16 year-old Lila Meltzer was tired of seeing how women were falsely judged, especially on social media. She created this space to empower women to tell their own stories exploring the way they are viewed by others, in contrast to who they perceive themselves to be. As women, we are not just one thing — we can be “anxious” AND “strong,” “nervous” AND “daring.”

I often felt that people only saw me on my “good days,” where things looked as if they were always going right. But in reality, I don’t have it all together. So, I came up with the idea to invite women to share their true selves – their Secret Identities. But if I was going to ask women to reveal themselves, I knew I had to go first. It was terrifying. I was ready to launch for days, but I sat there staring at it, panicking about how I would be perceived. However, when I finally did, it was empowering to admit my vulnerability. I wanted to give that power to other women.

So here we are. In the past few months, we’ve received submissions from legends including Billie Jean King, Sheryl Sandberg, Gloria Estefan, Mika Brzezinski, and others. But what I’m most proud of are the women from over 30 different states and half a dozen countries who have joined this movement.   Their stories empower me and all of us.

Check out our gallery to see their inspiring stories, and submit your own secret identity.

16 year-old Lila Meltzer was tired of seeing how women were falsely judged, especially on social media. She created this space to empower women to tell their own stories exploring the way they are viewed by others, in contrast to who they perceive themselves to be. As women, we are not just one thing — we can be “anxious” AND “strong,” “nervous” AND “daring.”

I often felt that people only saw me on my “good days,” where things looked as if they were always going right. But in reality, I don’t have it all together. So, I came up with the idea to invite women to share their true selves – their Secret Identities. But if I was going to ask women to reveal themselves, I knew I had to go first. It was terrifying. I was ready to launch for days, but I sat there staring at it, panicking about how I would be perceived. However, when I finally did, it was empowering to admit my vulnerability. I wanted to give that power to other women.

So here we are. In the past few months, we’ve received submissions from legends including Billie Jean King, Sheryl Sandberg, Gloria Estefan, Mika Brzezinski, and others. But what I’m most proud of are the women from over 30 different states and half a dozen countries who have joined this movement.  Their stories empower me and all of us.