Lara Cakir is a community leader, social entrepreneur, and activist hailing from Edison, New Jersey. As a Turkish-American woman, she is very passionate about fighting for a society in which there is an equality of opportunity for all individuals, regardless of their identity. Lara first joined the Girl Up Campaign in her freshman year of high school as a general member of her school’s Girl Up Club. As a sophomore, she was promoted to the Executive Head of Sponsorship and Communications position. Since then, she has served as the Leader/President of the Tri-State (NJ, NY, CT) Coalition, using her platform to lead several fundraisers and events for her school’s chapter, including an annual Girl Hero Event in which she would enlist guest speakers from across the country to share their experiences with general members. Lara uses her position as an Opinion Staff Writer for her school’s award-winning newspaper, The Hawkeye, as an outlet to address socioeconomic issues, such as the correlation between gender identity and outstanding student loan debt. Moreover, in her capacity as the Founding Vice President of the New Jersey Chapter of the Gold Bear Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing necessary care to the economically disadvantaged, Lara has successfully conducted several donation drives, including a period product drive. Lara channels her passion and creativity into her social entrepreneurship venture, Puppi Slimes. As Founder and CEO, she has worked to create a business with a unique mission and vision: to offer an affordable, accessible product to buyers while positively impacting local, national, and global communities. Despite living in the United States, Lara continues to engage with her Turkish community as an active member of Turks Without Borders. As “Nöbetçi” (Team Leader), she helps peers in Türkiye learn English. By discussing captivating topics each week with them, Lara is able to assist them in improving their grammar, comprehension, and interpersonal skills. Being able to help her “brothers and sisters” on the other side of the globe is beyond gratifying. By encouraging them to become global citizens and instilling in them the love of learning a foreign language, Lara is serving a broader community than she ever thought would be possible.Lara is a student at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is an aspiring Business/Economics major who hopes to concentrate on the cultivation of a sustainable, equitable future for all.
