Live interview with youngest-ever recipient of Time100 Impact Award!
About this Event
Army of Normal Folks and Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South are excited to invite you to join a live podcast interview on Monday October 12th with Avery Colvert and her mom, Lauren Sandidge, the daughter-mother team behind Altadena Girls.
When the devastating Eaton Fire tore through the Los Angeles area in January 2025, Avery was just 14 years old. Her school burned down, many of her friends lost their homes, and she saw that while relief efforts were providing necessities like food, water, and shelter, the particular needs of teenage girls could easily be overlooked.
So Avery decided to do something about it. She started the Instagram account “Altadena Girls” to rally the public to provide teenage girls affected by the fires with new clothing, shoes, makeup, hair products, personal-care items, and something harder to put in a donation box: the chance to feel like themselves again.
The idea went viral almost immediately, with their social media posts reaching 38 million people in their first week. Celebrities including Meghan Markle and Mindy Kaling supported the effort, while major brands such as SKIMS, R.E.M., Rare, Orebella, and Goop donated products.
And Avery didn't stop when the headlines about the fires faded.
Altadena Girls has now distributed more than 1 million items and served thousands of girls and families. In October 2025, it opened an 11,000-square-foot permanent community space where teenage girls can find connection, creativity, support, and a ree boutique stocked with clothing and personal-care items. Urban Outfitters, Fender, and Levi’s made donations to the space.
Avery's extraordinary work led her to become the youngest-ever recipient of the TIME100 Impact Award.
Coach Bill Courtney, host of the podcast Army of Normal Folks and subject of the Oscar-winning documentary Undefeated, will interview Avery and Lauren about how a 14-year-old saw an overlooked problem in the middle of a disaster and had the courage to start doing something about it — and how her mom helped turn that idea into an organization built to last.
We'll talk about what happened during those first frantic days after the fire, what Avery learned when her idea suddenly went viral, what it has been like for Lauren to help her daughter lead something this big, and what their experience can teach the rest of us about stepping up instead of waiting for somebody else to do it.
The live public podcast interview will occur on October 12th from 6:30-7:45pm, which includes 15 minutes of Q&A. It’s generously being hosted by Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South in their BizTown space. Only 300 seats are available, so make sure to RSVP today on this page!
If you can't make this particular event, make sure to sign up to join the Army of Normal Folks at NormalFolks.org to receive updates about future live interviews and opportunities to get involved.
“We'd love to invite Memphians, and especially encourage parents to bring their kids, to meet Avery and benefit from her story," says Coach Bill Courtney. "It’s an incredible reminder that you don't need to be rich, famous, powerful — or even old enough to drive — to make a difference. You ou just have to see something that needs doing and be willing to start.”
“We’re all about impact – and this mother-daughter team exemplifies just how powerful impact can be when it is mission-driven and fueled by a desire to connect with and serve others,” says Leigh Mansberg, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South. “I find it especially inspiring when youth and adults work together to expand reach and effectiveness, as was done by Avery and her mom, Lauren. I look forward to learning more about their journey and sharing it with all our guests.”
ABOUT AN ARMY OF NORMAL FOLKS
Army of Normal Folks is a movement and podcast led by lifelong Memphian Coach Bill Courtney, the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary Undefeated (Amazon Prime).
It's based on his powerful vision that "Our country's problems will never be solved by a bunch of fancy people in nice suits talking big words on TV, but by An Army of Normal Folks simply doing what we can."
Through the podcast and a growing network of local service clubs, the Army tells the stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things and helps remove the barriers to service.
The movement has been featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Sherri, Mike Rowe's The Way I Heard It, and the cover of Guideposts magazine.
To join the Army, visit NormalFolks.org
ABOUT JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF MEMPHIS AND THE MID-SOUTH
Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South (JA) is reimagining education to expand opportunities for nearly 50,000 K-12 students in 71 counties throughout the Mid-South region annually. By connecting classroom learning to real-world experiences, JA helps address critical challenges in workforce readiness, financial capability, and economic mobility. Working alongside educators, impact partners, and volunteers, Junior Achievement equips young people with the skills, confidence, and connections they need to navigate their futures and pursue their full potential. Learn more at jamemphis.org
Where is it happening?
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