Clever Girls

We're back! Kimberlee and Allison kick off a virtual tour around the world with the coolest continent, Antarctica. Kimberlee discusses Jackie Ronne, the first woman to be a working member of an Antarctic expedition, while Allison stresses about climate change and marvels at the work of the women aboard the research vessel the Nathaniel B. Palmer.

In our Valentine's episode, Allison and Kimberlee discuss two women who are writing inclusive, diverse romance and science fiction novels. Alyssa Cole and N.K. Jemisin are both award-winning authors. Alyssa's works span genres of historical, contemporary, and sci-fi romance while N.K.'s works include fantasy and science fiction novels. 

After some technical issues, we're finally into Season 2! This episode is the first of our Black History Month episodes, recorded in February. Allison and Kimberlee discuss two women who turned over the status quo in their lives. Elizabeth Jennings Graham fought segregation in 19th century New York while Nina Mae McKinney was one of the first black Hollywood stars.

Kimberlee and Allison celebrate the one year anniversary of Clever Girls! We share New Year's resolutions, discuss lessons learned, and reflect on women who have had a major impact on us this past year.

Back with a very belated release of a Christmas episode, Allison and Kimberlee learn about the history of Christmas and talk about two Christian women who stood up for their convictions. Sojourner Truth was an abolitionist and women's rights activist and is best known for her "Aint I a Woman?" speech. Dorothy Day was a journalist and social activist who established the Catholic Worker Movement and the Catholic Worker newspaper, which is still in circulation.

With the holiday season in full swing, Kimberlee and Allison focus on women who took on the cutthroat toy industry. Ruth Handler invented Barbie to inspire her daughter and other girls to dream big about their futures, while Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen created Roominate to introduce girls to STEM and cultivate interest in engineering.

As Hanukkah begins, Allison and Kimberlee talk about the origins of the holiday and two Jewish women who lit the way forward with their work. Lillian Wald was the founder of American community nursing and an activist for women and minority rights. Ruth Bader Ginsberg advocated for women's rights and gender equality as a lawyer and continues to serve as a strong member of the Supreme Court.

Following Small Business Saturday, Kimberlee and Allison discuss the benefits in buying from small businesses and five women who started their own companies with meaningful products: Roachele Negron’s affirmational pennants at Rayo and Honey, Julie Darrell’s reusable green products at BYO Long Beach, Bethany Yellowtail’s indigenous art at B. Yellowtail, Gabriela Hernandez’s vintage makeup brand Bésame Cosmetics, and Rebecca Lee Funk’s progressive apparel shop, The Outrage.

It’s Thanksgiving week in the United States and Kimberlee and Allison are discussing the origins of the holiday and spotlighting two Native American women who resisted oppression and fought for the freedom of their indigenous lands and people. 

U.S. midterm Election Day is here! Allison and Kimberlee talk about the exciting field of female candidates who are running in elections across the country. 

Kimberlee and Allison discuss Halloween's origins and two women whose stories are on the spooky side of history. Catherine Monvoisin was a professional sorcerer and poisoner in France during Louis XIV's reign while Marie Laveau was a renowned Voodoo Queen in 1800's New Orleans.

Allison and Kimberlee celebrate the start of the school year discussing two educators who blazed trails to educate their communities and advocate for disenfranchised groups. Both Savitribai Phule and Mary McLeod Bethune initially made their mark by opening schools for girls who had little to no educational opportunities and both women then went on to champion civil and women's rights.  

Kimberlee and Allison discuss two female comic book characters who take a stand and make a difference. Kamala Khan is new to the scene as the current Ms. Marvel, following the former Ms. (and also Captain) Marvel, Carol Danvers. Lois Lane is one of the oldest female comic book characters, working as an award-winning investigative journalist. The depictions of their characters reflect society's changing views on many issues, particularly of women. 

Alana and Allison wrap up Alana's reign as guest host discussing two women who ruled ancient Egypt. Hatshepsut came to the throne in 1478 BC and ruled for 20 years as one of Egypt's most successful pharaohs. Nefertiti co-ruled as queen with her husband beginning in 1353 BC, and may have ruled as pharaoh after his death.

