Alexia Takes Us Inside the ETS Classrooms

“Our students radiate energy, strength, determination, and hope…seeing them interact engagingly with the instructor, ETS grads and guest speakers is a powerful and rewarding experience!” Those are the words of our new Entrepreneurship Coach & Program Manager Alexia Muchisu Wendel, who, for the last three weeks has been attending our ETS classes in the Alexandria Durant Center.

Alexia Muchisu Wendel, Tope Ganiyah Fajingbesi (Financial Empowerment Instructor) and Sharmila Karamchandani

With 22 students in both Alexandria and Bethesda classrooms, Alexia was able to assess and witness the full evolution of the students. While the topics progressed from simply conveying business ideas to managing personal finances (led by Tope Ganiyah Fajingbesi) and learning marketing strategies to understanding the process of story telling, the students were able to demonstrate a desire for knowledge and the capacity to absorb information useful to launching their businesses.

For the “Telling your Story” session, our former ETS students: Velma Crawford, Lyzbeth Monard, Elda LaRue, Alison Sigethy, and Kudzai Gombakomba were brought in as guest speakers to share their experiences after the program. All had extraordinary stories to tell; from personal struggles to professional triumphs they seem to have seen it all. One of the most beautiful things in life is the ability to turn the saddest story into a positive and rewarding experience, a story that teaches us that mistakes are only a learning process. Our grads have exactly done this and been there, and seeing the reception they were receiving from our current students demonstrates that human interaction coupled with great ideas can foment lasting partnerships and a solid flow of information ultimately leading to success.

“Telling your Story” session with Velma and other ETS grads

According to Alexia, the driving force behind the success of the classes is our coordinator and instructor Sharmila Karamchandani, who infuses knowledge and experience into her teachings and shows a keen understanding of individual students struggles and potentials.

Kudzai Gombakomba, ETS grad and owner of KG Spotless, telling her story in the Bethesda ETS Class

The collaboration among students is stellar, “It makes sense to hear different perspectives even when it’s not within the same industry” says Alexia. Working well together, students made agreements and friendships sprung. Just recently Alexia noticed how two of our students Julie Hyo Park and Angela Sargents (both in the crocheting & knitting industry) agreed to work together since one liked knitting and the other liked finishing products, hence an informal partnership was born out of a simple conversation.

ETS Grads Clementine Simmons (mentor), Elda LaRue, Lyzbeth Monard and current student Floralba Camargo

The classroom allowed them to break the ice, it became a platform for expressing their thoughts and ideas and the confidence is now ceiling high, our students are now few steps away from reaching the tip of the mountain.

Alexandria ETS Class

With two months remaining towards graduation, with the support of our instructors, coordinators, mentors, trainers, and guest speakers and more, our students are ready to take over the world! Thank you Alexia for being there with our students, and thank you all who made this possible!

By Hanna Yamir, Program Associate Intern

Marga Honored by the Board

At its last meeting, the EWI Board of Directors and Advisory Board honored Marga for her leadership and ten years of service to Empowered Women International.

Board members Howie Feinstein, Ann Stone, and Kate Campbell Stevenson

Board members Mimi Hassanein and Melissa Reitkopp

The board commissioned a handcrafted silver brooch symbolizing Marga’s often expressed “Onward and Upward” and presented a beautifully designed award made by our own Sharmila Karmachandani.

Kate presenting Marga with a beautiful award, in recognition for ten years of extraordinary vision.

Marga with board members Dianne Lorenz, Mimi Hassanein, Karen Kullgren, and Deborah Blank

A warm expression of appreciation to the board for bestowing such honor to Marga and a huge thank you for the board’s endless and tireless support to Empowered Women International!

The Empowered EWI Spring2Action Team!

Hanna, Alexandra, Mariana, Alexia, Sara, Morella, Mary, Sharmila and Marga

We’re rocking and rolling! Our Empowered EWI S2A Team is full of energy and excitement at the EWI office. Stop by and say hi and help us out in any way you can!

Latest Update:

We’re in 9th place in the Spring2ACTion Race …

We need your help now to get to the top in the next hour. Between 11am-noon we can raise an additional $500 in the category of most money raised.

My lucky Spring2ACTion Power Purse holds $4,333 and 50 donors.

Please make a generous donation between 11am-noon to bring EWI in the lead!

Thank you so much for everything you do to support EWI. Together we’re transforming women lives, our communities and the world!

ETS Students Share Their Vision

Last night I attended my first ETS class. It was to be a special one, I was told.  I went in partially unsure of what to expect but knew the ladies had some extraordinary talents to share that evening.  As the chairs slowly filled, our lead trainer Sharmela gave an opening speech on how meaningful that evening’s session will be for the women.  The goal was on guiding them to materialize their ideas into concrete business-oriented concepts that can lead them towards entrepreneurial success.

