Vaishnavi Balakrishnan on Building SWANN, Youth Leadership, and Advancing Girls' Health & Education

in this episode of The Jason Cavness Experience, I sit down with Vaishnavi Balakrishnan, student entrepreneur and founder of SWANN (Student-Led Women's Adolescent Needs Navigation Conference).

Vaishnavi shares how she built a youth-led initiative focused on young girls' health, development, and how those issues directly impact education outcomes. We discuss the origin of SWANN, the gaps she saw in awareness and support systems, and how she mobilized professionals, educators, and community leaders around the issue.

We also explore:

• Starting a mission-driven organization as a student

• Leadership lessons from building SWANN

• The intersection of health and education for young women

• Organizing conferences and mobilizing community stakeholders

• Balancing academics, athletics, and entrepreneurship

• Long-term goals in finance, investment banking, and C-suite leadership Vaishnavi represents a new generation of leaders who are not waiting for permission to build impact.

This episode is especially relevant for young founders, student leaders, and anyone interested in education reform, women's health, and youth entrepreneurship.

What We Talked About

• The founding of SWANN

• Why adolescent health impacts education outcomes

• Community engagement and conference organization

• Leadership development at a young age

• Balancing school, athletics, and entrepreneurship

• Long-term career vision in finance and leadership

Connect with Vaishnavi Balakrishnan

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaishnavi-balakrishnan-5828aa340/

SWANN Website: https://swann-navigate-forward.lovable.app/

Connect with Jason Cavness

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncavness

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejasoncavnessexperience/

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