Our Vision

OUR VISION

EMPOWERING
TEEN GIRLS FOR SUCCESS

Our rapidly changing world needs impactful leaders versed in the power and versatility of innovation. While the number of women in leadership and STEM fields has grown in past decades, a gender gap persists at all stages of the talent pipeline: from interest and intent, to academic tracks and careers. In the wake of digital transformations accelerated by the pandemic, JYC Girls Impact Foundation (“JYCGIF”) was founded to close the gender opportunities gap for women and better equip a new talent pipeline for jobs of the future.

Through extensive research, it was discovered that girls’ teenage years offer a critical window in which to change gender stereotypes and biases – to plug holes in a talent pipeline that often preclude women from reaching top leadership positions. JYCGIF immediately mobilized institutional and educational partners to come together to lay the groundwork for a new talent pipeline of “future ready” leaders – teen girls empowered with the confidence and digital and leadership skills to lead in a rapidly changing world and workplace. Since 2021, JYCGIF has partnered with more than 25 corporates, educational, and governmental and other community institutions to empower over 3,000 teen girls from over 65 schools through diverse outreach programmes and initiatives, all with the aim of inspiring 10,000 girls over the next three years to pursue a wide range of leadership and STEM learning opportunities.

Three years on, the transformational journeys of JYCGIF students have inspired a new way of coming together for collective impact: a special award that recognizes the individual and communal accomplishments of outstanding teengirls designed to inspire further pursuit of future ready learning.

The FutureGen Girls Foundation (“FGG”) was founded to do just that. FGG is tasked with presenting its FutureGen Young Women Leaders Award to remarkable teen girls on the path to fulfilling their potential as leaders, thinkers, and doers.

The Award serves as both a tribute to and a way of following the remarkable progress of teen girls on respective Future Ready Learning Journeys, and would not be possible without the support and commitment of so many dedicated industry and education partners.

Our Mission

OUR MISSION

"Our mission is to EMPOWER
teen girls to realize their full
potential by recognising and
celebrating their accomplishments."

The FutureGen Young Women Leaders Award ("The Award"), organized by the FutureGen Girls Foundation, will recognize teen girls who have dedicated themselves to realizing their full potential through the development of future ready skills and leadership experiences culminating in empowering accomplishments. In the long run, the Award hopes to become an emblem of excellence recognized by schools, universities, companies, and institutes, enabling participants to enjoy a wide variety of opportunities.

OUR FOUNDER

Jennifer Yu Cheng, JP

Jennifer Yu Cheng, JP

Founder, FutureGen Girls Foundation

Jennifer Yu Cheng is a visionary education leader, entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Jennifer is a Board Member of CTF Education Group and served as Group President and Deputy Vice Chairwoman for five years until July 2025, where she led the Group’s growth into one of the Greater Bay Area’s leading K-12 education ecosystems, impacting nearly 10,000 students annually across Hong Kong and Mainland China.

For over a decade, Jennifer has been dedicated to expanding education access and opportunities. In 2011, she co-founded ARCH Community Outreach (ACO), a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering young individuals by bridging the gap between education and career success through skill-building programs, mentorship and industry exposure experiences. In 2021, she established JYC Girls Impact Foundation to empower teen girls to break barriers, fulfill their potential, and become impactful leaders who drive positive change in society. Since its launch, the Foundation has delivered over 100 events and programs, with a focus on STEM readiness, leadership skills development and careers exploration, empowering more than 10,000 participants through its outreach initiatives. Jennifer launched The FutureGen Young Women Leaders Award in 2024, organized by the FutureGen Girls Foundation and in collaboration with nearly 60 organizations from more than 20 industries, recognizing teen girls who have dedicated themselves to realizing their full potential, while fostering a cross-industry ecosystem for youth. Supporting the development and advancement of women and children in Hong Kong, Jennifer is also a non-official member of the Commission on Children and Women’s Commission. She is a Director of The WEMP Foundation, which supports children’s mental health, and Honorary Patron and Hong Kong School Affairs Advisor of Love Foundation.

Jennifer serves on the board and as committee member of universities and schools globally and in Hong Kong. She is a Member of the Board of Visitor of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science of Columbia University and serves as Co-Chair of its Asia Advisory Group; Member of the Dean’s Advisory Group of Harvard Graduate School of Education; and Member of The Dean’s Council of the Faculty of Arts and Science at Harvard University. Jennifer is a council member at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and serves as Chairman of HKUST Institutional Advancement and Outreach Committee. She is also a member of the Court of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Court of Lingnan University. Jennifer is co-chair of her alma mater’s Hong Kong Choate Club, and is a Member of the Victoria Shanghai Academy’s Academic Planning and Development Committee.

In 2025, Jennifer was appointed to be Justice of the Peace by the Hong Kong SAR government. Jennifer earned her Master of Education from Harvard University and graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering Operations Research and a minor in Economics. Prior to her career in education, she was an Executive Director at Goldman Sachs in the Fixed Income, Currency, and Commodities division.

THE AWARD
FOUNDATION

FutureGen Girls Foundation (“FGG”) is a registered non-profit charitable organization, tasked with, in collaboration with supporting organizations, presenting the FutureGen Young Women Leaders Award to remarkable teen girls on the path to fulfilling their potential as leaders, thinkers, and doers.

FutureGEN GIRLS FOUNDATION 明日女菁基金會

ADVISORY GROUP

YOUTH CAREER DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEMBER
PROGRAM RECOGNITION AND SKILL ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE MEMBER
PARTNERSHIP AND PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEMBER
AWARD NOMINATION COMMITTEE MEMBER
ACCOUNTING AND AUDIT ADVISOR
LEGAL AND GOVERNANCE ADVISOR
DIVERSE INDUSTRIES ADVISORS
APPLICATION
NOW