gretchen Miller Johnson
- Graduate of Boston College / The Lynch School of Education
- Masters Degree, Harvard Graduate School of Education
- Current Member | Milton Academy Faculty
- Founder, Miller Academy Coaching (est. 1996)
- 30+ years of sales, marketing and journalism experience
- [email protected]
- 617-513-3638 (call or text)
Annika Viktoria Johnson (AKA NikaVika)
- Needham High School Sophomore
- Girl-Power-Activist
- Avid Golfer
- SisterHood Swiftie
- [email protected]