To do that, their homework assignment for the evening was in presenting their vision boards that they had created. A vision board is basically an image-filled platform where they would lay out their ideas, aspirations, inspirations, goals, approaches, tools, and so much more, whatever they want to add to make their dreams a reality.

A few of the vision boards

The homework brought out the best in everyone; I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of energy, inspiration, and talent I was witnessing. As our first presenter Kira laid out her graphic digital artwork, it was clear that the women had all it takes to be both artists and entrepreneurs. From Sarah’s framed butterflies, to Annette’s foam doll displays, and to Cleopatra’s striking quote from her own self-published book, one by one they were unveiling their business ideas, displaying before our eyes boards and cutouts filled with beautiful, artistic and creative images.

Tenisha Campbell’s Clothing/ Styling Creation Frame

Sarah Folts displaying her Mounted & Framed Butterflies Vision Board

Annette McNeil presenting her Images for Earth Art Forms vision board; Sharmila displaying Annette’s foam doll frames.

Time being the only constraint,  they had only two minutes to present their visions. I was pleased to also witness the level of support and interaction as well as their determination not to leave anything vague and unanswered.

Kira Washington displaying her graphic design work; looking on are Sharmila Karamachandani, Charlene Gatewood, Cleopatra Magwaro, and Annette McNeil.

By and large, it was a heart warming as well as an enlightening session. For about an hour I was subconsciously transported into their world, only to be awakened by Sharmela’s call of “time’s up!”  It was indeed a special evening.

Tenisha Campbell demonstrating her clothing creations.

Thank you Sharmila and all our students who made the evening amazing and a huge success.

By Hanna Yamir, Program Associate Intern

Welcome The New ETS Spring Class!

The New ETS Spring Class of Entrepreneurs!

On Saturday, March 23, Empowered Women International hosted a Meet & Greet, the first session of the Entrepreneurship Training for Success (ETS) class. ETS is a series of 23 classes, including business and financial literacy labs, a business plan pitch, and final graduation, which are a part of a three-month intensive entrepreneurship program.

The range of businesses in this class include arts, crafts, apparel, writing, publishing, jewelry, consulting, organizing, cleaning, film, translating, health, child care, cooking, sustainable housing, and irrigation systems.

Marga Fripp, President, discussing the finer points of the ETS program, with Sharmila Karamchandani, Lead Trainer, on the right.

The focus for the Meet & Greet session was on getting to know everyone, as well discuss the program itself, and on spiritual transformations as the beginning of the empowering process. Founder Marga Fripp shared a powerful TED Talk by Ric Elias, a passenger of Flight 1549: the plane that crash-landed in the Hudson River in New York in January 2009, at the beginning of afternoon session.

 

Following this video, the ETS students shared with the group their transforming moments, which got them to this point in their life and why they wanted to be a part of ETS. It is only when a person is ready to make a change in their life that they are really able to change and become empowered.  This time for self-reflection and introspection was a wonderful way for the women to bond together.

Mentor Marcela Kogan and ETS student Kira Washington

ETS students Charmelle Clark and Jane Mwinuka, Mentor Chris Ollis, and ETS student Cleopatra Magwaro

The ETS Team: Mary Louise Marino (Outreach & Operations Manager), Hanna Yamir (Program Associate Intern), Sara Seavey (Monitoring & Evaluation Intern), Marga Fripp (President & Founder), Alexandra Standal (Development Associate), and Sharmila Karamchandani (Lead Trainer)

We are so excited to welcome the new class of entrepreneurs. Onward and Upward Spring ETS class!

By Sara Seavey, Monitoring & Evaluation Intern

Upcoming Featured Event – Spring 2 Action!

APRIL 17 – Get Ready for Spring2Action I One day online giving

Remember last year when we reached out to you nonstop for one day to help us raise funds to support our work? For a whole twenty-four hours on one day, the whole city of Alexandria sprung into action and gave and gave to all us charities… It was a great day. Because of you, our donors and supports and volunteers. You helped make EWI history.

We exceed our own goal in dollars raised and donors rallied. EWI placed 2nd with the most number of donors and 3rd place for the most dollars raised. We raised $24,000 in one day. ACT for Alexandria is taking us all to task again this year with their exceptional fundraising marathon, set for April 17th.

This year we’re raising the stakes because we believe in the power of your support, the power of our capacity, and the power of the women we support.

