TIME debuts first-ever Girls of the Year List
A celebration of creativity and possibility, TIME debuts first-ever Girls of the Year List recognizing 10 young leaders inspiring communities around the world
The list, made possible by the LEGO Group, aligns with their She Built That campaign, which challenges stereotypes and empowers girls to see themselves as builders
Today, TIME reveals its first-ever Girls of the Year list, recognizing 10 young leaders who are inspiring communities around the world. The list, curated by TIME's award-winning editorial team, has been made possible by the LEGO Group and aims to celebrate and empower girls.
The 2025 TIME Girls of the Year list features 10 honorees, including: Rutendo Shadaya, 17, an advocate for young authors in New Zealand; Coco Yoshizawa, 15, an Olympic gold-medalist in Japan; Valerie Chiu, 15, a global science educator in China; Zoé Clauzure, 15, an anti-bullying crusader in France; Clara Proksch, 12, a scientist prioritizing child safety in Germany; Ivanna Richards, 17, a racing driver shattering stereotypes in Mexico; Kornelia Wieczorek, 17, a biotech innovator in Poland; Defne Özcan, 17, a trailblazing pilot in Turkey; Rebecca Young, 12, an engineer tackling homelessness in the United Kingdom; and Naomi S. DeBerry, 12, an organ donation advocate and children's book author in the United States.
– See the complete list and read the TIME Girls of the Year profiles: here
'At TIME, we've long believed that leadership has no age requirement. This belief is reflected in the inspiring young women named to our first-ever TIME Girls of the Year list, who are shaping their communities with courage and purpose,' said TIME CEO Jessica Sibley. 'Thanks to our partnership with the LEGO Group, we are proud to spotlight those who are turning imagination into real-world impact.'
Of the new list, TIME's Senior Editor Dayana Sarkisova writes: 'These girls are part of a generation that's reshaping what leadership looks like today…Their generation understands that change doesn't require waiting for adulthood—it starts with seeing problems and refusing to accept them as permanent. …TIME's Girls of the Year—who are all between the ages of 12 and 17—prove that changing your community and inspiring those around you can send ripple effects around the globe.' Read more here.
Additionally, the LEGO Group and TIME Studios, the award-winning branded content studio, created a limited-edition animated TIME cover, reimagining this year's Girls of the Year as LEGO Minifigures. Each character captures the spirit of their achievements, with the animation set to the empowering new LEGO anthem, She Built That.
See the TIME Girls of the Year cover: here
In a recent study by the LEGO Group, it found that the term 'Building' has a perception problem. It doesn't resonate with girls. The majority of (70%) young women globally struggle to see themselves as someone who is good at building things. Equally, most parents (72%) feel girls lack visible female role models who build the world.
Women's achievements remain largely invisible to children, according to a survey of 32,605 parents and children across 21 countries. Kids are twice as likely to credit major inventions to men - with most believing that Wi-Fi (69%), fridges (63%) and even the moon landing software (68%) were invented by men, when in fact, all were pioneered by women.
Julia Goldin, LEGO Group Chief Product & Marketing Officer, said: 'When girls don't see it, they don't believe it - the world risks missing out on the next big breakthrough. There's no stopping what girls can build. TIME's Girls of the Year is a step in giving the next generation the role models they deserve, recognising young women globally who are not just imagining a better world but actively creating it. Together with TIME we hope these stories will inspire a future generation of unstoppable female builders to dream big and continue making their mark on the world.'
It's a sentiment that ties into the LEGO Group's wider mission: to build confidence, imagination and creativity through play and to unlock the potential of every child. The collaboration is an extension of the LEGO Group's She Built That campaign, which aims to challenge outdated societal stereotypes that can limit the potential of girls, and to empower them to see themselves as builders in every sense of the word. In collaboration with TIME's Girls of the Year, the initiative honors young females who are building the future, turning imagination into impact. It's a celebration of creativity, confidence, and possibility, recognizing girls not just as future builders, but as the architects of change today.
The TIME Girls of the Year list builds on the foundation of TIME Women of the Year, which recognizes extraordinary leaders working toward a more equal future. Consistent with TIME's mission to spotlight the people and ideas that shape and improve the world, TIME has long highlighted women and girls making an impact across climate, science, sports, entertainment, and more—including scientist and inventor Gitanjali Rao, named TIME's first-ever Kid of the Year.
