The People Behind the Movement

Our Community

Teen (Co)Lab is created and led by girls. Meet the founders and (Co)Laborators bringing their voices, ideas, and experiences to the movement, and the mentors and partners supporting them along the way.

01 · The Founders

The Founders

Valentina La Placa

Co-Founder

Marin Catholic · Class of 2027

I want girls to feel confident using their voice, believing in their potential, and going after what matters to them.

Read My Story

My Story

Valentina La Placa

Co-Founder

Hi! My name is Valentina and I am a senior at Marin Catholic and a founder of Teen (Co)Lab. As the eldest daughter, I always felt the responsibility to set a positive example for my younger sisters. Over the years, I've noticed how many girls struggle with confidence, self-image, and embracing who they truly are. Inspired by my mom's work, I decided to create Teen (Co)Lab with my sister Gigi, to create opportunities for young girls to grow in confidence, create meaningful connections, and cultivate a sense of opportunity for them and girls like them. Through Teen (Co)Lab, I hope to empower girls to find the confidence to express their true voice, believe in their potential, and strive for their dreams! I'm so excited to bring girls together in this amazing community where they can inspire one another.

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Gigi La Placa

Co-Founder

Marin Catholic · Class of 2029

I want girls to believe in themselves, support one another, and know they have people in their corner.

Read My Story

My Story

Gigi La Placa

Co-Founder

Hello! My name is Gigi La Placa and I am a student at Marin Catholic and a founder of Teen (Co)Lab! Teen (Co)Lab is a powerful organization that my sister, Valentina, and I created to help girls find their inner light while striving to be the kind of role models younger girls can look up to and rely on. My goal with the Teen (Co)Lab is to help and support girls, make them feel seen and safe. Throughout my life, like most girls I have dealt with confidence issues, and insecurity, from bullying or what's right in front of us all. Social media. But from countless words of inspiration and love from my mom and dad I have grown in my confidence like crazy. I want Teen (Co)Lab to help be that support to other girls that my parents are to me. In teaching young girls the importance of believing and loving yourself, and how those two things can seriously benefit anyone. Teen CoLab is more than an organization. It's my way of helping girls discover their inner light, believe in themselves, and know they are never alone.

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02 · Teen (Co)Laborators

Teen (Co)Laborators

The girls bringing their voices, ideas, and talents to help shape the movement.

Natalie

Founding (Co)Laborator

Marin Catholic · Class of 2027 Future Innovators Club Founder

I truly believe every girl has a unique purpose, and sometimes all it takes is the right community to help her see it.

Read My Story

My Story

Natalie

Founding (Co)Laborator

My name is Natalie, and I'm a senior at Marin Catholic. I joined Teen (Co)Lab as an ambassador because I truly believe every girl has a unique purpose, and sometimes all it takes is the right community to help her see it. I love being surrounded by girls who lift each other up, celebrate each other's differences, and encourage one another to grow into the people we're meant to be. I also started Future Innovators at Marin Catholic, a club dedicated to empowering girls to explore STEM and entrepreneurship in a fun, supportive environment where they can build confidence and discover new passions. I'm so excited to bring these two communities together because they share the same mission of helping girls believe in themselves, step into leadership, and create a positive impact by simply being their authentic selves.

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Sage Gottlieb

Founding (Co)Laborator

NOW Power Yoga Teacher

I hope to help create a community where girls feel supported in who they are and who they want to become.

Read My Story

My Story

Sage Gottlieb

Founding (Co)Laborator

Hi! I’m Sage! Throughout high school and college, I experienced firsthand the effects of comparison, insecurity, bullying, and the pressure to fit in. During one of the most challenging periods of my life, I began putting a lot of work into healing, rebuilding my confidence, and learning who I was outside of the expectations I had placed on myself. Through that process, I realized how much I wanted to use what I had learned to support and uplift other girls.

Today, I work and teach at NOW Power Yoga, where I found a community of women who genuinely encourage and celebrate one another. Experiencing that kind of community showed me how much stronger we become when we choose connection over comparison.

For years, I believed there was one path to success. Even when I found myself achieving the things I thought were supposed to make me successful, I realized I had never felt more unhappy or further from myself. That experience completely changed how I define success.

As a Teen (Co)Lab collaborator, I hope to help create a community where girls feel supported in who they are and who they want to become, where they can trust themselves, define success for themselves, dream big, and lift each other up along the way.

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Want to (Co)Create With Us?

Bring Your Voice to the Lab.

Have an idea, interest, talent, or experience you want to explore or share? Teen (Co)Lab is always looking for girls who want to create, collaborate, and help shape what comes next.

03 · Founding Advisor

Founding Advisor

Geno La Placa

Founding Advisor · Mentor

Geno supports Teen (Co)Lab as a founding advisor and mentor, helping the girls turn their ideas into meaningful experiences around confidence, emotional intelligence, self-expression, and leadership.

A former hedge fund CFO turned executive leadership and parenting coach, her work brings together experience in leadership, neuroscience, psychology, and emotional intelligence.