Are you ready? We ARE. Read more

EWI and Marga Fripp featured in Be Inkandescent

Hope Katz Gibbs

A heartfelt thank you to Hope Katz Gibbs, the publisher Be Inkandescent: The online magazine for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs.

In January 2010, founder and president Hope Katz Gibbs, a journalist since graduating from the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School of Communications in 1986, launched the e-publication to spread the word about the great entrepreneurial businesses and ideas her clients were spearheading.

The online magazine also offers useful tips to other entrepreneurs who are either new to the “work for yourself” world, or are looking to take their companies to the next level.

Read Marga’s Story on BeInkandescent’s Truly Amazing Women column.

EWI on the Road to Richmond!

EWI went on the road last week and ventured off to Richmond for the Micro-Business Lending Conference. Imagine a few carloads of empowered women, packed in with storytelling aprons, silk floral arrangements, Tanzanian cloth bags, gluten-free cupcakes, Egyptian spices and baklava, felt hats and pillows, and a stack of EWI promo material. Away we went! We had too much fun.

We also learned a great deal about the new world of micro-business lending — B-corporations, sustainable statewide efforts to build lo      cal micro businesses in rural areas, the local-investment movement, and more. It was an eye-opener to people and organizations doing innovative work to build local economies.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond gave us the floor to set up our Artisan Showcase, a opportunity to exhibit the diversity and creativity that exists in micro business. The women entrepreneurs all had a chance to briefly tell their stories, talk about their business, and how EWI helped them along the way.

One of the highlights was during the two-day event was the Kickstarter panel discussion with Marga Fripp and Lisa and Jim Jacenich. Both Lisa and Jim shared their newbie experience with Kickstarter and their amazing success! We were brought to tears by their endearing story of the people who they came in contact with while raising money to support their trip to Mongolia to help felt artists there. The homemade film was so delightful we wanted to give them our contributions right there, even though the campaign ended months ago. By the way, they made it to Mongolia and back. More stories ensued!

Thank you to EWI Artisan & Food Entrepreneurs!
Velma Crawford, Apron Designer & Storyteller
Clementine Simons, Floral Arrangements
Mariam Mohamed, Handmade Tanzanian Bags
Lisa and Jim Jacenich, Felted Handmade Clothing and Accessories
Elizabeth Coker, Gluten-free Cupcakes
Aida Mady, Egyptian Cuisine

A gigantic thank you to Jen Giovannitti and Karen Huffman and the wonderful staff (and security team!) at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond for organizing an engaging and enlightening conference for everyone.

Mariana Alvarado: My experience as a Graphic Designer Volunteer at EWI

Here with Mary, Alexandra, Marga, Perry, and one of the interns.

When I decided to go back to the work force after being a stay at home mom for 6 years, my strategy was to go back to school and update my design knowledge and technical skills. I gained a lot more than that: self confidence.

My son Ian Emiliano is going to turn 8 in April.

After finishing a certificate program in Web Design in The Corcoran College of Art and Design in DC I felt prepared, but then realized that I needed to prove that I can be a valuable asset to any company, and decided to volunteer.

I found EWI by coincidence, or destiny. I come from an artisan family. My  father learned a solder technique from an Hungarian artist when he was 17 years old and worked for him making sculpture and jewelry for a couple of years before starting his own business. I have respect for artisans and appreciation for their work. I understand the challenges that immigrant woman, like myself, have to face in order to succeed in this country. I feel I found the right place for me to develop more skills and feel productive.

2012 Fall Graduation

I visited an ETS class in November and was pleasantly surprised by the energy of the ladies and advisors. Seeing the graduates so proud of themselves on their big graduation day was an inspiring experience for me.

I think empowering women to reach their full potential is a noble cause. I found working with Marga’s team of women very inspiring and empowering!

Where in the World is Shannon? She Takes Business and Travel to Another Level…

Shannon & Marga

Many of you know Shannon as our amazing former Program Manager. About 9 month ago Shannon and her fiancee decided to travel the world, teaching English as a second language and pursue many of their passions.

But traveling was not enough for Shannon. She wanted to travel and make a living while inspiring others to pursue their own passion for travel. So The Life Aventurista was created… We’re so proud of you, Shannon!

  
“I started The Life Adventurista in November 2012, because when Eric and I were first making our plans over a year ago, so many people contacted me and told me they wished they could live life the way we are. They just didn’t know how or think it was possible. I’ve spent the last six years teaching women how to start things – grassroots campaigns, nonprofits, and businesses, so I thought why not help more women start a business doing what they love so they can live life with more adventure and freedom. I love this work because it combines all my greatest passions and I love being able to work with so many incredible women.” Read more…