Keynote Speaker Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, CEO of ECOS; Panelists Reagan H., Brielle T., Maddie J.; Girl Scout Board Advisor Gabby A.; Panel Moderator Ella W; GSOC CEO Dr. Vikki Shepp
Voice for Girls: A Mission-Based Morning for Girl Scouts of Orange County
Voice for Girls 2026 was a tremendous success, and we have so many people to thank. What an inspiring way to close out our Membership Year and get motivated as we start a new one!
Presenting Sponsor U.S. Bank made this meaningful morning possible with their generous support. Co-Chairs Kelly Given, Dr. Darla Holland, Karen Caplan, and Laura Watkins Utterback exemplify the Girl Scout Promise to “make the world a better place and be a sister to every Girl Scout.”
Keynote Speaker Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks and Girl Scout panelists Reagan, Brielle, Maddie and Ella showed us how to courageously care for our communities and our planet. Our Underwriting, Community, and Advocate Sponsors rallied around this event, and by extension, they rallied around the future of girls and young women in Orange County.
Everyone who sponsored or attended Voice for Girls made a difference and showed the girls and families we serve that they have a community that believes in their voices, invests in their potential, and is committed to creating a brighter future alongside them.
MEET OUR SPEAKERS
Keynote Speaker Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, President and CEO, ECOS
As President and CEO of ECOS plant-powered cleaning products, Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks is passionate about advancing both human and planetary health through purpose-driven leadership. She leads four manufacturing facilities across the U.S. as well as a European manufacturing platform. Vlahakis-Hanks is widely recognized for her highly effective leadership at ECOS and her influential voice in safer chemistry, regenerative manufacturing, and corporate social responsibility. Under her leadership, ECOS is the #1 selling green laundry detergent in the United States.
Vlahakis-Hanks led ECOS to become a Climate Positive company after achieving carbon neutrality, water neutrality, and TRUE Platinum Zero Waste certification. ECOS is the first manufacturer to receive LEED® Zero certifications in net-zero energy, carbon, and waste. The company has received many awards for its innovations in safer green chemistry, including the U.S. EPA’s Safer Choice Partner of the Year eight times.
GIRL SCOUT PANELISTS
Ella W., Girl Scout Ambassador
Ella is a Girl Scout Ambassador who has been deeply involved in Girl Scouts for the past 12 years. Through Girl Scouts, she has embraced opportunities to travel and challenge herself, such as spearheading the planning for her troop’s recent backpacking adventure to Yosemite National Park. Her Girl Scout experiences have also taken her beyond Orange County, including attending the Girl Scout National Convention in Washington, D.C., where she served as a National Delegate.
Currently, she is serving her second term as a Girl Advisor to the Girl Scouts of Orange County Board of Directors and also is a member of GSOC’s Advisors to the CEO and the GSOC Media Girls. Ella pursues multiple opportunities to represent Girl Scouts, share girl perspectives, and use her voice to connect with the broader community. Ella has earned her Girl Scout Bronze and Silver Awards and is in the process of finalizing her Gold Award.
Her Gold Award project focuses on creating a training program to better prepare Girl Scout Day Camp youth and adult volunteers to support neurodiverse campers, combining her love of camp with her desire to create experiences where more girls can feel understood and included.
Reagan H., Girl Scout Ambassador
Reagan has been a Girl Scout since kindergarten, and the community of girls she has grown up alongside has been one of the most meaningful parts of her Girl Scout journey. Being surrounded by girls who want
to make a difference has shaped how Reagan thinks about friendship and leadership—and taught her the value of having people in your life who encourage you, believe in you, and help you recognize what you are capable of.
For her Girl Scout Gold Award, Reagan created comfort kits for children undergoing serious medical treatment and families experiencing financial hardship. Inspired by years of volunteering with children and families facing difficult circumstances, she wanted the kits to provide a little brightness and comfort at the beginning of a child’s treatment.
When an unexpected change with her original community partner threatened her plans, Reagan adapted and ultimately connected with City of Hope, where she successfully delivered the kits. That connection has continued beyond her Gold Award, creating new opportunities for Reagan and her club to support patients and their families.
Brielle T., Girl Scout Ambassador
Brielle has been a Girl Scout for over ten years, beginning her journey in Houston, Texas before moving to California and joining multilevel Girl Scout Troop 822 at Friendship Baptist Church in Yorba Linda. Girl Scouts has always been a close-knit community that has given Brielle lifelong friendships, new adventures, and opportunities to grow as a leader.
As one of the older girls in her troop, she especially values mentoring younger Girl Scouts and helping them discover their own confidence, skills, and sense of belonging.
For her Girl Scout Gold Award, Brielle created Project Renew!, inspired by a family member’s diabetes diagnosis and what she learned about the prevalence of diabetes in the African American community. Brielle brought together African American medical professionals—including a pediatrician, family practice physician, nurse, nutritionist, and psychiatrist—to provide trusted, culturally relevant health education on nutrition, exercise, sleep, and physical and mental health. More than 75 people of all ages and across six states registered for the program, which also gave younger participants an opportunity to see Black professionals represented in healthcare careers.
Brielle is now working with leaders at her church to sustain Project Renew!’s impact through health fairs and children’s programming. Her experience has shown her how representation, trusted relationships, and access to information can empower people to take meaningful action in their own lives and communities.
Maddie J., Girl Scout Cadette
Maddie, 13, has been a Girl Scout since kindergarten. She began her Girl Scout journey while living in Idaho and continued after moving to California at age eight. Through new schools, new communities, and different troops, Girl Scouts has remained a constant in her life—a place where she could build friendships, explore new interests, and find the confidence to keep trying new things.
Through Girl Scouts, Maddie has discovered a passion for working with children and hopes to become a child psychologist. For her upcoming Girl Scout Silver Award, she plans to help elementary students and their families navigate the transition to middle school. Drawing from her own experience, Maddie wants to give younger students an honest but encouraging look at what to expect while connecting them with tools and support that can make a major transition feel a little less overwhelming.
Girl Scouts has also encouraged Maddie to step outside her comfort zone, grow more confident speaking in front of others, and take risks even when something initially feels intimidating. She believes supporting other girls can begin with something simple: listening, showing empathy, and making sure someone knows they have a person in their corner.
Inspired to help amplify the voices of girls in Orange County? Find out how you can be part of our next fundraising event! Visit girlscoutsoc.org/en/get-involved/support-us/fundraising-events.
