I had a whirlwind of a week last week! I was in a new city everyday which was so freakin’ cool! I ended up in D.C. speaking with Soledad O’Brien at her conference for young girls. She hosts summits in cities across the country to mentor girls from 13-21 on college, gap years and technology. I was asked to speak on a panel relating to technology and stem: I was seated next to an astronaut and the marketing director at Lyft. The conference started off with me mentoring a table of girls who were 14 and 21 about college and starting blogs: they’re all interested in the fashion world, and have big dreams about working at top companies and starting their own brand. When I started the conversation asking about what the girls wanted to do when they got older: the 14-year-old immediately said she wanted to be an entrepreanur, and it made my heart melt! So long to the days of girls wanting to be housewives: these girls want to start businesses and rise to the top in any field they pursue. How fantastic is that?

Since I was the youngest person on the panel, I wanted to look a little more youthful on Saturday. I opted for a dress by The Kooples that I rented from Rent The Runway, which is a seriously genius site for those of us who aren’t looked to spend $500 on a piece of fabric. It was my first time using the service and I was very impressed. I threw on a new (un-rented) cardigan from Club Monaco and my thrifted Rebecca Minkoff heels on and I was out the door in a second! You really don’t have to spend a ton of dough to feel confident and successful. You can even rent a prom dress nowadays!

Video of the conference coming this week! I’m off to Istanbul on Wednesday.