Bunbury teen’s social platform aiding girls across Australia

At 18 years old Alexis McDonald is changing the lives of young girls across the country through her social media platform, HerHelp.

Created from her own experiences with bullying, HerHelp aims to “encourage, guide and support girls through daily challenges” and provide a safe space.

The interactive app offers support for issues around confidence and relationships and provides a networking forum.

With more than 5000 users, the app has seen Miss McDonald named in Marie Claire this month as one of the Gen Z entrepreneurs shaking up the business world, as well as The Australian’s feature on the 21 talented young Australians on the rise.

“Throughout school I was bullied a lot and then I moved to Manea Senior College and met people that helped me realise I wasn’t alone,” she said.

“This gave me the idea to start HerHelp, but my idea was compromised due to my ability.”

YouTube was a saving grace in creating HerHelp, Ms McDonald said, and she encouraged anyone with experience in coding to get in touch to further develop the app.

“I’ve had so much positive feedback,” she said.

If one person had a bad day and the app helps then that’s so special.

The pandemic put a halt to Miss McDonald’s 2020 plans, but the communications student hopes to grab this year by the horns.

“I hope to do a lot this year. I’m writing a self-help book and I want to do more public speaking and seminars,” she said.

“The biggest bit of advice I can give to others is to never give up. There’s always going to be a stopping point, but don’t give up at the first hurdle.”