San Mateo, CA (October 11, 2019) - Today on International Day of the Girl, BUILT BY GIRLS, Speck and Verizon announced the two winning designs from the first-ever Make My Case competition. The two winning case designers, Dyllen Nellis and Shannon Li, were selected out of a pool of more than 150 entries. Their designs will be released as limited-edition prints under Speck's Presidio Inked line and are available for purchase exclusively in Verizon stores and on vzw.com/speck/.

"Through this competition, we wanted to celebrate the power of what is possible when girls are given the tools and opportunities to achieve their dreams and claim their place in society," said BUILT BY GIRLS Executive Director, Tiana Davis Kara. "The winning designs were selected because of their originality and powerful messages that align with the BUILT BY GIRLS mission to prepare the next generation of female and nonbinary leaders to step boldly into careers powered by technology."

"I wanted to create artwork that would inspire positivity and collaboration in others," said Nellis. "Like the values of BUILT BY GIRLS, it needed to show that girls are fully capable of being leaders and makers of change." Her design carries a strong theme of sisterhood, diversity, and empowerment. Nellis is a member of the class of 2023 at Stanford University, where she hopes to use her voice through design, tech, and theatre to help elevate others and innovate for social good.

"I strongly believe young women, women of color, women of the LGBTQ+ or any marginalized community should feel empowered to break barriers, by not only striving to fight for their seat at the table, but by building their own table," said Li. Her design takes a minimalist approach to allow the strong message to shine through. Li is a member of the class of 2022 at the University of Michigan and aspires to continue learning and growing within the intersection between the tech and social impact.

The Make My Case competition invited creative-minded young women and non-binary students to showcase their artistic and visionary designs for the chance to receive one of two $5K prizes and have their original design printed on a Speck phone case.

The limited-edition Presidio Inked cases are available now for iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max starting at $44.99 in Verizon stores and on vzw.com/speck/.

About BUILT BY GIRLS:

BUILT BY GIRLS is every future tech leader's secret weapon. Our mission is to prepare the next generation of female and non-binary leaders, builders, and creators to step boldly into careers powered by technology. We achieve this by providing high school and college talent with access to real professional guidance, exclusive events at top tech companies, and no-fluff resources to help them explore and land their first internship or job. Visit us at builtbygirls.com.

About Verizon:

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE,Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York City, generated revenues of $130.9 billion in 2018. The company operates America's most reliable wireless network and the nation's premier all-fiber network, and delivers integrated solutions to businesses worldwide. With brands like Yahoo, TechCrunch and HuffPost, the company's media group helps consumers stay informed and entertained, communicate and transact, while creating new ways for advertisers and partners to connect. Verizon's corporate responsibility prioritizes the environmental, social and governance issues most relevant to its business and impact to society.