Marie Forleo’s B-School 2018 Scholarship Recipients

Inspired and deeply honored. That’s how I feel after reviewing the 2018 B-School scholarship applicants.

Thank you for your heartfelt participation.

Thank you for the enormous creativity and effort you poured into your videos. We’ve watched over 1100 entries — that’s over 27 hours of content!

Before you scroll down to see the recipients, please read these few important notes.

First, one of the primary reasons I designed the scholarship contest this way is to get people to act.

One of my gifts is being a catalyst to help others bring their dreams to life. While some folks make videos regularly, for many of our participants this is the first time they’ve ever shot, edited or uploaded a video.

As anyone who creates content knows, that’s never a small feat! Getting across a clear message in 90 seconds or less takes more time and energy than you’d think.

But as Thomas Edison said, “If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.”  

So part of my objective was to help you stretch outside of your comfort zone. To help you articulate and share your vision and take another bold action, which you did.

And I sincerely mean this when I say it: the win is in taking action. The win is taking a stand for what you’re creating and sharing that vision with others. The win is in moving beyond discomfort to expand your capabilities.

Taking risks, putting it out there, doing new things is what being a leader is all about.

But even more important is this. How we deal with any kind of letdown, setback or obstacle shapes our lives more than almost anything else.

Not receiving a scholarship to B-School, nor any other disappointment in life, can’t stop you unless you let it. Making these scholarship selections is never easy. We never take this experience lightly. We never take who you are, the time you put in and the vulnerability you share for granted.

As a fellow creative and business owner, I have tremendous respect for you. I want you to know something from my heart to yours:

You are enough. You are capable. You have the power to bring virtually any dream to life.

Whether you’re able to join us for B-School or not, my support is not going away.

I’ll be here each week through MarieTV, our MF insider’s broadcast, The Marie Forleo Podcast and everything else we create and share.

I’ve been in business now for over 18 years.

If you’ve been connected to our work for any amount of time, then you know this is true: we’re fiercely dedicated to providing encouragement, wisdom and tools to keep you moving ahead. The vast majority of our company’s work is created and shared, free of charge.

Now, without further ado, here are the 18 recipients of a 2018 B-School Scholarship.

1. Chelsea Richson

Chelsea is starting her business not only to save money to send herself back to school (she’s 19!), but to help child brides in her country of Ghana afford the same opportunity when their own childhood has been stripped away.

2. Claudia Brown Coulter

This incredible teacher is combining her passion for education and dispute resolution to help train students, parents and educators to navigate conflict.

3. Lucia Fernandez

Until Hurricane Maria, Lucia had been a successful piano teacher for 15 years. She wants to transition her business into a virtual one, helping save her business and inspire other local entrepreneurs to stay on the island and rebuild Puerto Rico’s economy.

4. Carolina Levien

Carolina overcame her wheelchair shame by starting a blog. She wants more differently-abled people to put themselves out there and needs to turn this blog into a business!

5. Laleh Khorramian

Laleh is an insanely talented visual artist from Tehran who transitioned into hand-painted clothing inspired by found objects. After 2 bouts with cancer, she’s ready to take her fashion brand to the next level and help celebrate women’s livelihoods and true spirits.

6. Margaret Waterhouse

Margaret is a baker and single mom whose take on the French macaron is wacky and creative (chocolate dipped chocolate raspberry? yes please!) and full of joy.

7. Eileen Hayes

Eileen is a yoga teacher and ASL interpreter. She’s creating a nonprofit to help bring yoga to the deaf community by making it easier for teachers to engage with deaf participants and the deaf to become certified teachers themselves!

8. Borya Shapshalova

Borya is a Bulgarian artist who’s starting a movement to bring hope, opportunity and economic opportunities to a country that’s spent too many decades under corruption and oppression.

9. Heather Galloway

After being diagnosed with Autism at 44, Heather created an online platform to help provide resources and solutions to other women like her who are living with Autism.

10. Bia Morales

Bia started teaching crochet and embroidery just for fun. Incredibly, she found her way into the lives of other women who had been impacted by the economic crisis in Brazil. Through her tutorials, those women are now selling handicrafts to help support their families.

11. Natasha

Natasha is a mother of 6 who created the first online platform to connect babysitters and nannies in her home country of Greece.

12. Ashton Colby

Ashton wants to flip the script that tells transgender people they need to hate themselves and instead teaches them to get back into their body through yoga and meditation.

13. Rochelle Harden

After a rough transition from the military to civilian life, Rochelle wants to start a whole new chapter — with a skincare line! One that focuses on the whole woman and generates discussion around self-care.

14. Skool Bus Rocks

A Nashville nonprofit musical duo who bought an old school bus and will spend the next year traveling the country helping under-served populations? Yes please!

15. Thu-ha Le

Thu-ha Le is part of a nonprofit dedicated to the study and resurrection of ancient Vietnam’s culture. She’s committed to changing the world’s perception of Vietnam and to get her country known beyond the story of war.

16. Krystle Baller

Krystle Baller is a baller! This badass uses music to teach girls and gender non-conformists to stand up for themselves. She opened a brick and mortar in Charlotte and even — wait for it — started a punk program for kids, complete with baby mosh pits and temporary tattoos.

17. Bryony Rust

Bryony is a speech and language therapist on the Isle of Wight who helps children improve their communication skills so they can lead a full life, and helps parents better nurture’s their child’s development.

18. Cassie Winter

After struggling with chronic illness for over half her life, Cassie is ready to achieve financial independence. She’s building an accountability service to help people like her finish the projects they dream of getting done.

With all my love and admiration,

XO