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Nostalgia is an overrated brand strategy. Here's what to do instead
Nostalgia is everywhere in marketing today. Legacy fonts, throwback packaging, retro tech revivals, all deployed with the hope that sentimentality alone can stir emotion and move product. But here's the problem: nostalgia is novelty, and novelty, by definition, doesn't last. It's seductive. It gets clicks. It's emotionally charged, delivering a quick dopamine hit. And let's be real, it's easy. But slapping an old label on a can isn't strategy. When brands engage nostalgia at a surface level, they often do more harm than good. Take Coca-Cola's recent Diet Cherry Coke revival. It was cool for a week, but, for me, it lacked any meaningful connection to what the brand has stood for across decades. It missed the opportunity to ask: What did this product mean to people then? What does it mean now? And how could that story be told with modern nuance? Subscribe to the Daily newsletter. Fast Company's trending stories delivered to you every day Privacy Policy | Fast Company Newsletters Without that narrative bridge, the move felt shallow. Worse, it overlooked the real power of brand heritage: a blend of familiarity and relevance that creates long-term equity, not fleeting impressions. Reimagining legacy This is where 'modern heritage' comes in. It isn't about retro aesthetics or recycling old logos. It's a strategic act of excavation, going deep into a brand's history to uncover what made it resonate in the first place. Sometimes that means literal digging: storage units, eBay listings, forgotten ad reels. The goal isn't to replicate the past, it's to retool it for now. And that's hard to do well. Plenty of brands stumble when they go too far back or misinterpret their legacy. Like when Kellogg's Canada revived retro packaging and mascots for a limited edition run of Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, and other classics. As a '90s kid, I felt the instant pang of nostalgia. But was there any meaningful connection between the throwback design and the bigger picture world Kellogg's is building today? Nope. Did it invite consumers on a journey to where it's heading next? Not really. That's the trap: when nostalgia leans on a version of the brand that no longer resonates, it creates confusion, not clarity. The most effective brand work strikes a balance: it leans into familiar cues but evolves them with purpose. It doesn't just 'bring back' old stuff—it makes history useful again. When we rebranded Sizzler, we didn't reinvent the wheel. We uncovered what was already there: a family-first spirit; a charming mid-century mascot; buried design cues that still felt unmistakably Sizzler. The goal wasn't to re-create the past, but to make it feel current. And that's the key distinction: nostalgia copies. Modern heritage builds. This approach also brings clarity. It makes creative decisions easier, because there's a right answer. When you anchor a brand in its authentic legacy, you stop chasing trends. You build with intention, using assets no other brand can replicate because no one else lived that story. Guinness hasn't changed its harp in over 250 years; it has just evolved it. That's what timelessness looks like. The modern heritage playbook So, in a trend-driven world, how can brands strike the right balance between timeless legacy with modern relevance that cuts through? One critical aspect of modern heritage is its ability to tell rich, multidimensional, and ever-evolving stories. Where nostalgia leans on artifacts—logos, packaging, ad slogans—modern heritage pulls from narrative. It asks deeper questions. Who were we? Who are we now? What stories still matter? advertisement Here are three principles we use when revitalizing a brand through this lens: 1. Lead with the story, not just the aesthetic Design is an output, not a starting point. Start with the brand's origin story. Who has it always been? What has it always stood for? What stories and symbols have mattered most over time? Sometimes those stories are buried. That's why you go beyond Pinterest boards: into archives, libraries, historical societies, even conversations with long-time employees. Once the right story is uncovered, design becomes a powerful tool to tell it: visually, verbally, and emotionally. 2. Don't get stuck in one era. Curate the best of every chapter Some brands try to plant a flag in a single decade, usually the one marketers think will trend. But being an '80s brand or a Y2K brand—often aimed at Gen Z and millennials with a wink and a pixelated smiley face—limits longevity. Modern heritage takes a more layered approach. It draws from across time, curating the best, most iconic moments to create a flexible identity that doesn't feel trapped. That allows brands to celebrate the most iconic, lovable parts of their legacy without getting stuck there. 3. Own what only you can own This is the most important, and most overlooked, point. Your heritage isn't just a design system; it's your story and your competitive edge. When used well, your past becomes a brand asset no one else can duplicate. That's how you stand out: by being undeniably, authentically you. The power of modern heritage More than a methodology, though, modern heritage is a mindset—a search for timelessness. One that's increasingly valuable as brands need to cut through digital clutter, avoid design whiplash, and maintain relevance without losing soul. For legacy brands hoping to stay relevant, and new brands aiming to build something lasting, the future won't be found in trendy gradients or meme fonts. It's in the archives. In the origin stories. In the truths they already own.