Alana and Allison discuss two award winning filmmakers, Patty Jenkins and Ava DuVernay. Along with their other works and achievements, with Wonder Woman and A Wrinkle in Time, they're the first two women to direct live action films with budgets of over $100 million. 

Stop the presses! Allison and Alana discuss two journalists whose investigative work at the turn of the 20th century impacted policy and shaped conversations about injustices at the time. Among their many achievements, Nellie Bly exposed abuse of mental health patients while Ida B. Wells documented lynching in the South.

Allison is joined this episode by special guest host Alana Myles! Allison and Alana discuss two artists who challenged the status quo with their art. Amrita Sher- Gil was a pioneer in modern Indian art and has been called India's Frida Kahlo. Barbara Kruger is an American conceptual artist whose work addresses issues of power, consumerism, identity, and sexuality.

In honor of the Fourth of July, Allison and Kimberly discuss four women who took an active role in the Revolutionary War, from fighting with the Continental Army to spying on British officers.

Allison and Kimberlee discuss two young girls who faced hardships head on and created opportunities to help and inspire others. Alexandra Scott held lemonade stands to raise money for childhood cancer research, leading to the creation of Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. Mari Copeny used her position as Little Miss Flint to raise awareness of the Flint water crisis and continues to give back to children in her community.

As the month of Ramadan ends, Kimberlee and Allison discuss two Muslim women who dedicated their lives to the improvement of their communities. Shirin Ebadi broke barriers with her legal career in Iran, and has dedicated her life to fighting for human rights, earning the Nobel Peace Prize and founding Iran's Defenders of Human Rights Center. Fatima Al-Fihri dedicated herself to her community, founding the world's oldest existing, continually operating university.  

Happy Pride Month! Allison and Kimberlee discuss two female icons in LGBT history. Before the Stonewall riots, Barbara Gittings campaigned for LGBT visibility and equality. Later, she pushed to end the classification of homosexuality as a mental illness. Audre Lorde described herself as a "black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet." With her poetry and her platform, she fought for greater consideration for intersectionality, addressing injustices of racism, sexism, classicism, and homophobia.

Allison and Kimberlee pay homage to Mental Health Awareness Month by discussing two women who were influential psychologists in the early 20th century. Mary Whiton Calkins was a leader in her field and became the first female president of the American Psychological Association. Mamie Phipps Clark made her mark studying the effects of segregation on African American students, which was influential in the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education case.

Kimberlee and Allison discuss four women from ancient history who were influential in their lifetimes, although unfortunately not much information about their lives has survived to the modern day.

Allison and Kimberlee have fun discussing female music artists they've recently discovered and become obsessed with. Little Mix and Janelle Monáe have topped the charts and are using their music and platforms to support causes and discuss a wide range of issues.

...Is in the Rebellion! Since May the Fourth just passed, Kimberlee and Allison pay homage to Star Wars by focusing on two women who were instrumental in rebellions and fought for change in their countries. Boudica, a Celtic queen, led her people against Roman invaders; Petra Herrera, a Mexican soldadera, disguised herself as a man to fight in the Mexican Revolution.

Kimberlee and Allison look into the history and accomplishments of women who have recently been making headlines. Tammie Jo Shults is a former Naval fighter pilot and current Southwest pilot and Kimba Wood is a Senior United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York.

While the fashion industry has been pretty male dominated, Allison and Kimberlee discuss two female designers who transformed fashion in their eras. Rose Bertin and Marie Antoinette set the standard in pre-Revolutionary France while Dame Mary Quant's mod styles, including the miniskirt and hotpants, still influence fashion today.

As next week is Earth Day, this week Allison and Kimberlee discuss two women who dedicated their lives to protecting the environment, even when they faced violence and intimidation. Dr. Wangari Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement in Kenya and won the Nobel for her work, while Berta Cáceres founded the Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras and won the Goldman Environmental Prize. 

