Prioritizing Our Women’s Economic Rise (POWER) is a three-year grant, funded by JP Morgan Chase Foundation and focused on wealth-building and workforce development for Black and Latina women throughout Baltimore City. A coalition of local, community-based organizations are providing training, resources, access to capital, and wraparound supports to help women pursue careers in high-growth, nontraditional sectors including real estate, construction, and entrepreneurship. The following community-based organizations are a part of this coalition, the purpose of which is to accelerate wealth creation among Black and Latina women in Baltimore:
- Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) and LEDC Lending
- Empowered Women International (an LEDC program)
- Baltimore City Lending
- Black Women Build Baltimore
- Byte Back
- Parity Homes
- Baltimore DC Building and Trades
- VPI
Specifically, the POWER project equips Black and Latina women with the tools (skills training, entrepreneurship education, access to capital, financial education) to tap into the emerging and existing economic opportunities for the redevelopment and revitalization of the city of Baltimore. This project also includes advocacy for equitable and inclusive implementation of the state and local initiatives to address issues of the acquisition and disposition of vacant properties in Baltimore. Through other trainings and support, it helps women interested in building their own small businesses to do so. That entrepreneurial element is present, too.
The POWER project is being evaluated through the University of Maryland School of Social Work and the Financial Social Work Initiative.
Tuesday, Oct. 31 | Noon-1:15 p.m.
Speaker: Christine Callahan, PhD, LCSW-C, research associate professor and chair, Financial Social Work Initiative (FSWI), University of Maryland School of Social Work
Register: https://umbsswcpe.ce21.com/item/cconvo23