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Business Training Participants Achieve Higher Rates of Self-sufficiency for Women
The cornerstone mission of Women's Initiative is to help women become self-sufficient. We measure the self-sufficiency attainment for Women's Initiative participants through our rigorous evaluation program and we are pleased to share that self-sufficiency achievement triples one year after participation in the program. To illustrate the growth, just one woman in ten is earning self-sufficiency wages at program entry and, one year later, three in ten women report attaining or exceeding their self-sufficiency wage. Those women who aren't yet earning self-sufficiency wages are clearly moving towards them.
What's the word on Women's Initiative?
You can review Women's Initiative several places online. We love getting testimonials from clients, donors and supporters alike. If you have something to add about your experience with Women's Initiative and its programming, please share it with others on one of these web sites. We need your help to spread the word about Women's Initiative.
Yelp is a great place to get reviews on your favorite local businesses. If you are a local business, you should consider getting listed and reviewed on this site to help boost business. Since Women's Initiative helps women business owners launch, we thought it would be great to get reviewed here, too.
Great Nonprofits is like Yelp for nonprofit organizations, allowing people to write reviews on the quality of services that are offered.
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Graduate Spotlight: Dania Wright
Dania Wright, CEO and Principal Designer of Fluffy Jo urban apparel, merges fine art, photography, graphic design, and fashion to create an innovative brand of wearable art. Her designs have been blogged about and have been seen on Paris Hilton, the Pussycat Dolls, and famous dancers, among others. Nicknamed Fluffy Jo by her great grandmother, Dania humbly shared that she first started making wearable art when she didn't have money to buy gifts for her family. Although she just thought of her personalized t-shirts with iron-on designs and rhinestones as crafty projects, her family loved her work and encouraged her to do something with her talent. Dania was a temporary employee at The Gap clothing store and was a student of Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and she was feeling "kind of lost" before she heard of Women's Initiative.
Once Dania took the Women's Initiative business management training course, she realized "I could really develop a business. This could be my career." However, a huge part of being a business owner is having confidence, and Dania was doubting herself: "All the negatives surfaced: not enough experience, no business experience. I majored in animation, which has nothing to do with book keeping or profit and loss statements." She admitted that it was all intimidating to her, but being around her classmates made her say, "I guess I can do it, too." Women's Initiative gave Dania the confidence to start her business and she knows that, if she ever needs a mentoring session or help with her business plan, Women's Initiative is there for her. She is a member of the Women's Initiative SuccessLink program, which provides her this type of much-needed post-graduate support, as well as lucrative tradeshow opportunities.
Dania dedicates her business and design philosophy to her great grandmother, saying "She taught me the essence of being a woman, not dressing to impress the world, but dressing to impress yourself. It's about self-expression." Dania hopes that people who wear her clothes feel they can express themselves, and Dania feels that she is not a typical designer because what she produces comes from the heart instead of following trends.
Dania's future plans include launching her website in order to sell her merchandise online. Currently, her designs are featured at A Diva's Closet in Oakland and Black and Brown in San Jose. She also plans to reach back to Fluffy Jo's roots to reintroduce hand-printed tees for men, women, toddlers and infants. Other goals are branching out and finding more retail accounts and getting into the larger apparel industry.
For more information of Fluffy Jo urban apparel, click here.
--Mieasha Harris, WIP Magazine
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In the News
June 26, 2008
"Low-income women ready to step out on business plans"
San Jose Mercury News
June 23-27, 2008
ALAS radio ad
La Raza, 93.3
June 19-June 30, 2008
Street Smart: City Council Chambers in Concord
Comcast Ch. 28 and Astound Ch. 27
June 18, 2008
"Women's Initiative business students graduate prepared for success"
Globe Newspaper
June 18, 2008
Donde Está Marcos interview with Sandra Murillo.
Marcos Gutierrez
1010 AM
June 4, 2008
Donde Está Marcos interview with Sandra Murillo.
Marcos Gutierrez
1010 AM
June 1-3, 2008
ALAS radio ad
KLOK, 1170
June 1, 2008
Comunidad Preciosa, with Gonzalo Martinez-Metzler, Andrea Montalvo, and Milady Alvarez.
La Preciosa, 92.3FM
June 1, 2008
"S.F. nonprofits given leadership grants"
San Francisco Chronicle
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Marin Graduates First Simple Steps Classes of 2008
The San Rafael Corporate Center was abuzz on June 11 as thirteen women graduated from the Simple Steps business training course. The women were among the first classes to graduate from Simple Steps in Marin in 2008.
Accompanied by their families, friends, and supporters, the graduates heard an inspiring keynote speech by Marin County native Melissa Bradley, CEO and Founder of Bradley Real Estate. Bradley spoke of her journey in establishing her own business and achieving her dream of becoming the number one realtor in Marin County.
Kendra Johnson and her class of seventh grade girls from the Cal Prep Academy in Oakland helped to make the day extra special for the graduates by providing corsages, decorations, and hand made cards.
The next Simple Steps class is starting soon. Contact Genevieve Kirk, Client Services Manager, to find out how to enroll in this class at gkirk@womensinitiative.org.
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Women's Initiative for Self Employment
Justina Cross, Marketing Communications Manager
email: jcross@womensinitiative.org
1398 Valencia Street
San Francisco, California, 94110
United States
phone: (415) 641-3460
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