We were lucky to catch up with Jessica Wexler recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jessica, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Early on, I definitely second-guessed myself and wondered if people would take me seriously. When you tell people you run a math camp, they assume you have a PhD in math or taught upper-level math courses or something like that. I would immediately feel inadequate, because the truth is, I struggled in math as a kid. That’s not something I talk about much, but some of my most vivid childhood memories are doing multiplication flashcards over and over again with my math tutor!
It wasn’t until I became a teacher and began to understand how we learn math that things started to click. I fell in love with math when it stopped being about memorization and plugging numbers into equations and became about understanding.
Still, even after developing the curriculum, designing the programming, and building Girls Rock Math from the ground up, I had moments where I questioned if I belonged in the “math world.” Don’t ask me to solve a differential equation, I’d need to brush up first! But what I’ve come to understand is that the success of Girls Rock Math isn’t about checking off high-level college math courses. It’s about knowing how to teach math in ways that actually reach kids, and in that, I am an expert.
Our curriculum is creative and rigorous. It’s packed with real math, from number sense and problem solving to geometry, logic, and data. But we deliver it in ways that are joyful, meaningful, and deeply connected to how kids learn best. As someone who once lacked confidence in math, I pull from my background in creative writing, art, and theatre to design experiences that make math come alive.
We have camps like Dramatic Mathematics, where kids act out math stories, and Painting by Numbers, where they explore artists and apply math concepts through visual art. Every camp is built on a strong foundation of math learning taught through imaginative storytelling, hands-on problem-solving and art.
Watching kids fall in love with math through stories, art projects, and creative exploration is amazing. They leave camp seeing that math is everywhere, not just in black-and-white problems on a worksheet. Hearing from parents whose children finally feel confident in math, seeing my staff bring these ideas to life, those are the moments that remind me: I’m not an imposter. I’ve built something meaningful, and it’s working. I am a math educator and entrepreneur.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m the founder of Girls Rock Math, a summer camp that empowers girls to see themselves as capable, creative mathematicians. I launched the program in 2012 after teaching elementary school for a decade and seeing how many girls were disengaging from math; not because they couldn’t do it, but because they didn’t see themselves in it. My goal was to create a space where math is joyful, artistic, collaborative, and confidence-building.
What makes our program special is that it’s rooted in both research and imagination. Every camp is grounded in current studies on gender and STEM equity, from our early partnerships with the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences to the way we design songs, games, and activities that speak directly to what excites girls. At the same time, our themes are wildly creative, like Fashionably Smart, where kids design a fashion line, or Mathily Ever After, where our youngest campers connect math to versions of classic fairy-tales with empowering messages.
Since we began, over 10,000 campers have come through the program, and some of our earliest campers are now part of our staff! Even though we’ve grown, we’re still a small, woman-owned business (often run from my living room) with a big mission: to help girls discover the beauty and power of mathematics.
This summer, we’re expanding into Marin County, California, and continuing to innovate with new camps and curriculum. I’m always looking to connect with others passionate about gender equity, education, and STEM.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, I’d say the three most impactful things on my journey have been: creativity, a willingness to take risks, and resilience.
Creativity has always been my foundation. With a background in the arts, I’ve never approached math education in a traditional way, and that’s by design. I wanted Girls Rock Math to feel imaginative and alive: full of stories, art, and hands-on exploration. That blend of creativity and curriculum design helps us reach kids who might not think of themselves as “math people” and show them that they absolutely are.
Willingness to take risks has shaped almost every major decision I’ve made. I don’t spend too much time worrying about what could go wrong. I focus on what could go right, and then trust my gut. The idea to start Girls Rock Math wasn’t something I pondered for years, worked with consultants to develop or had some lengthy business plan in place. It hit me, and I jumped on it, using my small savings from being a summer nanny to rent a room at a community center, run a tiny ad, and build a simple website. I hoped someone would sign up… and they did! I still use that same mindset today. When one of our amazing teachers told me she was moving to San Francisco without a job lined up, I asked if she’d want to help launch a new location in the Bay Area. It was a leap, but now, we’re running four weeks of camp there this summer with a great team in place.
And of course, resilience has kept me going through the ups and downs of running a small, woman-owned business. There have been times when I questioned myself, but I kept showing up, for the mission, the campers, my family, and the vision I believe in. The pandemic was an especially scary time when I was certain we’d have to close permanently. But we pivoted quickly and ran online, sending individual boxes of supplies in the mail to over 900 campers who attended virtually in 2020! In the last five years our growth has skyrocketed. We have over 2,500 kids joining us at camp this summer, with over 60 staff, around 300 high school and middle schoolers participating in our Teen Leadership Program!
My advice for anyone starting out? Be bold. Don’t wait until you feel totally ready- that time will probably never come. You don’t need all the answers, just enough courage to try. Trust your instincts, especially when you feel really invigorated by an idea. You don’t need big investors or a huge business loan to get started. Start in your living room office, make a small investment, and be okay with making mistakes. It can take you further than you’d expect.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
Over the past year, my biggest area of growth has been learning to let go and delegate, especially when it comes to tasks I used to believe only I could do. Running a seasonal business means I go from having a flexible schedule in the fall and winter to an intense, fast-paced workload in the spring and summer. In the past, I handled that shift by taking on too much myself, pulling late nights, skipping time with family and friends, and generally trying to do it all.
This year, things are different. I’ve built a team I truly trust, and I’ve finally started to lean into that trust. I’ve handed off responsibilities that used to keep me up at night, and the result has been better pacing, fewer stress spirals, and more balance in my life. I’m taking better care of myself, not just for me, but also because I want to show up fully for my family and my team.
One example: my son recently pointed out how busy I get in the summer, just when he’s out of school and wants more time together. That really stuck with me. So this year, we’re taking a vacation before camp begins, and I’m stepping back from part of our staff training and letting my team lead it. That’s a huge shift for me, and a sign of how much growth has happened. I still care deeply about every detail, but now I can breathe, trust, and make space for others to take on leadership roles at Girls Rock Math.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://girlsrockmath.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlsrockmath
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/girlsrockmath
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/girlsrockmath
Image Credits
Headshot credit to Roxanne Scianna
Photos 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 credit to Roxanne Scianna
Photos 3 and 4 to Colleen Dishy
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
