Girl, Level Up expands to online store

Girl, Level Up has been a nonprofit geared toward women empowerment since 2021, encouraging women including young girls to become their better selves and an overall positive female.  

Now, in 2024, Girl, Level Up Founder Brittney Houser is shifting the organization’s brand from solely empowering women in person to also online through a new store. 

“I had funded Girl, Level Up out of pocket for years,” Houser said. “And, in order for me to grow, I’m going to need funding. I’m going to need a steady income coming in so I can hire the proper people, like the team that I’m currently building.” 

Houser said she doesn’t want the organization to be run solely off grants but have an additional source of income to stabilize an aspiring global brand, empowering girls all over the world.  

The online store of the brand Girl, Level Up is called “Girl, You Can,” that features accessory pouches and journals ranging from $12.99 to $19.99.  

“Our most popular product right now is the Empowered Black Girl accessory pouch that’s been selling,” Houser said. “It’s so cute. It comes in a size large, it’s huge, and a size small. It can be used as a pencil bag, travel bag, makeup bag or a purse.” 

Houser said the zippers on the bag are heavy duty and come in two colors that shoppers can choose from whether white or black. She said it also comes in a pink and brown color that features the same empowered black girl logo on the front of the design.  

“We also have two journals,” Houser said. “We have the Empower Her, heart cover matte journal and we have the If Not Now, When spiral journal.” 

Houser said the brand also plans to expand their site to feature vitamin supplements, phone cases, luggage, home décor and accessories all catered to uplifting and empowering women especially women of color.  

The brand even plans to give back through the online site.  

“We’re donating a big percentage of our profits to different organizations, girl-led organizations [throughout the Selma and Dallas County Community] like cheerleading, girl softball, girl basketball and we’ll pick a different school or organization each quarter to donate our 60 percent to them,” she said. 

Houser said the end goal for the brand is to create a permanent home featuring its own storefront or to be featured as a branded product whether it’s in Walmart, Target, Family Dollar including any other mainstream market in the world.  

“We want to basically see our girls get to the next level and not settle and doing nothing,” Houser said. “Whether you’re an athlete, going to college, starting a business, getting a trade, we need to be empowered and encouraged to do something and with these products, we’re hoping to do that even with the journals.”