Black women make history every single day — in boardrooms, on campuses, on stages, in studios, and in the quiet places where someone younger is finally told, “yes, you belong here.” In this new BET.com series for Women’s History Month, we’re honoring the creators, founders, mothers, daughters, and builders whose talent and tenacity keep shifting the culture forward. For this second installment, we’re looking at Tola Lawal, the founder of Gyrl Wonder, and the inaugural Women of Impact Gala that celebrated the power of one woman’s yes. 

For more than 11 years, Lawal has been building Gyrl Wonder into a pipeline for young women of color, and the organization says it has served more than 3,500 “gyrls” through its leadership academy, programming, and scholarships. Lawal told The Grio that the work is personal. Gyrl Wonder is “the manifestation of a younger version of myself who was full of ambition, curiosity, and creativity,” and a reflection of what happens when “figuring it out on your own” is no longer treated as the standard for the next generation. She called the organization “community. It’s access. It’s exposure.” 

That mission took center stage at the Women of Impact Gala, where Lawal and Gyrl Wonder honored Gayle King, Jordan Chiles, Danessa Myricks, and Asia Milia Ware, alongside standout women from the organization itself. Lawal said the event represents “the next chapter of Gyrl Wonder,” explaining that as the organization celebrates 11 years, it is also investing in making sure the doors opened by trailblazers stay open for the girls coming behind them. She added that the gala is about ensuring this work is “seen, funded, and celebrated at scale.” 

The room was filled with executives, students, and early-career professionals who understood the feeling of being overlooked despite obvious potential. Chiles told attendees that programs like Gyrl Wonder help shorten the distance between dreaming and doing, and reminded young women that they do not have to wait for permission to step into their power. Myricks said her brand was built for people who often find themselves outside of the conversation and out of view, and that her presence at the gala was meant to tell a story of possibility. 

What makes Lawal’s work so resonant is that it does not stop at inspiration. It creates access, confidence, and a chain reaction that reaches far beyond one evening. As she put it, the real impact shows up in the emails from girls who land internships, in the moment someone walks into a room with more confidence, and in the alum who returns to pour into the next generation. “It starts with one ‘gyrl,’ but it never stops there,” Lawal said. 

That’s the kind of history worth celebrating, the kind that multiplies. One woman says yes, and suddenly a whole ecosystem forms around that answer. This is what happens when Black women shift history.