Our girls are GEMS.

OUR STORY

Co-founders Shannon Keating and Christina Gutman met while facilitating a girls club together in 2022.

When the club wrapped, we both felt the same thing in our hearts: that the girls needed something with a bit deeper support to help them process the real and often overwhelming challenges that today’s adolescent girls are facing — things like “mean girl” dynamics, friendship challenges, anxious feelings, self critical thoughts, social media pressures, comparison and jealousy, and body image struggles.

We wanted to be part of the solution.

That’s why we created GEMS — a holistic, heart-centered program where girls can talk openly about what’s happening in their social-emotional lives, without judgment, and receive supportive perspectives, insight, and tools to help them feel more centered and confident inside of themselves and their lives.

At our core, we believe in the power of the mind–body connection and the confidence, resilience, and healing that come from truly knowing yourself. Our curriculum is designed to help girls build a strong sense of self-worth, deepen compassion for others, and feel at home in their bodies. We bring this to life through safe-space sharing, practical coping tools, movement and games, meditation and mindfulness, and creative projects that weave our lessons together in a fun, hands on way.

Over time, we’ve developed the programming we wish had existed when we were growing up — compassionate, relatable lessons like “Positive Self-Talk,” “Exploring Uncomfortable Emotions,” “Overcoming Comparison,” “Building New Friendships,” and “Focusing on Your Joy.”

Today, GEMS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in San Diego, CA, serving girls through after-school programs, community events, and collaborative events that uplift this next generation.

OUR IMPACT

At GEMS, we help girls build emotional strength, social confidence, and a deep, grounded sense of self-worth, all within a community that celebrates them for exactly who they are.

Through our work, girls learn to:

  • Open up about big feelings without fear of judgment

  • Move through friendship drama and social challenges with more confidence and clarity

  • Build healthy relationships and real communication skills

  • Use tools that support stress, anxiety, and emotional regulation

  • Feel strong in their bodies while having fun in a non-competitive, uplifting environment

  • Celebrate themselves and anchor into their voice, their body, their uniqueness

We bring this impact to life through:

  • Two signature programs:

    • GEMS for girls in 5th/6th grade

    • GEMStrong for middle school girls

  • Events and retreats focused on wellness, connection, and self empowerment

  • Collaborations with local businesses who believe in supporting girls’ well-being

  • Volunteer days that help girls practice service, empathy, and leadership

GEMS is a place where girls can cultivate skills that will guide them throughout their entire lives. It’s a safe, loving, and empowering community where girls learn that vulnerability is strength, that their unique voice matters, and they are meant to shine bright like the diamonds they are.

Meet Coach Shannon

Shannon Keating is a certified Nutritional Therapist and Life Coach who specializes in supporting teen and pre-teen girls, as well as young adult women, in building self-love, emotional wellness, and confidence from the inside out. Her work centers around helping girls develop a healthy relationship with their bodies, strengthen their intuition and self-trust, and navigate friendships, and emotions with more ease and clarity.

Shannon’s passion for this work is deeply personal. The challenges she faced in her own teen and young adult years shaped her into someone who truly understands what girls are going through and has fueled her commitment to create tools, conversations, and spaces that she wishes she had at that age. Her lived experience, paired with years of education and coaching, allows her to support girls with a unique blend of empathy, insight, and grounded guidance.

Shannon loves staying active and one of her favorite places to be is Stratum Fitness, in Solana Beach, the gym where our GEMStrong classes are held!

Meet Coach Christina

Christina Gutman is mom to two amazing tween and teen girls, who inspired her to contribute her time and energy into building this organization. She wishes to provide the empathy and insights she has from her experience as a tween and teen, and also wants to learn from the incredible girls that participate in GEMS!

In the past Christina has run an arts and activism program for at-risk youth, and volunteer coached a girls after school running-based program. In addition to her passion for youth empowerment, Christina is a practicing CPA and part-time avocado farmer — a combination that perfectly reflects her grounded practicality and her love for nature, creativity, and getting her hands in the earth. She brings this balance of structure, compassion, and playfulness into everything she does.

We are here to be part of the solution.

GEMS - After School

For 5th-6th grade girls, we offer an after school enrichment that includes a weekly theme and lesson, walking laps, group discussions, guided mindfulness, and creative “gemstone” project.

GEMStrong

For 6th-8th graders, we offer our strength/fitness program twice / month to teach them proper weight-lifting movements. This also incorporates an intentional theme and a cool-down meditation.

GEMSX

Check in for regularly announced excursion opportunities for all ages! We are planning: volunteer opportunities, farm tours, a group 5k, private yoga classes, and self defense workshops.