In this long awaited episode, Kimberlee and Allison discuss two women who weren't given the credit they deserved for their incredible scientific research and discoveries. Microbiologist Dr. Esther Lederberg pioneered work in bacterial genetics and nuclear physicist Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu came to be known as the Queen of Nuclear Research. Both women were overlooked when men in their lives won Nobel Prizes for work based off their research.

It's the final episode of our continent by continent minisode miniseries! Allison and Kimberlee discuss women who have accomplished some incredible "firsts" on Antarctica. Ingrid Christensen was the first woman to see Antarctica from the air and the first to set foot on the mainland. Jade Hameister, among other records, is the youngest person to complete the Polar Hat Trick and the first woman to set a new route to the South Pole unsupported and unassisted.

It's the penultimate minisode of our International Women MiniSeries! Kimberlee and Allison discuss women from North America and their efforts to bring a female perspective to politics. Laura Starcher and the Petticoat Revolution turned around a small town in Oregon, while in the present Portia Simpson-Miller paved the way as Jamaica's first female Prime Minister. 

This episode, Allison and Kimberlee discuss two women from Europe. Artemisia I of Caria joined Persian king Xerxes in his quest to invade Greece and proved to be a powerful military commander and strategist. In the present, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner is the second woman to climb fourteen eight-thousand feet mountains and the first woman to do so without the use of supplementary oxygen AND she won the National Geographic Explorer of the Year Award.

In their fourth minisode of the continental International Women’s Miniseries, Kimberlee and Allison discuss women from Africa. Dahomey's Women Warriors were a force to be reckoned with for 3 centuries! Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu is changing lives at home and abroad with the 1st Fair Trade (and Africa's fastest growing) footwear company, sold around the world.

Continuing our continent by continent celebration of women around the world, Allison and Kimberlee discuss two women, past and present, from the continent of Australia. From the past, Fanny Cochrane Smith was the last fluent speaker of a Tasmanian language, and in the present Jessica Watson is an award winning sailor who completed a solo voyage around the world at the age of 16.

International Women’s Day needs more female inspiration from around the world! In their second mini of their continental miniseries, Kimberlee and Allison discuss the revolutionary work of current and historical women in South America: environmental activist and organizer Máxima Acuña and Reconquista rebel spy and national heroine, Policarpa Salavarrieta.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, Kimberlee and Allison kick off their continent by continent miniseries releasing two separate minisodes at once! This (slightly mini) minisode features women of Asia, past and present: Sonita Alizadeh, an Afghan women’s rights activist and rapper, and Fu Hao, an ancient Chinese military general and high priestess.

Kimberlee Kelly and Allison Hendrick make space to nerd out over their love for the cosmos and the groundbreaking work of two remarkable astrophysicists, Dr. Jedidah Isler and Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell.

Allison and Kimberlee discuss current events in the U.S. and the contributions of Septima Poinsette Clark and Fannie Lou Hamer, two women who worked tirelessly to register, educate, and mobilize Black Americans to exercise their constitutional rights.

Allison Hendrick and Kimberlee Kelly discuss the origin of Valentine's Day, traditions from around the world, and two women who married for love when it was practically unheard of: Princess Mary Tudor and Empress Theodora.

Kimberlee and Allison share the stories of "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias and Wilma Rudolph. These two inspiring female athletes broke records, shattered glass ceilings, and took home the gold!

In the first mini episode, Kimberlee and Allison discuss two modern female founders who are creating pathways of opportunity for women and girls. Join us as we discuss the strides Lauren Washington and Ally Watson are making in the fields of business and tech.

Allison and Kimberlee discuss two women who inherited the throne and navigated incredibly difficult political situations: Queen Lili'uokalani of Hawaii and Queen Nazinga of Ndongo and Matamba. 

In honor of the Women's March, Allison and Kimberlee discuss two young changemakers who are taking a stand for issues they believe in and proving that age is not a factor when it comes to making an impact.

Allison and Kimberlee discuss two of the real women behind the characters in Lin Manuel Miranda's Hamilton and the impact they had on the founding of the United States.

Meet Allison Hendrick and Kimberlee Kelly, two former teachers with a deep and abiding love for pop culture, history, feminism, and more.