WNY WOMEN'S FOUNDATION INC

WNYWF'S MPOWER: FROM EDUCATION TO EMPLOYMENT (FORMERLY MOMS: FROM EDUCATION TO EMPLOYMENT) EVOLVED IN 2020 FROM A COMMUNITY COLLEGE EDUCATION PROGRAM TO INCLUDE SHORT-TERM, HIGH-SUPPORT WORKFORCE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS. CURRENT EFFORTS FOCUS ON HEALTHCARE SUPPORT TRAINING THROUGH THE WOMEN'S ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT PATHWAY (WEMP), A PERSON-CENTERED, TRAUMA-INFORMED, AND DATA-DRIVEN COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE EMPOWERING WOMEN AND THEIR FAMILIES TOWARD ECONOMIC SUCCESS. MPOWER PRIMARILY SERVES THE CITY OF BUFFALO, WHERE 53.5% OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY ARE HEADED BY WOMEN, FAR EXCEEDING NATIONAL AVERAGES. SINCE 2014, MPOWER HAS SUPPORTED APPROXIMATELY 2,700 WOMEN (AND SINGLE FATHERS) PURSUING EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE TRAINING, CREATING PATHWAYS TO ECONOMIC MOBILITY AND EMPOWERMENT.

ALL IN COLLABORATES WITH OUR COMMUNITY TO INVEST IN PURPOSEFUL EFFORTS TO EMPOWER WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE AND ILLUMINATE PATHWAYS TO BUILD STRONGER LEADERS, SUPPORTS EQUITY & CULTURE FOR WOMEN TO LEAD LEADING TO BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH. A DATA-DRIVEN, INTERSECTIONAL INITIATIVE, ALL IN ADVANCES GENDER EQUITY IN WESTERN NEW YORK THROUGH FOUR PATHWAYS: EMPLOYER PATHWAY, WHICH ENGAGES EMPLOYERS TO MOVE WOMEN AND GENDER MINORITIES INTO LEADERSHIP AND FOSTER INCLUSIVE COMPANY CULTURES; ASPIRING LEADER PATHWAY (READY, SET, LEAD!), WHICH CULTIVATES ASPIRING LEADERS THROUGH MENTORSHIP, EDUCATION, AND NETWORKING IN A BROAD CROSS-SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY; ENTREPRENEUR PATHWAY, WHICH ELEVATES WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES THROUGH PROMOTION, ENDORSEMENT, PARTNERSHIP, AND COLLABORATION; SHE-SUITE (LAUNCHED IN 2024), WHICH SUPPORTS WOMEN CEOS AND SENIOR WOMEN LEADERS TO CONNECT, GROW, AND LEAD BOLDLY AND LEADERSHIP ALLIES ENGAGING ALL GENDERS TO SUPPORT WORKPLACE SUCCESS.