Investing in Economic Opportunity Grows the Power of Community

In November, the Routes to Rise Bus Tour was a powerful day of coming together with grantee-partners, community members, donors, and supporters to learn more about how the Women’s Foundation invests in economic opportunity, statewide.

WFM is connected to community though strong partners like the ones we visited on the tour. Over three bus stops and five dynamic conversations, it was inspiring to hear about the transformational change leaders and organizations are making to increase pathways to wealth-building for women and gender-expansive people.

Pathways to Careers

After meeting at woman-owned The Market at Malcolm Yards, we boarded a bus to Dunwoody College of Technology, which has received We Thrive grants investing in a two-year technical degree program that supports women and nonbinary students through career placement and wraparound services that can include scholarships, professional development, mentoring, and a childcare stipend. Bayza Weeks, Executive Director of Community Partnerships, moderated a conversation with students, alumni, faculty, and staff, who shared how their Pathways to Careers program and direct, personal support matters so that students can persist on the pathway to high-demand fields.

Bari Igboh, assistant professor of cybersecurity; Becs Wells, senior welding instructor; students Bree Jones and Laurengail Lorenz, also an alumna; and Augustine Kietzer, program director for community partnerships, spoke of the importance of support, allyship, and belonging. They dropped some gems that resonated with attendees of all ages and showed how Dunwoody and other We Thrive partners are launching students into rewarding and fulfilling careers:

• “This job is also for you.”
• “It doesn’t matter what you look like, you belong here.”
• “Don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from.”

Dunwoody College President, Scott Stallman, shared that in the 10 years WFM has invested in the Pathways to Careers program, enrollment of women students has increased 98%.

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs

At Imperio’s Beauty Salon on Lake Street, owner Claudia Jimenez shared how she has built a thriving business with support from our Program Related Investment with Latino Economic Development Center.

Back at The Market at Malcolm Yards, WFM President & CEO Gloria Perez talked with its owner, Patricia Wall, about considering risks, and doing it anyway. Young Women’s Initiative alumna Disha Mishra shared how her Innovator project encouraged more young women to get involved in STEM at Washington Tech.

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation President & CEO (and YWI alumna) Benya Kraus and Entrepreneur Fund President & CEO Shawn Wellnitz, a WFM PRI partner since 2011, are investing in small business dreams and providing holistic supports to succeed in greater Minnesota. The Entrepreneur Fund served more 1,095 women entrepreneurs in 2024. WFM’s Program Related Investment with the Entrepreneur Fund expands access to capital, advising, and growth programs for women entrepreneurs across central and northeastern Minnesota.

Together, We Rise

The journey demonstrated firsthand how WFM supports economic opportunities for women, girls, and gender-expansive people. We heard directly from partner organizations, women business owners, and students past and present, about how our investments in their work is making a real difference in their lives, neighborhoods and families. We couldn’t have done this without our incredible partners who make up the WFM ecosystem.

The tour demonstrated how that even in the face of ongoing economic disparities, women-owned businesses are at the heart of Minnesota communities across the state. With investment in and by community, we can all not only thrive but “enter and soar!” The Routes to Rise bus tour reinforced the ways in which we are all connected. Together, we’re creating lasting change.