The iTwixie revolution starts with the 20 million tween girls in the US alone, and tween girls all over the globe, who have the power to change the world. Tween girls are full of curiosity, smarts, ideas and beauty. iTwixie challenges girls to express their unique talents, creations, natural beauty and true interests.

If you’re all about anything from saving the planet to making movies, iTwixie challenges you to share it in your iTwixie world. Because girls all over the world feel just like you. Your ideas add strength to theirs. iTwixie brings girls together to try new things; to explore tough topics; and to create a powerful bond between girls from all over the globe.

Welcome to the public beta of iTwixie.com! We’re constantly updating features and articles, so please be sure to check out what we’re doing and let us know what you like best!

If you ever have ideas about how to make iTwixie better, we’d love to hear from you. Just send in a comment or an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . iTwixie is all about your tween girl world!

It’s a revolution and it starts with you!

—Rebecca Gaynier

The iTwixie Team

Rebecca Gaynier, Founder, sees great power in every girl she meets. A graduate from the University of Michigan, she worked in NYC for nearly 10 years, at some of the world's biggest advertising agencies, with some of the world's most iconic kid brands, like Oreo and LEGO. Three of her four children are verifiable tween girls, who love to play with and wrestle their little brother. Rebecca dreams of the day when a girl can climb a tree, dance ballet and program her robot, and feel fabulous about it all. That day is coming. Girls really can do anything. You go girls!

Rebecca is active in her kids' schools, has coached in the Girls on the Run program, and has run 4 marathons. She loves to read, has written 7 children's book she dreams of publishing, and writes her own blog, arunningmom.com.

Dr. Michele Borba, iTwixie's Parent Circle Parenting Expert, is an educational psychologist, former teacher, and mom. She is recognized for offering research-driven advice culled from a career of working with over one million parents, educators, and children. A frequent TODAY show contributor and recipient of the National Educator Award, Michele is the author of 23 books including Building Moral Intelligence, No More Misbehavin', and her latest release, The Big Book of Parenting Solutions. She also appears on Dr. Phil, The View, CNN American Morning, and The Early Show, and has been featured in numerous publications, including U.S. News & World Report and Parenting.  She is an advisory board member for Parents magazine and she writes the blog "Parenting Solutions" for NBC's iVillage. (For more information about Dr. Michele Borba visit www.micheleborba.com).

Dr. Borba shares iTwixie's committment for positively affecting our tween girls.  In today's world, where buzz and "hot topics" often replace authenticity and social responsibility, Dr. Borba has partnered with the iTwixie team to shape a more positive conversation about tween girls; one that takes a collective view at the way we impact her growth, decision making ability and character development.

Carol Smith, Research Director, loves people. She loves to figure out what makes them tick. And she’s really good at it. Her job is making sure that iTwixie meets your and your daughter’s needs. Carol has lived all over the United States and spent many years in Chicago, IL where she earned her Masters of Computer Science in Human-Computer Interaction.

Carol is addicted to volunteering. She is on the board of the Usability Professionals’ Association and her local chamber of commerce and has worked with organizations that help tweens learn new things and challenge their minds including: Chicago’s Girls on the Run and PICTURE This Projects. Carol loves being outside and spending time with her family.

Cynthia Closkey, iTwixie’s brilliant Web Designer, and president of Big Big Design, has developed marketing strategies and designed websites since 1997. With years of experience at high-tech companies (NeXT Computer, Oracle Corporation, Gensym Corporation, Bay Networks, and elsewhere), Cindy brings together skills in marketing strategy, user interface design, communications, product design, business process improvement, and management.

She holds her Master of Science in Management from Sloan School of Management and her Master of Science in Computer Science & Electrical Engineering, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Cindy co-founded the Pittsburgh Bloggers blog directory in 2004. She is a social media advocate and speaks to businesses, organizations, and classes about new media, social media, and the role of blogs in corporate communications.

Judy Hoogland, Content Manager, has a blast keeping iTwixie full of life with surprising, fabulous content!  Judy brings the combination of an educational viewpoint coupled with a progressive scientific discipline to iTwixie, via her years of research at the University of Michigan, where she earned her Bachelors of Science, and her unique perspective as a homeschooling mom of four.  Judy curates the content on iTwixie to provide challenge and intrigue, recognizing how smart and savvy tween girls are.

Judy has traveled all over the world, loves to knit, keep up with scientific discoveries and never turns down a chance for a game of pick-up soccer or ultimate frisbee.  "I absolutley love the tween age group," she says, and you can tell by the passion with which she approaches each and every piece of content that's featured on iTwixie.com.

Denise Walling, Marketing and Sales Director, brings with her over 15 years in the fashion and vitamin wholesale industries, specializing in marketing and sales. Denise is all about bringing tween-empowering brands and tweens together in fun, exciting ways. She keeps iTwixie ahead of the trends and maintains strong relationships with iTwiixe's sponsors.  Her fave part of her job is brainstorming ways to grow the iTwixie website!

Denise is a big fan of the West Virginia University, her alma mater.  She resides in Pittsburgh with her husband, two tweens -- a girl and a boy -- who offer ongoing inspiration for iTwixie. She enjoys coaching softball, yoga, fashion and volunteering.

Maria Ringeisen, Trend Analyst, spent a decade in the fast track of the fashion buying scene. She’s a big fan of the Ohio State University, her alma mater, which can create tension once a year at iTwixie, when OSU and Michigan play their annual football game. Maria played a key role in helping bring to life the idea of the iTwixie web site and helps iTwixie stay on top of the trends.

Maria’s twin tween girls offer ongoing inspiration. She enjoys co-leading a girl scout troop, biking, fashion, volunteering to help others achieve their goals and dreaming up future plans for iTwixie.