GEMS Leadership Academy (Girls Entrepreneurship & Mentoring Society) was created to provide young girls with the mentorship, leadership development, and exposure needed to grow into confident, capable young women.

We believe that when girls are given the right environment, support system, and opportunities, they begin to see themselves differently — not just as students, but as future leaders, entrepreneurs, professionals, and changemakers within their communities.

Through structured programming, mentorship, and hands-on learning experiences, GEMS equips girls with the tools needed to build confidence, strengthen their voice, and expand their vision for the future. Participants are exposed to leadership training, career exploration, financial literacy education, and meaningful community service opportunities that help them develop both personally and professionally.

Our goal is not only to inspire young girls, but to prepare them — ensuring that every participant leaves the program with greater confidence in who she is and a clearer understanding of the opportunities available to her.

Orangeburg has always been home — and home is exactly why GEMS
exists.

Jasmine Owens is an Orangeburg native, a graduate of Johnson C. Smith University, and a woman who has always led with the belief that if there isn't a lane for you, you build your own. After returning home, Jasmine brought that same mindset with her and turned it into action.

As a dedicated community servant, proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and a professional at the Orangeburg Chamber of Commerce, Jasmine has spent years observing a gap that no one was filling — the need for a space that would actively encourage, equip, and celebrate the young women of Orangeburg County across every lane available to them.

So she created it.

GEMS Leadership Academy was born from Jasmine's unwavering belief that every girl in this community deserves access to mentorship, real skills, and someone in her corner who sees her potential before she fully sees it herself. Now in its third year, GEMS has grown from a summer program into a full year-round Leadership Academy — and this is only the beginning.

"I always wished there were more resources in my community that would actively encourage all lanes for our young girls. So I took on the challenge to be that nurturer. To be the
guiding light."